Race Week News

AND THE 53^rd OPERA HOUSE CUP REGATTA

April 21, 2025

Dear Skippers,

Nantucket Community Sailing invites you to register for any or all of these marquee events of Nantucket Race Week::

• The 20^th Celebrity Invitational, August 13-16, 2025
• The Nantucket Regatta, August 15-16, 2025
• The 53^rd Opera House Cup Regatta, August 17, 20225.

The Nantucket Regatta and the Opera House Cup are both part of the Classic Yacht Owners Association Classic Yacht Challenge Series.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, August 13^th:

• Welcome Reception for the Celebrity Invitational

Thursday, August 14^th:

• Day 1 of the Celebrity Invitational, sailed in International One Designs

Friday, August 15^th:

• Day 2 of the Celebrity Invitational
• Day 1 of The Nantucket Regatta—for boats >22' with a 2025 CRF or PHRF-NE rating

Saturday, August 16^th:

• Day 2 of The Nantucket Regatta
• Classic Yacht Exhibition, Straight Wharf, Nantucket Boat Basin
• Brewery Night Dinner with food trucks, raw bar, and band, Nantucket Yacht Club (tickets are limited)

Sunday, August 17^th:

• Parade of Wooden Boats out of the harbor, accompanied by a brochure with photos and descriptions of all OHC boats
• Rainbow Fleet Parade around Brant Point Lighthouse
• 53^rd Opera House Cup Regatta, for wooden boats >24' with a 2025 CRF rating
• Opera House Cup Awards Party under the tents at Jetties Beach

Registration & Notices of Race

Click here to register for these events, and click the links below for the Notices of Race:

• Celebrity Invitational
• Nantucket Regatta (coming soon)
• Opera House Cup Regatta

You will need a 2025 CRF rating to be eligible to sail in the Classic Yacht Series and in the Opera House Cup Regatta, which you can get here. You can register for the Nantucket Regatta and OHC regattas prior to getting a rating and we'll add your rating when it's available.

Opera House Cup Regatta information

Over the past few years we implemented some significant changes to the Opera House Cup Regatta, based on interviews with many participants. The changes include:

• Boats will be scored using the Classic Yacht Owner's Association (CYOA) Divisions
• There will be one or two Overall Trophy Winners – for the plank-on-frame boat with the best corrected time and for the boat with the best corrected time
• Pursuit start
• Addition of a windward leg
• Corinthian trophy – For the boat with the best corrected time with an all-amateur crew
• Commodores' Cup – For the boat with the best combined corrected time for the Nantucket Regatta and Opera House Cup, including Invitational Division boats
• The Invitational Division for boats which do not meet the OHC eligibility criteria (hull material, sail color) but contribute to the overall spectacle of the regatta

What remains the same:

• All boats must have a wooden hull or be historically significant
• No spinnakers
• No square-top mainsails
• White, cream or tan bark sails
• Divisions may be created for one design classes, such as Alerions, 12 Metres, Wianno Seniors, and Concordias
• Amateur and family crews are encouraged

Moorings and Slips

• Nantucket moorings and dock slips are limited, and there is little anchorage space, so we strongly recommend that you reserve NOW. Please do not wait until summer, because there may not be anything available then.

o Nantucket Moorings reservations are available through DOCKWA

o Nantucket Boat Basin slip reservations are available now

• Nantucket Community Sailing has reserved a limited number of moorings for the nights of August 15 – 18. Priority will be given to boats registered for both the Nantucket Regatta and the Opera House Cup. We ask that you reimburse NCS for the cost of the mooring.

Nantucket Race Week and the Opera House Cup are the primary fundraising events for Nantucket Community Sailing, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization. Your support allows NCS to teach 1,000 kids to sail and provide $150,000 in scholarships and free sailing to underserved children and adults each year. Since our founding in 1994 NCS has taught 20,000 children and granted over $1M in sailing scholarships. Your registration, sponsorship and Friends of the Cup donations directly support NCS's sailing programs.

Further information:
Bobby Constable
508-228-6600 or bobby@nantucketsailing.org