Marblehead’s Independence Day fireworks were still echoing across the harbor when crews began filing into the Boston Yacht Club race village for what would become one of the quickest and most keenly fought editions of this 361-mile classic. By Sunday’s start, a strong south-westerly had sailors giddy with anticipation and spectators crowding Chandler Hovey Light. The starts were as lively as a dinghy race as the big yachts jockeyed for position through two quick in-shore legs, then popped their spinnakers and slid down Massachusetts Bay in what many simply called “champagne sailing.”
Surfing at 20 knots and a new course record
The first 24 hours felt more downhill ski run than offshore passage. Temptation / Oakcliff—a JV 66—stretched its legs, covering the course in 1 day 4 hours 2 minutes 26 seconds to shave 45 minutes off the race record and collect The Halifax Herald & Mail Trophy.
“We had 21–27 knots almost from the gun,” watch‑captain Gary Jobson recalled. “Plenty of torn kites, but plenty of smiles.” Navigator Hugh Dougherty added with a grin, “Calling the lay‑line from five miles out—that was the highlight.”
Yet the tracker’s real drama lay astern. Class 40 Scowling Dragon logged an impressive performance with bursts above twenty knots, and youth sailors aboard Crazy Horse coaxed their Baltic 50 well past forecast numbers, signaling that raw boat speed alone would not decide the silverware.
From sprint to chess match in the fog
Dawn on day two brought a fleeting sunrise, then pea‑soup fog and softening breeze. The Gulf of Maine had switched from wrestling match to chessboard: every gybe, every sail change magnified by visibility that shrank to a single boatlength.
In ORR‑3, five boats traded the virtual lead through the night. At first light the J/120 Jane, skippered by Andrew Childs of the host RNSYS, threaded Halifax Harbor perfectly to edge Zig Zag by less than two minutes boat‑for‑boat—good for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Cup (best overall ORR time) and the H. Mary Powers Trophy (ORR‑3 win). “Our new A4 finally came out of the bag,” Childs said dockside, “and it was a weapon in the light stuff.”
Meanwhile, the CBC Youth Offshore Team on Crazy Horse held their nerve to grab ORR‑2 and the Commodore J.C. MacKeen Trophy, while Redwood / Oakcliff topped ORR‑1 to lift the David P. Prince Memorial Cup. In ORR‑4, Alden yawl Blue Skies showed that elegance still wins races, claiming the Wylde‑Highlander Cup.
Close contests & courageous calls
Classic ketch Ticonderoga of Greenwich crossed the line only 34 seconds shy of her PHRF rival after nearly two days of racing, yet that margin was enough to secure the Halifax Tourist Bureau Trophy for best PHRF‑Cruising corrected time.
Not every tale ended in Halifax. Forty‑five miles short of Nova Scotia, John Storck’s Blitzen began shipping water around the rudder post and wisely retired.
A dockside welcome as legendary as the race
By Tuesday morning every starter—save Blitzen—was safely in, making 2025 one of the fleet’s fastest collective finishes. Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron volunteers handed out tasty sandwiches, icy cans, and cheers in equal measure while local bands kept the patio humming.
Skipper Art Santry of record‑setting Temptation / Oakcliff summed up the mood: “We clocked mid‑twenties all night, then twenty knots inside the harbor under just jib and main—you don’t get that often. The competition was phenomenal; they kept us honest the whole way.”
2025 Trophy Highlights
| Trophy | Winner | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax Herald & Mail Trophy | Temptation / Oakcliff – Art Santry | Fastest elapsed time & new course record |
| Commonwealth of MA Cup (Best overall ORR) | Jane – Andrew Childs | First Canadian overall ORR winner in decades |
| David P. Prince Cup (ORR‑1) | Redwood / Oakcliff – Pike Severance | |
| Commodore J.C. MacKeen Trophy (ORR‑2) | Crazy Horse – CBC Youth Offshore Team | |
| H. Mary Powers Trophy (ORR‑3) | Jane – Andrew Childs | |
| Wylde‑Highlander Cup (ORR‑4) | Blue Skies – William Gunther | |
| Halifax Tourist Bureau Trophy (PHRF‑Cruising) | Ticonderoga of Greenwich -L. Scott Frantz | |
| Academy Cup | Crazy Horse – CBC Youth Offshore Team | Best training‑vessel performance |
| Minot‑MacAskill Cup (USA vs CAN team) | Team CAN: Jane, Airborne IV, Rampage |
When it all comes together
The 2025 race reminded us why the Marblehead‑to‑Halifax corridor endures as a proving ground: a start laced with fireworks, a night of twenty‑knot surfs, a day of blindfold chess in fog, and a finish wrapped in Nova Scotia hospitality. Carbon rockets and wooden classics fought bow‑to‑bow, youth teams out‑trimmed pros, and volunteers on both sides of the Gulf turned competition into community.
Planning for 2027 is already underway. Whether you campaign a grand‑prix flyer or an 87‑year‑old yawl, bring your ambition—and maybe a spare kite—and join the next chapter. Until then, fair winds, following seas, and congratulations to every sailor, volunteer, and supporter who made 2025 a race for the ages.