VX One Winter Series relocates to Pensacola Yacht Club
by Talbot Wilson/Pensacola YC 31 Oct 2021 13:41 PDT
Pensacola Yacht Club has been selected to be the 2021-22 host for the VX One Class Winter Series and Midwinter Championship. 50 to 70 VX One's are expected on Pensacola Bay for the three-regatta series © Priscilla Parker
The annual VX One 2021-22 Winter Series is now on track for its home at Pensacola Yacht Club. The Class Board of Directors has announced to the class that Pensacola will be the new venue for the VX One Winter Series with the first event scheduled for December 11-12.
The following event is scheduled for MLK weekend — January 15-17 — with three days of racing for the Midwinter Championship. The series final will be February 19-20 in time for the class to head to Miami and Charleston for springtime racing.
Regatta Entry and the new combined NOR/SI's for the series and are now available on Regatta Network.
Series 1: www.regattanetwork.com/event/23475
Series 2: www.regattanetwork.com/event/23476
Series 3: www.regattanetwork.com/event/23477
The VX One class is also invited to warm up in Pensacola with racing in the club's annual Jubilee Regatta — Nov 6&7. These one-design classes— Fish, Thistle, Lightning, Viper 640, and VX One are invited to race.
VX One 'Mast Up' boat storage is available between the Jubilee Regatta and the Winter Series and on through the final Winter Series event in February. Pensacola YC is power line safe. Storage reservations may be made using the Regatta Network online store. In the RN button to checkout, the series storage information is displayed and can be selected.
The VX One Board of Directors made the decision at it's October meeting and wrote to class members of the decision:
"Following the decision by Sarasota Sailing Squadron to limit the winter series to 25 boats, cap on site storage to 25 VX Ones and Vipers combined, and [VX One] demand estimated to be 50 boats for the January regatta, the VX One class has elected to relocate the series to Pensacola Yacht Club for this winter. Over the past few weeks, the board of directors has evaluated potential venues with the criteria being that the venue be able to accommodate 50-75 VX Ones with room for even more growth, provide mast up storage all winter long for all boats, and have a hoist on site. On Friday the board voted to select Pensacola YC as the host venue for the 2021-22 VX One Winter Series.
"With over 42 VX Ones registering for the Winter Series in under a week, it was clear that we needed to find a new venue that could support such significant growth so that we did not have to turn away sailors from participating in the series and complicate logistics for sailors coming in from out of town. Pensacola YC is eager to host the VX fleet and we are hopeful that we will build a successful partnership with them.
"The winter series this year will take place over the same dates as previously scheduled with two changes based on the feedback from the board and fleet captains.
#1 December 11-12
#2 January 15-17 (extra day of racing added for the Midwinter Championship)
#3 February 19-20
Hal Smith, Pensacola YC's rising Fleet Captain and PRO for the series, responded to the news of the VX One decision. "On behalf of Pensacola Yacht Club, our team welcomes the VX One Class with great excitement. We will have fun. We hope to see 50-70 VX One's racing on Pensacola Bay in December."
"All of our race management resources," Smith added, "from equipment to personnel will be available to provide you some great racing. The weather will be cool, but we have good wind year-round. Rare exceptions can interfere with plans, but we will do everything we can to get you some good and fair racing every day. Some days will be spectacular."
VX One Winter Series information will be posted on Regatta Network and the Pensacola YC web site 'Racing' section, www.pensacolayachtclub.org/Racing, and on the VX One Class website, vxone.org/na.