Being cautiously optimistic that COVID-19 will be manageable by summer, the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race committee is pleased to announce that the race is scheduled to start on July 11, 2021.

In the meantime, please be safe and we look forward to seeing you at the race. In order to improve the chances that the smaller boats can meet the time limit, significant changes have been made. 

Thanks to the insightful comments that we received from those who responded to the survey last fall, the committee has decided: 

Start

The starting sequence will have the slower-rated boats start first, thereby giving them one to two hours of added time to complete the course (all boats will sail the same course). In some cases some time will be added between starts so as to reduce the chance of faster boats overtaking slower boats until they’ve cleared the triangle component after the start. 

Finish:

The finishing line will return to its historic location of HB at the harbour entrance. Not only does this reduce the elapsed time required to sail the course, but it reduces interference between racing boats and commercial vessels. 

Brazil Rock Gate: 

as a Hail Mary move for boats who cannot meet the time limit at the finishing line, crossing times will be taken at Brazil Rock and these will be used to assign a finishing position. Boats who sail the course and finish will be assigned the first group of positions, and any subsequent positions will be available for assignment based upon the Brazil Rock Gate crossing times.