Royal Cornwall Yacht Club celebrates 50 years of the Azores and Back Race
by Louise Midgley 3 Jul 13:38 PDT
AZAB 9 time competitor Mervyn Wheatley, 2027 Race Director Sarah Hancock, and founder Colin Drummond - Celebrating 50 years of the Azores and Back race © RCYC
Yachtsmen and women from around the world gathered at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club to celebrate 50 years since the Club's "Azores and Back" (AZAB) yacht race first set off from Falmouth Harbour, embracing the Corinthian spirit of camaraderie, adventure and the joy of competition.
More than 130 competitors and supporters looked back to the vision of the intrepid band of sailors who designed AZAB and into the future of the challenging two leg race from Falmouth Harbour to Ponta Delgada in the Azores and back - approximately 2,400 nautical miles in total.
A day of memories and reflections on the race's rich history, on-going evolution and warm 50 year partnership with the Clube Naval in Ponta Delgada began at Falmouth's National Maritime Museum and ended with a party at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club - host and home of AZAB.
Two of the race's most seasoned veterans, one of the founders Colin Drummond and nine-time entrant Mervyn Wheatley shared engaging stories, with Colin receiving a special commendation for his part in designing AZAB and persuading the Royal Cornwall to take on the challenge of running it.
RCYC Race Director for the next AZAB in 2027, Sarah Hancock, says, "We had such a fantastic line-up of speakers highlighting how the race has evolved over five decades to remain one of the premier short-handed offshore events in the sailing world and the only ocean race to always begin and end in the UK.
"In the earliest days AZAB was a single-handed race with little or no electronic equipment available and competitors relying on their own expertise and skill with celestial navigation. Happily the 1975 race saw no casualties although one competitor failed to find the Azores so had to turn round and sail for home!"
John Head presented a letter from Andrew Bray, former editor of Yachting Monthly and Yachting World and one of the founders of the race, who recalled, "Other than a liferaft and flares I had no safety aids, no VHF nor any other kind of radio transmitter/receiver...
"Safety, as many singlehanders attest, begins and ends in the head of the sailor. That and recalling Blondie Hasler's advice that 'anyone setting off across an ocean singlehanded should be prepared to drown like gentlemen'."
While technical advances - not least for safety - have evolved, the adventurous spirit of AZAB remains the same: among the attendees at the 50th celebrations were around 80 former competitors, as well as entrants from the recently completed Celtic Triangle Race - a qualifying passage for AZAB '27.
The 2027 race - open to cruisers and racers, single and double handed crews - already has more than 80 expressions of interest from seven nations to compete, with the 'Notice of Race' available on the AZAB website www.azab.co.uk.
Starting from Falmouth Harbour in June 2027, the race will cover a challenging course across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in the archipelago of the Azores for rest and relaxation and the opportunity to do any repairs and restocking of vessels before the return leg.
With a distance of approximately 2,400 nautical miles in total, the race offers both experienced sailors and those newer to ocean racing a chance to test their mettle in a relatively affordable format.
The participation of both solo sailors and double-handed crews allows a wide range of skill levels to compete - with AZAB welcoming anyone who enjoys the challenge of long-distance ocean racing or is keen to experience the thrill of blue water sailing for the first time.
Sarah Hancock says, "AZAB is so much more than an ocean race: it brings hundreds of competitors and their supporters into the very heart of our beautiful, historic Falmouth Harbour, from land and sea, and it's so important and inspirational for our town.
"With this in mind, for 2027 we'll be involving the local community much more, working with schools and local businesses. We're also looking to partner with a marine or ocean charity - preferably local.
"Finally, the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club hugely appreciates the backing of local businesses and organisations - including great support from the team at Falmouth Harbour - and we are looking to locally-based companies to sponsor the event and share the excitement and colour AZAB brings to this amazing part of the world."
For all information on the 2027 AZAB Race, for competitors, sponsorship packages and community partnerships visit www.azab.co.uk or contact Race Director Sarah Hancock at azabrace_director@rcycevents.co.uk or +44 7817 693755.