NATIONAL REPORT - NORTH AMERICA
Tough competition and great camaraderie Jennifer Harker updates us on the latest developments in North America where an enthusiastic fleet of classics and evolutions have been rejuvenated over the past few years.
T
he 5.5s are now actively racing again in North America. A love of these beautiful boats brings sailors together from Canada and the US to experience competitive racing on the course and exceptional camaraderie on shore. Since 2014 the Americans and Canadians have been holding a North American 5.5 Metre regatta on Georgian Bay in Midland, Ontario, Canada. The inaugural event attracted four Classic 5.5 Metres on the line. It was such great fun getting these boats back together on the race course so it was agreed to hold two regattas each year, one in the spring and another in the fall.
72 • fivepointfive • april 2020
The North American 5.5 group is focused on rejuvenating and expanding the fleet by sharing information, knowledge, parts, crew and boats. We have grown to an average of eight boats with more expected to be back in racing form shortly. In 2019 we welcomed a race crew from Texas to Midland and continue to invite potential owners and current owners whose boats are not yet race-ready to join our regattas. There are about 20 boats in North America with most of the fleet being Classics, with a few Evolutions and one Modern. We also allow the fibreglass Columbia 5.5 Metres built in the late 1960s to participate as Classics to provide an opportunity for owners of these boats to race. This year will see two events on Georgian Bay in Midland. The North American 5.5 Metre Regatta is set for June 18-21 while a date change has moved up the fall regatta to be a summer event running from August 28-30. We encourage interested owners, skippers and crews to contact either Dan Rossi daniel@rossi-engineering. com or John Lister listersjohn@ gmail.com Of the Evolutions that have been found, one is in Canada and the other two need work to get them back on the water. Two Classics have or will be modified to transform them to Evolutions. The Modern is in the
