Toward the Future!
Recent News:
– COVID-19: Spring 2020 Succumbs
– Fabulous Webb Video – 40 kts TWS!
– Summer 2020 – Junior Offshore Programs
– Fall 2020 – College Figaro 2 Season
– College Presentations Offered
COVID-19: Spring 2020 Succumbs
Before the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic arrived, COSC had scheduled an exciting first “live” semester season built around offshore friendly changes to the American Yacht Club Spring Series. This venerable regatta in Long Island Sound had added 20 hour overnight races on each of its two event weekends. All six deployed Figaro 2s were scheduled to compete. This was exciting both for COSC’s collegiate schedule and for the apparent resurgence in offshore (at least coastal) overnight racing.
While the third event of our inaugural season, Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race, is still scheduled (at this time), all of our Member schools have canceled spring sports and most have sent their students home. We look forward to the passing of the health crisis and to the Fall 2020 semester (see below).
Fabulous Webb Video – 40 kts TWS!
We recently received this fabulous video from Webb Institute of their final training session (four students and a coach) on their Figaro 2 WILLIWAW last November 2019: cold, windy (40 knots TWS!), going hard upwind, small jib & full mainsail, and LOTS OF SMILING, WINDBLOWN, WRAPPED UP, ADVENTUROUS COLLEGE SAILORS! Thanks Webb!
Summer 2020 – Junior Offshore Programs
COSC is working with a group of yacht clubs led by Noroton Yacht Club, and with SailMaine, a community sailing program in Portland, to hold stand-alone 4-5 week junior offshore training programs toward a culminating offshore overnight race. Junior sailors will span from high school freshman to college freshman (acceptance by interview).
The programs will include 2 weekly evenings (one sailing and one a classroom Safety at Sea curriculum), and 3-4 training weekends with at least two overnight training sessions before the overnight race. 4 sailors plus one Safety Officer/Coach will comprise the teams. Click HERE for the SailMaine draft program as an example. Curriculum will include the US Sailing Online Offshore Safety at Sea course, and focus on fundamental seamanship skills of safety, navigation, systems, teamwork, boat handling, communications, log- and watch-keeping, and boat speed.
The Noroton program will participate in several overnight races in LI Sound and in the annual Beach Point overnight race for juniors. The Sail Maine program will culminate in the Monhegan Island Race, newly extended to 140 miles.
Fall 2020 – College Figaro 2 Season
In addition to our 6 currently deployed Figaro 2s (Mass. Maritime – 2, Webb Institute – 2, SUNY Maritime – 1, USMMA/KP – 1) COSC believes that we will have 3 more boats deployed at colleges for Fall 2020 north of Cape Cod.
We’re working on a COSC overnight race in September and an overnight race (Friday/Saturday) plus day race (Sunday) at the Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (IOR) at Larchmont YC on Columbus Day weekend.
All mileage on delivery voyages, from home ports to regattas and back, count toward the SMUKOs Trophy (Student Miles Under the Keel Offshore).
Presentations to Harvard & Tufts Sailing Teams
At the invitation of the sailing teams at Harvard and then Tufts, Rich Wilson, President of COSC, gave 60 minute presentations (30 minutes Vendee Globe 2016-17, 20 minutes COSC Figaro 2 opportunities, 10 minutes Q&A), to show the sailors (most of whom are dinghy sailors with no offshore experience) the exciting opportunities of learning and adventure in going offshore. These were exceedingly well received by the student-sailors, one woman sailor saying “I had never thought of offshore – now I want to sail a Figaro 2 to try it!”
COSC offers these presentations to other college teams. Contact us at info@cosc-usa.org .
