Parade of Sailors

The television station in Saint-Pierre, France 1, covered the Parade of Sailors this year.  You can view the story by clicking through to see the video on this page.

Trophy Winners - Route Halifax Saint-Pierre 2016

Guests of Halifax and Saint-Pierre Trophy:
For boats registered as sailing from clubs other than in Saint-Pierre or in the Halifax Region

Grey Ghost – Philip Parish                 

Founders' Trophy - for teams of two boats

Easy Dora	Easy Company
	Pandora

Binnacle Trophy
For boats who also raced in the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race 2015

CAN 189

Saraphie

Armed Services Trophy
For a boat where half or more of the crew consists of members of any armed services

Grey Ghost

Philip Parish

CCA/ TAYC

Prize for boats racing with a crew of 2

Spirit

Manuel Hontoria; Tim Harris

Hal Davies Memorial Trophy (2012)
For boats who's owner is racing Route Halifax Saint-Pierre for the first time

Pandora - Peter Bromley   RNSYS

Guests of Halifax and Saint-Pierre Trophy
For boats registered as sailing from clubs other than in Saint-Pierre or in the Halifax Region

Grey Ghost

Philip Parish

Trophée SPM 1ère: For boats registered as sailing from Saint-Pierre Celebrations • 1816-2016
Halifax Trophy For boats registered as sailing from clubs in the Halifax region Easy Company Scott MacLeod

Veteran Quebec Skipper Takes Line Honours and First in Class in RHSP 2016

Georges Leblanc, skipper of Esprit de Corps II put on a push on Tuesday morning and slipped by two other VOR 60 competitors to cross the finish line first in Route Halifax Saint-Pierre 2016. Leblanc is part of Team Atlas, a Quebec based group that uses two ocean sailing racing boats to teach leadership skills to business executives.  His experience includes numerous ocean races including Transatlantic campaigns.

Esprit de Corps III, skippered by Gilles Barbot of Montreal had been leading the race since Monday afternoon when Leblanc overtook, close to Saint-Pierre.

Easy Company, skippered by past race chair Scott MacLeod from the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron was overall leader in the PHRF classes.  Easy Company was about 75 nm from the finish line when Esprit de Corps crossed.  

Thirteen boats crossed the start line in Halifax harbour on Sunday at noon.  Three have since retired. "Saint Pierre et Miquelon" was dismasted near McNab's Island due to the failure of the vessel's port chain plate and was towed to RNSYS.  Wabi and Illusion both retired from the event on Sunday.

Inshore racing and many social events await the fleet in Saint-Pierre, which will mark France's National Day - Bastille Day on Thursday, July 14.  Saint Pierre et Miquelon is also celebrating 200 years of French rule this year, since the Islands were given to France by the Treaty of Paris in 1816.

It's Race Weekend in Halifax!

Competitors are arriving and the countdown is on to the start on Sunday.  Check-ins are underway at the Commodore's Room at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. 

An important change was made in the Notice of Race earlier this week.  The start will be at 12 Noon on Sunday (not 13:00) off the Museum of the Atlantic dock on the Halifax waterfront.

Make plans to attend RHSP 2016 social events in Halifax.

Join RNSYS members for hors d'oeuvre night on Friday at the clubhouse starting at 6 pm, sponsored by the Race Committee. Then on Saturday night, The Action Figures provide live music on the Clubhouse patio, also starting at 6 pm for the RHSP 2016 Crew Party.

July	9	Saturday	1200	RHSP Skipper's Meeting RNSYS Tent
			1600	RHSP VIP Reception (by invite only) RNSYS Tent
			1800	RHSP Crew Party featuring music by The Action Figures RNSYS Tent

NOW OPEN: Registration for RHSP 2016

Time to commit to this summer's Route Halifax Saint-Pierre! Registration is open on Yachtscoring and you can get to the right place by clicking here.   If you start planning now, gathering a crew and the logistics will be so much easier.

This race can be the keystone to a great summer adventure for all concerned. You'll be racing from Halifax on July 6th with a group of like-minded sailors.  But you can also consider adding to your adventure.  What about a short cruise along the south coast of Newfoundland or stopping in the Bras D'Or Lakes on the way back to the Maritimes.

Here is the link once again to get you to Yachtscoring for registration:  Click Here.

Past race chair Scott MacLeod is already registered to compete with his Oceanis 40 "Easy Company".

Time to celebrate!

The ocean race is over now but the fun is just beginning. First of all, celebrations were in order for many crews as they arrived in Saint-Pierre. After all, finishing a 353 nm mile ocean race, no matter what your final place in the fleet, is an achievement.
The Volvo 60, Spirit of Adventure, wins line honours for crossing to Saint-Pierre the fastest of any boat in the fleet - 37:52:31.

The rest of the results are all calculated by using handicap systems.
Ciao Baby!, an Archambault 31 owned and skippered by race originator Philippe Paturel of Saint-Pierre comes out top in the IRC class.  While there were just two competitors in the non-spinnaker class this year, the winner is worth mentioning.  It's Race Chair Scott MacLeod with his Oceanis 40 Easy Company.

A Mini - a Nacira 6.50, Shanawdithit owned and skippered by Rodolphe Victorri also of Saint-Pierre is the overall PHRF and the PHR-1 class winner, as well as top double-handed crew.  Victorri sailed the distance in 44 hours and 7 minutes.
And Sea Smoke, the Bavaria 38 from the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron owned and skippered by Mike Evans takes the PHR-2 class honours.

Line honours to Spirit of Adventure!

The big Volvo 60 Spirit of Adventure crossed the finish line in St. Pierre overnight with an elapsed time of 37:52:31.  And then Sirius made it through the fog to arrive after 39:14:17 hours of sailing, the first double-handed crew to arrive.  Chantal Briand in Saint-Pierre sent us these pictures from the welcome:

Spirit of Adventure crew celebrates

Skipper Derek Hatfield at the helm

Stephane Bry and crew celebrate the finish

Sirius arrives in Saint-Pierre in the fog

Wed. 1900 update

Spirit of Adventure is closing in on Saint-Pierre this evening.  The big Volvo 60 was just 66 nm away from the finish at 1900 Wednesday.  Wind speed in the area is 18-20 kts.

Photo: Mike Cyr

Sirius, a Saint-Pierre boat skippered by Stephane Bry is keeping up the chase.  There's just 8 nm between the two vessels at this hour. The mini Nacira 6.50 owned by Rodolphe Victorri of Saint-Pierre is living up to its racing reputation.  He's moved into first place in PHRF racing and holding a strong boat speed of 11.4 kts despite its 21 foot length.  Larry Cohen and "Dawn Treader" are pushing through to the finish, holding on to first position for IRC racers. 

Wed., July 9th Race Update

Derek Hatfield’s Volvo 60 “Spirit of Adventure” is leading the fleet in Route Halifax Saint-Pierre as the second day of racing gets underway.  The 353 nm race started in Halifax harbour at noon on Tuesday, July 8^th.  The 18 boats are racing along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia and will be heading out to the ocean to cross over to Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, the French islands off the Newfoundland coast.

Hatfield’s crew on “Spirit of Adventure” is paying for the opportunity to learn how to sail the grand prix racer. Many of them are experienced sailors but the chance to crew on vessel of this size and type is rare in the Maritimes. “Spirit of Adventure” is the largest vessel in the race this year.  The vessel is the former Amer Sports One from the 2001 Volvo Ocean Race.

"Spirit of Adventure" gets ready to start

Challenging “Spirit of Adventure” for line honours is Sirius, an Akilaria 40 from the Saint-Pierre Yacht Club skippered by Stephane Bry.Past race chair Mike Evans and his “Sea Smoke” is overall leader in the PHRF class.  Evans is racing double-handed with Andrew Sergeant.  “Sea Smoke” is a Bavaria 38.

There are boats from Virginia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Saint-Pierre competing this year.  While the largest is the Volvo 60, the smallest is a 21-ft. Nacira 6.50 from the Saint-Pierre Yacht Club that owned by Rodolphe Victorri.  That’s a class of high performance racing yachts built for the Mini-Transat race among others.

There was a spread of about 70 nm between the leader and the back of the fleet early Wednesday morning.  The race weather forecaster is predicting favourable southwest winds of 20 to 25 kt for the next day or so although there could be some fog.

The racers are carrying Yellowbricks and you can track their progress at: http://yb.tl/halifax2014

CTV report on the start of Route Halifax Saint-Pierre 2014

CTV reporter Amanda Debison met some competitors and was on the water to watch the start of this year's race.  Here's a link to her report:

CTV's Amanda Debison reports.

The race is on!

The boats are on their way to France.  A flawless starting sequence took place at noon off Sackville Landing on the Halifax waterfront.  The wind is coming from the southwest and the sun is out now.

Follow all the progress by using our Yellowbrick tracker:   http://yb.tl/halifax2014

Here are some of the sights from the dock where blasts from the navy gun crew sent the crews on their way.

Gun crew at easy, waiting for the start.

The Radio-Canada cameraman lines his shot up with the
Race Committee boat.

Boom!

Madame Karine Claireaux, maire de Saint-Pierre,
visits HMCS Sackville for the race
reception and a tour.

Smallest boat in the fleet

Meet a first-time participant in Route Halifax Saint-Pierre. This is the smallest boat to be entered in the Race this year - a Nacira 6.50 m. 

Owner Rodolphe Victorri of Saint-Pierre arrived safely on Friday night before the storm. He had just passed the boat inspection when we caught this picture of "Shanawdithit" at the RNSYS in the beautiful sun of Sunday afternoon. In case you are wondering, the boat is named for the last Beothuk who lived in Newfoundland.  Although small in size, the boat is designed for ocean racing.  After purchasing the vessel in Europe, Victorri sailed home to Saint-Pierre single-handed.

Off to France!

Read a feature about our race on Sail-World.com:
http://www.sail-world.com/Canada/Route-Halifax-Saint-Pierre---Off-to-France!/124114

Sail-World.com - Route Halifax Saint-Pierre - Off to France!

www.sail-world.com     

Ocean racers from the Maritimes, Newfoundland, the U.S.A. and France are heading out on another edition of Route Halifax Saint-Pierre on Tues., July 8th. The starting gun fires at noon and sends the fleet from Halifax harbour racing up the Atlantic Coast.

  The fog was starting to roll in around the RNSYS,  just as our Acadian-themed dinner was being served at the Spar Shed on Friday night.  Weldon Boudreau and his daughter provided excellent Acadian music for the event which included a fresh fish dinner thanks to one of our sponsors, Bluenose Seafoods.

Dinners in the Spar Shed!

With "Arthur" on his way to the Maritimes, race organizers have decided to move the Friday and Saturday night parties for Route Halifax Saint-Pierre 2014 inside to the Spar Shed at RNSYS.  Same great music, same delicious food.

Friday, July 4 - Acadian Night featuring a fresh fish dinner, great wine and the music of Weldon Boudreau, a well-known Acadian musician from Nova Scotia.

Saturday, July 5 - BBQ starts at 7:00 pm... mixed in with Gosling's Rum Squall (Dark 'n Stormies R US!), Heineken and the music of The Classics.

Weldon Boudreau

The Classics

Information about Shipping to Saint-Pierre

For race participants wishing to ship sailing equipment not required during the race to St. Pierre, a container will be available at RNSYS per the detail below. Details relating to the return shipment will be provided in St.Pierre.

1.    The container is for race participants only. There is no charge for this service.

2.    Acceptable goods for shipment are sails, cruising equipment, clothing, etc.

3.    No perishable goods, foodstuffs or prohibited materials are permitted.

4.    No liquids including fuel of any type are permitted

5.    RHSP 2014, RNSYS and the carrier will NOT be responsible for loss or damage. The owner of the goods assumes all risks.

6.    Each item must be securely tagged, clearly identified as to ownership and numbered.

7.    A complete listing of shipped goods and contents is required for customs.

8.    A work form is provided below. Official forms will be available for completion at RNSYS and in St.Pierre when the goods are received for loading. No goods will be loaded without a completed manifest.

9.    The container will be available for loading at RNSYS between 1000 hrs and 1700 hrs, Wednesday July 2 and 09:00 and 15:00 hrs, Thursday July 3. No goods will be accepted outside these times. The advanced loading dates are due to the schedule of the vessel carrying the container.

10. The container will leave RNSYS after 1500 hrs Thursday July 3 for shipment to St. Pierre. It will be available upon arrival.

11. Instructions for the retrieval of goods will be provided in St.Pierre.

12.  A return container will be available in St.Pierre to return excess sails and equipment to RNSYS. Details will be available in St.Pierre.
13. Customs will want to see clear documentation and demonstration of ownership.

Blank forms to help you list your goods for both shipping directions have been sent to your skipper's email address.

Double-handed update

There have been two new entries in the double-handed competition since the last entry. Stephane Bry from Saint-Pierre will be skipper on Sirius - an Akilaria 40 and Rodolphe Victorri, also of Saint-Pierre has registered a Nacira 6.50 which is just 21 ft. in length but a racing yacht designed for the Mini Transat.  It is named "Shanawdithit", the name of the last known member of the Beothuk in Newfoundland

"Shanawdithit" competed in Route Rimouski/Anticosti

.

Doublehanded competition - head to head!

This year's Route Halifax Saint-Pierre double-handed competition is a head to head affair.  Two veterans of the race are entered.  Evan Petley-Jones and his sailing partner Ben Maloney are getting "Harrier" ready. And now past chair Mike Evans has decided that he will do a short-handed race on "Sea Smoke" this year.   

Safety First - Royal Canadian Navy

Race Chair Scott MacLeod has received word that the Royal Canadian Navy will once again be supporting RHSP.  HMCS Shawinigan will act as an escort vessel for RHSP, following the fleet up the coast of Nova Scotia. Shawinigan won’t be at the start line this year.  That role will be carried out by French navy patrol vessel Fulmar, which will also accompany the race through to Saint-Pierre. “These vessels are great assets to the Race and provide peace of mind to all participants and their families,” according to Scott. 

Deadline to order specially embroidered crew gear Mon., June 9th

The deadline to special order RHSP crew gear with your boat name is coming up tomorrow - Mon., June 9th. You'll find the form to order on this website. Just look for the tab "Shop for RHSP gear". 

And you can still order other items from the catalogue after tomorrow - you just won't be able to get the special embroidering done in time for the race. If you want see the items, Kathy MacLeod has set up a display in the front lounge at the Squadron.