Earlier this month, several Oakcliff sailors travelled to the Caribbean to compete in a premier match racing regatta. Here's what Elizabeth Shaw, Training Program Director at Oakcliff, had to say afterwards: "The Carlos Aguilar Match Race event brought together one of the most impressive line-ups of competitors that I have ever seen. Certainly the skippers on record were of an incredible caliber, combine their talents with the impressive crew lists that each skipper had pulled together, the level of competition was fierce. My goal going into this event was to apply more of what I had learned … [Read more...]

By Andrea Watson Some people live the good life, especially when it comes to sailing. From Oct. 24 to 30, the Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda, BVI, held its 29th Annual Pro-Am Regatta. This event is special because it matches up amateur sailors (do not read: inexperienced sailors) who get a chance to crew with professional skippers. Read the full article by Manhasset Press here. … [Read more...]

By Airwaves writer Joe Cooper The rapid commercialization of the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race has introduced to the rest of the sailing world in a dramatic fashion the idea of “professional sailor”. But just exactly IS a Professional Sailor? At the top of this pyramid are the “Top Guns”. This is the miniscule pool of sailors at the ultra-elite level–the likes of Ben Ainslie, Russell Coutts, Paul Cayard, Jimmy Spithill and their compatriots around the world. Commonly these elite sailors will fly into the regatta, do their magic thing and fly off to the next one... Read the full … [Read more...]

Liz spoke with Fletcher Boland of the Marblehead to Halifax Race (MHOR) about Oakcliff's entry in the race and the trend towards a dominant youth presence in the event. The result: a great write-up for Oakcliff. We are thrilled to be playing our part in the push of strong, young, talented teams in events such as this. The momentum continues to grow, folks! Read the full article here. … [Read more...]