Racing
Racing is an excellent way to help develop your sailing skills and get more time on the water! There are several different types of racing opportunities in the Portland area.
LOCAL RACING OPPORTUNITIES
Beer Can Races
If you are brand new to sailing/racing, there is always the not so serious (actually pretty darn fun!) Beer Can Races. These races are typically held on weekends during the months of May thru Sept. Find details and dates on SailPDX. If you have your own boat and want to try your hand at racing, this is a really great way to get experience. Connect with other OWSA members who are interested in exploring racing to be your crew.
Sailing on Sundays
This series of races is a great way to get your feet wet in the racing scene. Actually, getting your feet wet is a possibility as this series takes place during the months of October thru Mid March! All you need to do is dress for the weather (to avoid the wet feet and stay warm!) and go out there and have fun! If you are a boat owner, register on SailPDX. The boat owner registers and they find their own crew.
SYSCO
Once ready to take racing to the next level, this series of races is often a bit more serious (but still loads of fun!) The typical racer in this series usually has the basics of sailing down. These races are divided into (3) series: Spring, Summer and Twilight. Sysco racing begins in mid April and runs thru August. The boat owner registers at SailPDX. Check out the website and sign up to be available crew if interested in getting on a crew.
Island Sailing Club (ISC)
The Island Sailing Club has races on Monday nights, usually during the months of April through September. Check out the ISC website for more details about racing on Monday night. Island Sailing Club also offers classes and has a fleet of boats for use. ISC is a long time partner of OWSA with a shared mission of getting as many people as possible out on the water pursuing their passion for sailing.
Individual Club Races
Many local clubs sponsor individual races throughout the year. (See the sailpdx.org website for details)
On Your Mark
'On Your Mark' is an organization dedicated to promoting women in sailboat racing. The Martin 24' Wild Women is available to 6 women annually for racing experience. Crew members are required to participate in the 3 SYSCO race series and encouraged to use other racing venues. For information or applications, call Karen Anderson at 503 806-0945. or download here On Your Mark Application 2023 (remember clicking on a link will automatically download the document)
How do I get involved?
- Through the OWSA Boast program
- Thru 'On Your Mark"
- Thru sailpdx "Crew Needed" section
- Thru Wed. night sails- contacts
- Sysco Grow the sport race
- If you own your own Boat…- sign up for any of the races on the SailPDX website.
Racing resources:
OCSA- https://sailpdx.org/
SYSCO- https://syscosailing.org/
Island Sailing Club - https://www.islandsailing.org/sailing-club/portland-racing
OWSA Race Captain - email racing@owsa.net (Currently Teresa Long)
OWSA RACING GUIDELINES
If you would like to get a chance to race one of the OWSA owned boats, check out our BOAST PROGRAM! BOAST participants are eligible to use one of the OWSA Boats to RACE! To be a Skipper or Crew on one of the OWSA owned boats you must also meet the OWSA Racing Guidelines. See below for details of the OWSA Race Guidelines
Coast Guard, OCSA, Sysco and Ranger 20 Boat Safety Coast Guard OCSA Sysco and Ranger 20 Boat Safety Requirements 2020
