2008 Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race
STP65 Rosebud to Challenge Race Record

Posted Monday, March 17, 2008

 
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Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (March 17, 2008) - Rosebud, the STP65 owned by Roger
Sturgeon (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and recent winner of the Rolex Sydney
Hobart Yacht Race, has entered the 408-nautical mile Fort Lauderdale to
Charleston Ocean Yacht Race. Scheduled to start on April 23 at 1400 hours,
the race is organized by SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Conference) and
sponsored by the Storm Trysail Club (STC), starting host Lauderdale Yacht
Club (LYC) and finishing host Carolina Yacht Club (CYC).

This event marks the rebirth of a race that originated in 1968 and ran for
10 years. The race will start just outside of Port Everglades in Fort
Lauderdale and finish just outside of Charleston Harbor.

This type of classic ocean race, once dormant, yet now reborn, would seem to
appeal to many offshore skippers looking for a unique challenge. For Roger
Sturgeon it is more than that. "There are more than enough reasons to do
this race, but for me personally it is a perfect fit," said Sturgeon. "I am
a proud member of the Lauderdale Yacht Club, which is always ready to
promote the best in yacht racing, and I always look closely at any Storm
Trysail event to see if I can fit it into my schedule, so I am particularly
happy to see the rebirth of a classic race and, in this case of the SORC
name, recalling its fabulous history.

"It is one of our goals to go to places and do events we have never tried
before and of course enjoying the friendship of a new yacht club. We have
just returned from Australia and are busy putting the boat together for some
East Coast racing so this race will be the perfect test for our readiness to
meet our new similar sized competition."

The race record of 33hr:28min:56sec was established in 1974 by Phantom a C&C
66, owned by Ralph B. Ryder Jr. "We never think about records, we just
prepare ourselves to face our expected competition," said Sturgeon, noting
that many of the entered boats might be able to beat the record if there are
favorable conditions. "We are always trying to optimize against some
handicap rule first and let nature take its course, but I am only concerned
with doing our best against our competitors of today."

A classic duel of ocean racing tactics and sailing endurance, the Fort
Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race is sailed straight up the Gulf
Stream, ending in one of America's oldest and most historic ports. To bring
the race to sailing enthusiasts around the world, all boats will be equipped
with a GPS transponder unit and tracked online. To virtually watch the race,
please visit www.fortlauderdalecharlestonrace.org.

March 22 is the "early entry" deadline to save $100 off the entry fee.
Additional information including the Preliminary Notice of Race, on-line
entry and accommodations can be found at
www.fortlauderdalecharlestonrace.org.

The Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race also is an official leg
of the 2008 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series where IRC boats earn points for
placement in an overall chase to be the series champion.

Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race - Preliminary entries as of
March 14:

Boat name, Boat make/length, Owner Name, Hometown

1. Bandana, Oyster48, David Wallace, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

2. Chasing Rainbows, Hunter Legend 37, Del Wiese, Indian Harbour Beach, FL

3. Esprit, sloop 41, Floyd Bryan, Indialantic, FL

4. Mostly Harmless, SR33, Chris Woolsey, Fort Lauderdale, FL

5. Rima2, RP 55, John Brim, New York, NY

6. Rosebud, STP65, Roger Sturgeon, Fort Lauderdale, FL

7. Time, Camper & Nicholson 3/4Ton, David Burnham East Palatka, FL

8. Tyche, Swan 57, Tony Magee, Redondo Beach, CA

9. Willy Nilly, Beneteau 30, Lowell Cox, Prestonsburg, KY

10. Phoenix, Mini Transat, Andy Abel, Fort Lauderdale, FL

About SORC The SORC mission is to lead the expansion of offshore
competitive sailing in South Florida by providing the highest level of race
organization, management and promotions for those that enjoy the sport of
ocean sailing. The SORC is a Florida non-profit organization driven by a
select group of volunteers that bring professional event management,
sailing, racing and other skills to the organization. To automatically be
placed on future email announcements for this and other SORC events go to
www.sorcsailing.org.