While we have noted this before, it is worthwhile reiterating that the Salty Dawg Sailing Association has bitten off a big new project for 2025, a transatlantic rally to the Azores. While sailing across the pond in June is the optimum time to do so weatherwise, it is still a long passage requiring experience and preparation.
SDSA president Mike Benjamin noted, “The rally will have starts in Sint Maarten in the Caribbean and in Hampton, Virginia, on May 18th, with an initial destination of Bermuda. The fleet will gather in Bermuda for final preparations and festivities and will then depart for the Azores on June 1. The passage across the Atlantic should take about two weeks, depending on boat speed and weather. For many of us, this passage across the Atlantic to the Azores and then on to Europe has been on our bucket lists for a long time.”
The fleet for the first Azores Rally is limited to 25 boats and skippers and crew are expected to have sufficient offshore experience to make the passage safely and expeditiously.
The start from Sint Maartin will coincide with the SDSA’s Spring Homeward Bound Rally and all boats will sail with weather and routing advice provided by Chris Parker and shoreside support from the SDSA volunteer teams. As part of the rally fees, all crews will be covered for 24/7 on-call medical consultation provided by the physicians at George Washington Medical. To learn more about the Azores Rally click here.
The Salty Dawgs will conduct a number of webinars for skippers and those contemplating the run, with the next session scheduled for January 9th at 17:00 eastern time, with a focus on the Azores as a cruising destination. To register for this free event, click here.
In addition to the Azores Rally, in 2025 the SDSA will run the January Jump Rally from Florida to the Bahamas, the spring Homeward Bound Rally, the Down East Rally, The Round Delmarva Rally and the Fall Caribbean Rally. Also, throughout the year, the association provides informational webinars that are free to members and available for $25 for non-members.
This holiday season, why not treat yourself to an SDSA membership so you can download the cool new members’ app, attend the webinars for free, access the huge archives of useful articles and webinars on the website and be a part of this wonderful and rapidly growing cruising community. To learn more, click here.
