In the days following the celebration of America's independence, Oakcliff is working to celebrate American sailing.  The Ker 50 and Farr 47 are currently fighting for the lead in their classes racing from Marblehead to Halifax and the top women in the world are descending on Oyster Bay to compete in the only North American stop on the Women's International Match Racing Series. 

It may seem incredible but even with 32 sailors racing to Halifax and 63 sailors and volunteers match racing, we still have our regularly scheduled programing going on.  So sign up on the calendar to reserve your spot.

 
A special thanks to Jack Halyards, Hammer Human Performance and Sport, Goslings Rum and Oyster Bay Brewing Company for your support.

As we approached July 4th it was all hands on deck getting the Farr 47 ready to go as well as double checking the Ker 50. 

The Acorns and Saplings had an intense week beginning with a two day Safety at Sea Seminar.  There was  classroom as well as hands on training including fire fighting, firing off flares, man overboard drills and of course liferaft drills.  All of the in the water activities were done at the Beach where the Olympic dinghies launch from mixing the ultimate fragile race boats with rugged offshore training on the same site.  We also had an old expired liferaft that we inflated and used...and then carried back to Oakcliff... I wonder what the neighbors thought :-)

 

At the same time as we were preparing for the Halifax Race and doing the Safety at Sea and all of our regularly scheduled programing we  also hosted two match racing event.  

Congratulations to David Storrs and his team including all-star-all-round Koko for winning the first event.  This was a part of the Andrew Campbell Clinegatta so the Offshore Acorns also got their match race training in.  Much as the Match Race Acorns starting in two weeks will also get some offshore miles. 

The second event went to Harry Thurston who normally is part of the crew for Will Tiller.  Harry and teammate Stewart Dodson are hanging around Oakcliff, sailing, training, coaching and basically helping out before they go on the road again which will include the Red Bull Youth America's Cup ... which so far looks to be the most exiting part of the American's Cup.