The race is won before it even begins! Learn how to prepare your boat, crew, and strategy for offshore racing success. From safety and boat systems to crew training and communication, this talk covers it all.

- Date: February 19, 2025
- Time: 7 to 8:30 pm (talk starts sharply at 7)
- Place: Nepean Sailing Club, Harbourview Hall 3259 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K2H 1A6
Your Speakers: Colin O’Neill and Sarah Nicholson


Despite growing up in Dartmouth Nova Scotia and being around boats his entire life, Colin was relatively late to the sport of sailing. While working on the Halifax Waterfront in a marine capacity, it seemed like a good idea to buy an old sailboat and clock some sea miles. As the miles accrued aboard his boat and others within the harbour, both cruising and racing – it was time to explore further. Coastal cruising lead to deliveries, which grew further offshore and then down the coast, presenting racing opportunities and more consistence lengthy passages, as the sailing network grew, so did the opportunities to race further and faster, while developing as a fulltime offshore race crew member of the J 133 Bella J.
A sailor and engineer from New Brunswick, Sarah recently had the opportunity to skipper the J/133 “Bella J” in the Newport to Bermuda Race 2024. This race, now in its 53rd edition, saw 170 boats participating in the 636nm ocean challenge. As the race website aptly describes, “The race is demanding. The rules say, ‘The Newport to Bermuda Race is not a race for novices.’” The course crosses the Gulf Stream and is mostly out of range of rescue helicopters. Most Bermuda Races include high winds and big waves. This year’s race held true to this description, evidenced by two boats that sank, one dismasting and one grounding. Thankfully, all competitors made it safely back to land. Out of the 170 boats, Sarah was one of only 10 female skippers.


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