Back
2013 MRA Registration Is Open!
April 9, 2013
Dear MRA Members,
Welcome to the 2013 MRA season. Registration is now open for a full season of one design racing from May until September. The cost for this series has been increased by $10 per boat from last year but this still represents extremely good value as it continues to include the NOOD entry fee and the six racing series. The season kicks off with the Spring Series on the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and finishes with the Fall Series in September - a total of 22 race days.
Over the winter the MRA has made a number of changes in order
to improve the experience of both race management and racers. Most notably we
have set up a new online scoring system which will enable scores to be posted
in an expedited manner. As a part of the
new scoring system, we have also updated our online registration process. As always, please be sure to visit www.mheadrace.org
to view the latest news, scores and event information. Some important links to information found on our Website:
This year we welcome a new 12 boat
J70 fleet that will join MRA racing on the Midway Line on a bi-weekly basis.
Given the addition of another fleet, the MRA committee has looked closely at the
management of this line. It has become clear that over the years, the Midway Line race
circle has been pushed further and further out to sea, to the point that it
usually has ended up outside of Halfway Rock, making it harder to reach the
starting area on a light-air day. MRA instructions for PROs now state that this
race circle is to be inside Halfway Rock, as shown on MRA Racing Chart. This should
shorten the time needed to reach the starting area for boats racing on that
line. One other line change was returning the J24 fleet to the Tinkers Line.
The other topic that the committee reviewed
was the start time, after receiving a request for a later first gun. While the
MRA committee sees merit in a later start time, in the absence of agreement across
all the fleets on the Midway Line it will remain at 12.30pm. This is also
consistent with the Tinkers Line which was brought to 12.30pm last year. The
MRA will continue to review the start times in order to promote participation
and enhance the experience of the racers and race committees.
Marblehead remains one of the few harbors where one design
racing for multiple fleets occurs on a full season basis. I thank both the
racers and the race committees for their participation and wish you all good
and safe sailing for 2013.
Hugh Greville
MRA Chair 2013