Halifax – The Canadian yacht Valkyrie won the top division in the 2011 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race with a record shattering time of 31 hours, 50 minutes and 18 seconds.

Valkyrie was the second yacht to cross the finish line on Monday but won its class based on corrected time – a handicap formula that takes into account hull design and other factors.

Skipper Will Apold told CBC News that the 78-foot Swan was doing 22 ½ knots at points along the 363 nautical mile course. “The boat was flying. It was wonderful,” he said. “It’s been a great race. It’s nice to play, but it’s great to win.”

First to cross the line was Bella PITA, a 75 foot yacht out of Oxford, MD. It crossed in 30 hours, 46 minutes and 52 seconds. Skipper Jim Grundy said sailing conditions were perfect. “The winds were behind us, the seas were behind us,” he said. “The weather was perfect for very fast sailing.”

The first Marblehead boat to cross the finish line was Denali, a 56-foot KER owned by Michael D’Amelio of the Boston Yacht Club. She finished fourth with an elapsed time of 34:57:41.

Ideal weather conditions helped the fleet of 89 yachts in the 34^th edition of the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race.

Spectators: View the Race Tracker

The MHOR 2011 will be using Fleet Location Tracking (FLT) with iBoatTrack equipment supplied by Horizon Marine. Spectators can follow the race using the link above. Details are available here.
See the Scratch List here
 

Review the Sailing Instructions and addendum

Spectator's Guide

Want to see the race start? Take note of the best viewing areas and please note the Protected Areas on the water. AND, if you're not on a boat, we are bringing the race course closer to you this year. Great views from land!  Download our one page Spectator's Guide.

ORR Division Announcement

The number of yachts entered into the ORR Division as of this date is fewer than six, which does not meet the requirement for the minimum number of yachts in any Division of the MHOR, see NOR 3.3.  If by the Entry Deadline of July 2, see NOR 3.6.1, the required minimum of six registered yachts for the ORR division has not been met, the MHORC has decided to make the following changes:

1. The existing dual scoring of ORR with other divisions will assume the role of the ORR Division.  A yacht electing to be dual scored will now be eligible for ORR Division prizes under ORR as well as in her registered division.

2. Eligibility for dual scoring will be expanded to include Division IV PHRF Cruising in addition to I IRC and III PHRF Racing.

3. A yacht currently registered in Division II ORR has the option of:

   1. Submitting an IRC or PHRF rating and registering for either Division I IRC, III PHRF Racing or IV PHRF Cruising, in which case she will be dual scored under her new division and ORR, or

   2. Be automatically scored under ORR alone in competition with those yachts being dual scored.

The MHORC encourages those yachts currently registered under ORR to arrange for either an IRC or a PHRF rating so that they can enjoy the same dual scoring privileges as other yachts, should this change come to pass.

Free Track Back Option

Our race tracking company, iBoat, by Horizon Marine, is offering you free track-back service. If you plan to cruise after the race or simply want your family and friends to be able to see your location while you bring the boat back to the US, they can follow that progress. See all our tracking details here.

Also, if you have not pre-registered for your tracker, please do that here.
 

Regatta for the Cure

Regatta for the Cure is an annual sail boat race to raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - Atlantic Region. The third annual regatta will be held at the Shearwater Yacht Club on July 16, 2011. Over $38,000 has been raised in the past two years after expenses.

The regatta is a day of celebrating those who are fighting and those who are survivors of breast cancer. More information available here.

Chelsea Clock brings a New Challenge

We welcome aboard the Chelsea Clock Company who have come forward with the trophies for a new competition. The Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race 2011, in conjunction with the Annapolis to Newport Race announce the Chelsea Clock Mariner Trophy.

Constructed from its limited edition Mariner Clock, the Chelsea Clock Company has donated this trophy to the Boston Yacht Club and Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron for the combined promotion of the Annapolis to Newport Race (A2N) and the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race (MHOR). They will provide a permanent trophy plus Chelsea Clock keepers for first, second and third class prizes in four divisions.

There will be a competition for the Chelsea Clock Mariner Trophy (The Trophy) in each of the IRC, PHRF, PHRF Cruising Canvas and Double-handed Divisions for yachts that compete in the same division in both the 2011 Annapolis to Newport Race and the 2011 MHOR. First, Second and Third place prizes will be awarded in each division.

In each Division The Trophy will be awarded on the basis of the combined relative rankings in their Division of those boats that sail in both events. So, Race A2N and tell the MHORRC that you are competing for the Chelsea Clock Mariner Trophy in your division.

See complete details here.

Shop MHORgear.com for the best weathergear and MHOR 2011 logoed merchandise.

History of the Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race
The running of the 2011 Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race (MHOR) is preceded by a long and prestigious history. The race began in 1905 as an informal competition among sailors from the Boston, Eastern, and New York Yacht Clubs. The race was run sporadically until 1939, when the Boston Yacht Club (BYC) joined with the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron (RNSYS) to formalize a biennial event. Since that time, the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race has run regularly on alternate years from the Newport Bermuda Race, as one of the pre-eminent ocean races of the North Atlantic.  See more.