Beneteau First 36.7 Class - North Americans
Race Info:
The Beneteau 36.7 North American Championship regatta is returning to National Yacht Club for the first time since 2011 on September 8-11,
Beneteau 36.7s will sail up to eleven races through the 3-day event on racecourse located on Lake Ontario Southwest of the Toronto Islands. The 36.7 fleet has seen a resurgence of new owners who come with a lot of racing experience from other fleets. At any given regatta, there will be a different champion on the podium. It’s going to be a roll of the dice!
Competitors can check in and enjoy a regatta dinner on Thursday, September 8 to kick off the weekend.
Racing will begin on Friday, September 9th and will follow with a dockside social after the races. After the racing on Saturday, competitors will enjoy a regatta dinner and daily prizes. After the final races on Sunday an Awards Ceremony and Reception will conclude the weekend. Charter options will be available. Let's make this year count!
Registration and race dashboard: 2022 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championships
Charter Options:
The Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championships may not be for a few more months, but the time to start planning is now! Whether you're coming from out of the country, out of state, or just out of town, everyone is welcomed and encouraged to get involved.
The goal for the class is to have as many boats on the start line as possible. There is a strong fleet in Toronto, and in the surrounding areas. But for some owners a better option is to charter a boat that is already situated at the event location. Many owners have done this in the past, and it is a great way to make the event a true 'North American' event, and not just another local regatta. If you have any interest in chartering a boat, or would like to talk about going in with another owner or two, don't be shy. Email the regatta chair at beneteau367@thenyc.com
Not planning on chartering, or sailing on your own boat? Everyone is always looking for crew, and the Beneteau 36.7 Owners and Sailors facebook forum can be a fantastic resource for finding a spot on a boat.
Regestration is now closed. Good luck to all!
RESULTS:
National Yacht Club, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada earned the right to boast after hosting an incredible weekend of racing at this year’s 2022 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship Regatta, held September 9-11, 2022.
Everybody in the fleet, lucky enough to race in this year’s event, was treated to a welcoming, beautiful venue (NYC), in a gorgeous environment (downtown Toronto) and friendly atmosphere amongst fellow racers, as well as many supportive club members. Fabulous meals were enjoyed nightly, immediately following the free-flow of beer at social gatherings, debriefs with tip-sharing, and daily awards.
It became readily apparent that crews were sharing and learning from each other, primarily about rig tuning, sail trim and strategy for light air conditions, as vast improvement was seen in most teams, tightening things up in each subsequent race. Although we barely saw double-digit breeze the entire weekend, that spirit of helping each other to improve (a favorite feature of members of our Class Association) paid off, when teams could put what they learned into practice in similar conditions each race.
One of NYC’s home teams, “Zingara”, earned its sixth 36.7 NAC title at this 2022 event, providing another well deserved reason to boast within the National Yacht Club. Richard Reid is the VC-Fleet this year at NYC, as well as the Event Chair for this regatta, so it’s a sure bet that this win felt special to him, if not expected of his team by the rest of us. Team Zingara pictured below awaiting the “silver” presentation.
“Painkiller”, from Chicago, driven by Alice Martin (who chartered local Rob Bartholomew’s 36.7) gave Zingara a real run for the title, scoring (4) bullets on the last day, and finishing within five points of 1st. I’m sure they were wishing for another day of racing. Team Painkiller is pictured below, displaying their award, being congratulated by Almir Tavares (far right), who finished third.
“Finale”, owned and helmed by Almir Tavares, showed the most improvement day over day, scoring some 1’s and 2’s the second day and maintaining solid performance the third day to land the last podium spot in 3rd.
I’d like to personally thank Richard Reid, his race management staff at the National Yacht Club, our own Chuck Norris, who traveled to provide inspection duties and other shore side assistance, as well as all those teams who came to sail at our North American Championships in 2022, for making the weekend as fun as I’ve had sailing since the pandemic began.
Prepared by: Mark Schimley, “Wind Chill”
President, Beneteau First 36.7 Class Association