31st Block Island Race Week Day 1 - North Sails Race Day
by Storm Trysail Club 24 Jun 11:48 NZST
June 22 - 27, 2025
Racing in the 31st Block Island Race Week got under way on Monday with the North Sails Race Day. After a one hour wind delay, the three fleets motored through "The Cut" to their respective race courses for a 12:00 p.m. start as the sea breeze filled in from the southwest. The wind stayed stable for the remainder of the afternoon.
The winner of 2023's Everett B. Morris Perpetual Trophy - known as "Boat of the Week" for the 30th BIRW, Deja Voodoo, won the day in the 17-boat J/105 class, which is also the one-design fleet's East Coast Championship.
"The boat was going well and we were able to get one boat on the last leg and end up in first," said Deja Voodoo's owner Bill Zartler. When asked whether his team feels any added pressure of being the returning champions, he noted that "there is always a target on the purple back."
Opening up the ORC North American Championships, Summer Storm sailed a banner day. "It was a beautiful day with great racing. We are looking forward to the rest of the week.," said owner and Storm Trysail Club member Andrew Berdon. "Conditions were light to start, but filled in later, giving us a glorious day of sailing."
Racing boats were accompanied offshore by pods of dolphins trying to catch a glimpse of the action, while families and friends of sailors awaiting their return onshore—mudslides in hand. Full results can be found here.
Tomorrow is Regatta Craft Mixers Race day. Be sure to come back to the 1BI throughout race week!
Find out more at stormtrysail.org/the-1bi-2025-day-1 and read about what keeps families coming back to BIRW for decades.