Thursday, October 1, 2015  6:30 pm

WHITEBREAD 22 CANCELED

All Whitebread Competitors,

The Whitebread  Race and Event Committees along with the leadership of PBSA has been monitoring the weather forecast closely the last couple of days.  We hope that all competitors will agree with us that the primary factor driving the decision regarding the running of the race must be the safety of all participants.  Given the forecast, we have made the decision to cancel the race.  We have looked into the possibility of postponing the race to a later date, but the schedule of other regional races, the lack of availability for a venue for a post-race party and additional factors, prevents us from postponing the event to a later date.  While we share in your disappointment, we are sure that you will agree that the safety of our skippers, crew, race committee and equipment must be given the highest priority.

The good news is that the post-race party lives on!  The party will be held as scheduled at Cutchogue Harbor Marina starting at 5PM Saturday evening.  We hope that you will join us for some great Bar-B-Que chicken, music and fun.

We appreciate your understanding and hope to see you at the party.

For a more in depth look into the decision please see the FAQ section to follow. 

Steve Weiss, Chairperson, Whitebread Committee

Tony Dill, Whitebread Race Committee PRO

Dave Bergen, Commodore, PBSA

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Statement from the Race Committee

The Race Committee has been committed to sailing the race if at all possible. A number of adjustments to the Sailing Instructions were developed in case the weather conditions on Saturday morning proved to be marginally acceptable. However the majority of our fleet hails from outside Cutchogue Harbor (the location of the start and finish) and must transit a good distance to get to the race and then return. Waiting until the last minute on Saturday morning to decide on whether to cancel or not would force these boats to go out into what are likely to be dangerous conditions, hoping their efforts would not be in vain. For us that meant our decision would have to be based on longer-range forecasts and not have the luxury of waiting until the last moment.

The conditions between now and Saturday are largely being driven by atmospheric factors other than the hurricane. It now appears the actual hurricane won't get into our latitude until Sunday/Monday. However, given the forecast conditions from a number of sources (both governmental and private services) the sea state together with the wind speed will combine to make racing exceedingly dangerous. So our decision is not simply based on the projected route and arrival of the storm.

The Whitebread has always been a regatta open to almost any type of boat provided it met the minimum length requirement. Many of the entrants are very sea worthy vessels and, with proper handling, can successfully endure very rough conditions. But other entrants are not and there are real possibilities of very dangerous situations developing.

The Whitebread is not equipped to provide rescue vessels along the course and thus it is quite likely there will be no boat available to assist distressed vessels and their crews. An extreme sea state coupled with high winds will make it exceedingly difficult for a competing vessel to recover successfully from an accident, gear failure and/or a serious injury to anyone aboard without effective outside assistance or rescue. 

A number of other major regional regattas have already cancelled racing for Saturday, both in Narragansett Bay and western Long Island Sound.

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WB22 FAQ’s

Why was the regatta canceled?

The number one responsibility for the Race Committee is the safety of the fleet and the race committee. When considering all alternatives, shortened course, changing start sequences, etc., the two factors that were important were the high steady winds with accompanying gusts, and the sea conditions resulting from 72 hours of high easterly wind on the course.

Why can’t it be Re-scheduled?

The Greenport Ocean Cup is scheduled for next weekend. We looked at the entry list for this race and found that many boats are entered in both races. In addition, Cutchogue Harbor Marina is not available after this Saturday, the band is not available for next weekend, and the SLA Beer & Wine permits are date specific for this weekend.

Will there be a refund?

The practice has been with most sailing regattas that while we would like to say that we are in control of a race, we cannot control Mother Nature. The majority of costs related to the event are committed to date. As such, we are not able to offer you a refund. The Party however… lives on! The Party will start as planned at 5PM on Saturday. Take-out’s will be available.

What about the Party?

The Party is Still ON, Saturday at 5PM. The Band, Nitework is a nine piece group with killer horns, Greenport Harbor Brewing Beer and Brooklyn Winery, the famous Cutchogue BBQ will all be there, and the raffle for the Preston’s Kayak will be pulled.

What about next year?

Oct. 8, 2016 is the tentative date for the Whitebread Race. 

Thursday, October 1, 2015  10:00 am

The Whitebread Race Committee has been watching the local weather forecasts and the projected path of Joaquin every few hours. We would like to bring all Whitebread competitors up to date on our thinking and our timetable for decision-making.

Presently the RC is considering the following options for modifying the traditional race around Shelter Island as weather conditions dictate:

• Delay the start on Saturday morning
  
• Reverse the starting order and send some or all divisions on the short course "Echo"
  
• Abandon the race for some or all divisions based on updated weather information.
  

As race day approaches, we will continue to monitor the forecast and storm track.

On Thursday evening, we will send out another update.

On Friday, we will send out an additional update.

In the absence of a cancellation on Friday, racers should be prepared to come to the starting area as instructed on Saturday morning.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015  2:30 pm

The Whitebread Committee is closely monitoring the weather situation as it affects Saturday’s regatta. The safety of the Fleet is the Race Committee’s most important concern.

Please check back to this link to get the latest Updates, and watch your e-mail for additional updates.