The annual Salty Dawg Rally to the Caribbean that gets underway on or around November 1 has seen a dramatic increase in sign-ups this year. As of August 1, three months before the rally starts, 80 boats have already joined. That’s roughly double the number on that date when compared to the last three years.
To accommodate this expanding fleet of sailors heading to the Caribbean and Bahamas, the SDSA has announced a new start in Newport, RI, in addition to the usual starting venue in Hampton, VA. Collaborating with the NARC (North Atlantic Rally to the Caribbean) that has been departing from Newport every year for the last two decades, the SDSA Newport fleet will be based at the Newport Yachting Center along with the NARC fleet and will share social and pre-rally events. This year, both the Hampton and Newport fleets will have the opportunity to stop in Bermuda where there will be events for the crews. The SDSA Rally will finish, as in the past, in Antigua and Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The NARC will finish in Sint Maarten.
With this growing fleet, the SDSA will be offering mentoring programs for less experienced skippers and crews and webinars to assist crews in their preparations. An integral part of every SDSA rally is the weather forecasting and routing provided by Chris Parker at Marine Weather Center.
If you are planning to sail to the Caribbean this fall, you can learn more about the SDSA Fall Rally to the Caribbean and the NARC on their websites. And, you can sign up for the rally there as well.
More about the SDSA Rally to the Caribbean here.
More about Sail OPO and the NARC here.
