Ännu en ansats till ett race runt jorden – SF2SF Ocean Race. Frågan är om man har den kritiska massan? Det är ju lite större projekt än att segla fort till Hawaii…

Several of Northern California’s renowned sailboat racers have been meeting the past few months with one goal in mind, to launch the first ’round-the-world race that starts and ends on San Francisco Bay! The race, named SF2SF, is the brainchild of Jim Antrim, naval architect and avid ocean racer. “I’m intrigued by the challenge of a new sailing route around the world opened by the breadth of the Pacific Ocean,” stated Jim. “And not all major races have to start and end in France!”

It’s no coincidence that Jim plans to be part of a Bay Area team which will compete in the race. Among his long list of successful racing yacht designs, some more recent ones have spurred a revival of the Bay Area’s yacht building industry. Three custom Antrim racing yachts in the 40 to 50 foot range have been built by yacht builder Cree Partridge at Berkeley Marine Center. A new 60 foot monohull is in the works for SF2SF.

The SF2SF Ocean Race group has created a broad outline for the race, and is seeking additional input to finalize details for an official Notice of Race. One thing for certain, the race organizers seek to “bring the Corinthian spirit back into major ocean races,” according to Jim. “What we mean by that is the race will be about the challenge and the love of sailing. It should be accessible to a greater variety of teams. We welcome the big syndicates if they’d like to participate, but we also want the amateur teams that are ready to take on this challenge.”

The race is scheduled for Fall 2015, with a course around Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. It is essentially a non-stop race, though boats will be allowed to stop as needed, with the clock continuing to tick. The group has launched its website at http://www.sf2sfoceanrace.com. A survey on the site is seeking input from potential entrants, sponsors and racing enthusiasts.