Azores and Back Yachts to Set Sail
Yachtsmen and women from Cornwall and all over the world will set sail from Falmouth at the start of The Azores & Back yacht race on Saturday 04 June.
The Azores & Back, which is organised by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club in Falmouth and Club Naval in Punta Delgada in the Azores, is the largest ocean race to leave Great Britain in 2011. The Azores & Back yacht race was first held in 1975 and this will be the tenth time that sailors set off on the Atlantic dash.
This year will see a record number of yachts taking part with over 60 yachts signed up for the 2011 race.
The race is open to monohull yachts with a length overall from 9m to 18.5m. The course covers just less than 2500 miles of ocean, approximately 1220 miles on each leg. Open to single and double handed crews and held over a 45 day period, the yachts usually take seven to ten days to complete each leg allowing a week or so to relax and restock for the return passage.
The gun will be fired at Pendennis Castle to signify the start of the race at 1pm on Saturday 04 June. Spectators living in the TR10 and TR11 postcode areas can gain free entry to Pendennis Castle to witness the start. Spectators will be able to see a RNLI display at 12 noon off Pendennis Point, before the 1pm race start, as the boats set sail for the Azores.
As well as the sailing action, there will be fun activities at the Castle for children with the ‘Time Travellers Go Seafaring’ set sail on a nautical adventure as you learn the ropes of seafarin, 1800s style. Prepare for naval battle, enjoy plenty of hands-on activities and find out about life on the open seas in days gone by. There will also be a beer tent and hog roast until 5pm.
