Featuring both a new name and event branding, the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series will kick off its 33rd season in St. Petersburg in February. Formerly called the National Offshore One-Design Regatta, the format was an immediate success with its unique concept of racing level in larger production boats, its unrivaled post-racing social experiences and its professional race management. The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series grew nationally and remains the most popular weekend racing series in the United States.
The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series today encompasses more than larger one-design raceboats. Embracing popular fleets at each location, the regatta series now features many different boat types: dinghies, multihulls, and keelboats that race under established handicap systems.
“I’ve been involved with this regatta series for 28 years and I’ve witnessed firsthand the evolution of the events, the host cities, the clubs and especially the classes we host,” says Dave Reed, Sailing World’s editor. “In the early days, with as many as nine events in one season, it was a lot of big boats, big crews and massive nightly socials, but with the sport transitioning to trailerable sportboats and dinghies we’ve evolved ourselves to include a wider variety of classes and showcasing all the vibrant sailing scene across the country. This change also allows us to explore launching future events under the Sailing World umbrella and growing our regatta portfolio.”
This year’s series will travel to St. Petersburg, Fla., San Diego; Annapolis, Md., Chicago, and Marblehead, Mass., thanks to the premier host yacht clubs located in these renowned sailing venues.
The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series will continue the traditions that have made it a sailor-favorite series like its post-racing parties and social events at each yacht club, and awarding one top-finishing team at each regatta a chance to compete in the overall season championship, held in the British Virgin Islands in October.
“The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series has grown exponentially since its inception and now reaches a very broad audience. It only made sense to evolve with the all-inclusive nature of our events,” said Sarah Renz, Director for Sailing Events, Bonnier Corp. “The sport has evolved dramatically since Sailing World started this series more than 30 years ago, and our goal is to reflect the evolution in our name and branding. It remains a national series, but there’s now much more than just offshore one-designs. With the support of our longtime partner, Helly Hansen, we can’t wait to get the 2022 season underway.”
In 2022, the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series will feature races for cruising sailors, long-distance sailors, one-design fleets, handicap keelboat classes, dinghies and even remote-control sailboat racing. Competitors can expect the ever-popular social events with new and exciting additions to the nightly parties.
More information, including registration and race updates for the series can be found at sailingworld.com/regatta-series.
