Rambler first to finish Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race

1:01 AM Wed 8 Jul 2009 GMT

'George David's Rambler' &copy Rolex/Daniel Forster

Rambler, a 90- ft. Reichel Pugh was the first yacht to cross the finish line in the Marblehead To Halifax Ocean Race this morning at 07.22.38, finishing first in the IRC 1 class. A light air race from start to finish, Rambler averaged 10 knots of boat speed with the highest being 14 knots and the lowest being 2.5 knots.

'The key to our strategy was staying offshore,' said George David, owner and skipper. 'Your perspective certainly changes when you are in a boat of our size as this enabled us to eat up the ocean miles. I have great admiration for the smaller boats that will likely be out there for a couple of days.

My hat is off to the Boston Yacht Club and Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron for their top notch organization at the start and finish.'

According to project manager Mick Harvey, 'The lack of and frequently changing winds presented unique challenges; it was by no means an easy race. We used every sail we had, except of course the storm sails. Our size certainly helped us get through the light air. This race certainly lived up to its reputation as being a challenging tactical race.'

At this point, a total of seven yachts have withdrawn, some using the opportunity to cruise along the Maine coast.

Marblehead to Halifax 2009 - Leighton O 'Connor &copy

About the 2009 Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race: The running of the 2009 Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race (MHOR) is preceded by a long and prestigious history. The race began in 1905 as an informal competition among sailors from the Boston, Eastern, and New York Yacht Clubs. Since that time, the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race has run regularly on alternate years from the Newport Bermuda Race, as one of the pre-eminent ocean races of the North Atlantic.

www.marbleheadtohalifax.com

by Craig Davis