Cuba Here We Come

The Notice of Race for the Conch Republic Cup Key West Cuba Race Week was released earlier this month, and already at least one Bay Area boat is entered.

Peter Krueger’s J/125 Double Trouble, fresh off a win at St. Francis Yacht Club’s Rolex Big Boat Series last week, will race at Key West Race Week on January 17-22, and will follow up with the Conch Republic Cup. "Now it’s time to go to Cuba. That’s the next adventure," said Double Trouble’s boat captain, Andy McCormick. "We’re going to go do a little ocean race to Cuba and see if we can go play in a new sandbox."

"We’ll take the boat down to Florida right after Christmas, do Key West Race Week, and then we’re off to Cuba," elaborated Krueger. "This is legit now, this is a US State Department-sponsored cultural exchange, so we’ll be exchanging sailing with the Cuban people. We’re looking forward to it."

According to Jeff Drechsler of Conch Republic Cup LLC, "This had been an annual cultural exchange sporting event since 1997 until efforts were thwarted by the US government after the 2003 edition. Now with the normalization of relations between our nations it is again possible to renew this maritime tradition with our neighbors.

"Our tradition began as a race hosted by the Key West Sailing Club from Key West to Varadero, Cuba, in 1997 and 1998 at the invitation of Commodore Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich of Club Nautico International, Marina Hemingway. For the 1999 edition Commodore Escrich suggested a series of races consisting of this original race as a first leg. Racing was then extended to include a buoy race in Varadero, another distance race from Varadero to Marina Hemingway in Havana, and finally a race from Havana back to Key West. This format is the heart of the race we continue today."

The new Race Week will begin after Key West Race Week with a reception in Key West on January 27 and finish with the awarding of the Conch Republic Cup to the overall winner back in Key West on February 6. A parade of sail in front of the historic Malecon parkway in Havana and several lay days for private exploration with the option of guided tours of Havana will be included.

The organizers need to receive entry applications by October 16, and the crew list deadline is January 2. See www.conchrepubliccup.com for complete details.