yacht scoring off soundings

Race Information, News, Events and Announcements

Champlin’s Marina & Resort

We're THRILLED to announce our newest offering at Champlin's: a launch service from the mooring field to our one-of-a-kind Block Island resort and extensive onsite dining options. We can't wait to get this service started!!

2024 Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet

April 6, 2024 1800 Hours The Hounds, Stonington Register Online. Download Registration Form

Winter Luncheons!

Happy New Year from the Off Soundings Board of Governors!! Take a break from the recent holiday havoc and enjoy a quiet lunch with your fellow Off Soundings sailors. Off Soundings will be having winter luncheons as follows: Tuesday, January 30th – Noon – The Fisherman Restaurant, Noank, CT Learn more > Thursday, February 8th…

2021 Winter Speaker Series

Lecture 4. On Tuesday April 27 at 7:00pm. Tides and Tidal Currents in Eastern Long Island Sound presented as a virtual discussion via Zoom by Frank Bohlen, John Burnham, and Carl Fast.

Fall 2021 Video

September 17 -18 2021. Sponsored by the Race Committee of Off Soundings. Video production by MYSTV and Steve Sattler Films.

Off Soundings Gear From Team One Newport – Order Online

Be sure to get your Off Soundings gear!! For a number of reasons gear is NOT going to be sold at the race parties as has been past practice. BUT we still have Team One top quality OSC gear!! Jackets, hats, T-shirts and more all with a beautiful Fall Series logo. To order gear go to the Team One link -- Off Soundings -Team One Newport (team1newport.com). Please share this link with your crew!!

Off Soundings Donates to Block Island Medical Center

Dave Dickerson, past commodore of both the Off Soundings Club and the Cruising Club of America, said the two boating clubs pooled their resources and donated $4,000 to the Block Island Medical Center. Dickerson said another $500 will be donated to the Rescue Squad in the fall.

Jazz Voyage to Bermuda – Rod Johnstone

Clay and I are about to test Jazz, J/99 #40, on a round trip to Bermuda.starting from Stonington on Sunday morning.

Membership Meeting & Awards

Board of Governors is well-aware of the outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus, COVID-19. The well-being of our members is our highest priority. Based on a list of precautions recommended by the CDC and other government agencies the flag officers have decided to postpone the awards dinner and annual membership meeting. A new date and location will be provided later.

Off Soundings Club – Experience Spring Promo 2019

Nice video from 2018 promoting this years race appears below. Just 2:30 and great footage. Thanks to Principal Race Officer, Greg Gilmartin, for putting this together. Share the link with crew and fellow racers and get the word out!

Off Soundings Fall Race Report

By Principal Race Officer - Greg Gilmartin - It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. All the times counted. The 2018 season for the Off Soundings Club was another good year with the usual variety of breezes and tidal currents playing their games on the racers who participated.

Safety Committee Announcement – Seth Olsen

The OSC Safety Committee is looking forward to 2018 racing season, and hope you are too! An important part of pre-season preparation is ensuring that your crew's safety certifications are up to date per OSC's SER:

Off Soundings Club 2017 Race Committee Report

In an era where tradition is trashed and you’re only as good as your next event, the Off Soundings Club continues to do pretty well. Maybe it’s because we have a long “tradition”, which means we’ve done a lot of “next” events. I took a quick look at “Reflections”, Bruce Lockwood’s personal chronicle of the club since 1933 to tabulate just how many events have actually occurred. The Club has been in existence since 1934. The first race was held in Spring, 1935 when 11 boats sailed from Block Island to Dering Harbor. Since then, there have been 81 Spring Series and 78 Fall series. Two of the Fall Series were cancelled due to Hurricanes and in the Spring of 1945, with WWII ending, 25 boats sailed from Stamford to Manhasset and then back the next day, but there was no Fall Series that year. Thus the uneven number of Spring and Fall Events in our long history and three years of war.

Fall 2016 Race Highlights

I hope you enjoyed the Off Soundings Club Fall Series. As you are aware, Saturday's race was exciting with a very busy finish, followed by protest and redress hearings. The hearings are completed, the cases are closed and the results have been reviewed, the audio tapes checked and the questions answered. I can report that no changes were apparent in the Podium Finishes as announced Saturday night with the exception of Class H-3 Juliet. The Protest Committee granted Redress to Alliance resulting in First place points award to both Alliance and Balance in Race Two.

Spring 2016 Race Highlights

It was the 79th running of this perennial event and 109 skippers and their crews enjoyed solid breeze, dying breeze, shifting breeze, sunshine, clouds, and drenching rain. 1BI reared it’s ugly tidal head each day and the uncertainty of wind direction, coupled with the variety of wind strength turned tacticians into dart throwers, hoping to end up in the wrong place at the right time. What happens on Block Island, stays on Block Island, and often, only happens on Block Island.

Fall 2015 Race Highlights

Changing conditions, challenging racing and a solid weekend of racing entertainment was held for nearly 100 boats and their crews. There was even an impromptu diving contest in the 3 hour wait on the calm waters of Gardiner’s Bay Saturday. In the end, two races were sailed and trophies were dispersed.

Spring 2015 Race Highlights

The race committee, Greg Gilmartin and company, along with Henry DuPont's Nor'Easter, did an excellent job in conducting the races on both Friday and Saturday. They deserve a lot of credit sheparding 13 classes and 118 boats.

Sea Scouts and Off Soundings

As many of you will recall we invited a contingent of local Sea Scouts to join us at the Charles W. Morgan Rendezvous last summer and they were incredibly grateful for the opportunity. They are very interested in racing with us but don't have vessels suited to Off Soundings racing. If you have an opening in your crew for the Spring Series, please consider bringing along one (or several) of these adventurous scouts as they would revel at the opportunity to come racing with our members. This is a great way to make yourself eligible to compete for the Lockwood Trophy and to help foster the next generation of sailors and future Off Soundings members! If you are interested please contact Seth Olson, the Off Soundings Youth Liaison, who is coordinating this with the Sea Scouts, he can be reached at 203-530-3705 or email Seth Olson

Off Soundings at the Mystic Seaport Dyer Dhow Derby

The Off Soundings Club was represented by Jay Spalding (Blue Moon) and his daughter, Lisa, and son, Evan, at the annual Dyer Dhow Derby hosted by the Mystic Seaport.

Dave Perry and Racing Ethics

Why should competitive sailors be concerned with the subject of sportsmanship? Find out in this discussion with a top sailor and thinker.

Club Out-Of-Office Message for Phones Lost Overboard

Ever lose your phone overboard? Here is the un-officially sanctioned voicemail message indicating to callers that it might be a while before you get back to them.

Eileen Ames Fund

In 2010, the estate of Eileen Ames donated the funds that were used to produce the 2012 OSC video, “Passion to Race”. Our goal is to keep the subject fund active and to replenish it so we can produce another video in the near future. In addition to your viewing enjoyment, these videos are an essential part of documenting the history of the Off Soundings fleet.