FRIDAY, JUNE 29: Allan McLean, past Marion Bermuda Safety at sea chair since 2007 and newly appointed executive director of the biennial Marion Bermuda Race, has announced June 14, 2013 as the official start date for the 645 mile ocean race to Bermuda.
McLean succeeds Graham Quinn, who held the post for the last three races.
In mid-June every other year, sailors in 32-80 foot Cruising and Racer/Cruising monohull yachts compete in the 645-mile ocean race from Buzzards Bay/Marion, Massachusetts to St David’s Head, Bermuda. The tace appeals to a broad range of cruising and racing enthusiasts.
Building on its 37th year of running, McLean’s goal for the 2013 race is to “increase participation and get the broader sailing community to recognize that this race is a premier sailing event which appeals to a broad range of non-professional cruising and racing enthusiasts. The race can be challenging but very rewarding. Bermuda is a wonderful destination and the hospitality of our Bermudian hosts is unbounded.”
The Marion Bermuda Race 2013 will be starting over Fathers Day weekend, celebrating the many fathers and their families who participate in Marion Bermuda year after year, and also commemorates Flag Day, the day that the flag of the United States was formally adopted, back in 1777.
Tom Farquahr, past trustee chair, said: “Allan has been associated with the Blue Water Sailing Club and the Marion Bermuda Race for some time. For the last three biennial races Allan has chaired the race’s Safety at Sea Seminar, held at MIT in Cambridge in the spring before the race, and has been a member of both the management and executive committees.”
McLean said that “non-profit organizations achieve their goals in direct proportion to the commitment and enthusiasm of their volunteer members.” The three sponsoring organizations, Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, each contribute significantly to the planning and execution of the event.
“The Marion Bermuda race has been blessed historically with a large number of very talented and capable board members and volunteers who work tirelessly to make the race a success. Well over 100 dedicated volunteers are drawn from the ranks of these three organizations, most of who have been involved in their respective roles for a number of years, and as a result carry out their responsibilities with efficiency and enthusiasm.”
McLean said: “the Safety at Sea Symposium, held traditionally in March prior to the race, has been highly successful and has attracted a truly first class faculty and large audience. This event has always been enthusiastically received by those in attendance. We are very pleased that the 2013 event will be chaired by Ed Stott, who is a very experienced offshore sailor and who has played a very important role in prior seminars.”