The Edlu Distance Race 2025 Preview

ByStuart Johnstone
Sailboats racing on bright blue water under a clear sky.

(Larchmont, NY)- This coming weekend, the first of the major offshore races will be taking place on Long Island Sound- the Larchmont Yacht Club’s EDLU Distance Race.

The Edlu Race, first sailed in 1954, has long been a classic tune-up race for the around Block Island Race and Block Island Race Week. Followed by a classic party, it is one of the “must-do” events on western Long Island Sound.

The spinnaker course is 32.0 nm from the Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton’s Neck and back. The non-spinnaker course is approximately 20.0 nm. The race has always been popular with offshore racing J/Teams as it’s a good “shakedown cruise” to clean off all the cobwebs, clear the mind, feel the refreshing breeze, and enjoy some Vitamin D from a sunny day of sailing on the water!

PHRF 3 Division- Big Boats
This small division of four boats has a 50.0% J/Team participation rate! The “big dog” is Lennie Sitar’s gorgeous flag blue J/160 COUGAR. Chasing them hard will be the infamous lightweight carbon fiber speedster- the J/125 GOOD NEWS, skippered by Macrae Sykes.

PHRF 2 Division
Of the fourteen boats sailing in this hotly contested division, TEN are J/Teams ranging from the J/111s up to a J/133– that’s 71.0% of the class! Here are a few notable teams that are sailing: three J/111s are sailing (Peter Chirlian’s CIAO BABY, Bill & Jackie Baxter’s FIREBALL, and Abhijeet Lee’s VARUNA); two J/122s (Constantine Baris’s DIRE WOLF and Kevin Kelley’s SUMMER GRACE), Ron Richman’s J/133, John Sartorius’s J/120 ALIBI, Bill Ingraham’s J/124 TENEBRAE, and Bill Komaroff’s J/112E TEXAS ROSE.

PHRF 1 Division
Similar to their colleagues in PHRF 2, the predominant brand in this fleet is J/teams; five J’s of ten boats- 50.0%! Sailing are Adam Zakka & Jonathan Krumeich’s J/99 WIZARD, John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT, the Dittenhofer/ Roleke duo on their J/33 CO-CONSPIRATOR, and two J/105s (Randy Bourne’s STRANGE BREW & David Owen’s TEMPEST II).

PHRF Doublehanded
This increasingly popular division also has a 50.0% participation rate with five J/Teams vying for class honors. Those boats include three J/99s (Mike Kohler’s EVENTYR, Doug McKeige’s SAVE THE SOUND, and Todd Aven & Gerard Girstl’s THIN MAN), Andrew Weingarten’s J/100 PHANTOM, and Cary James’s J/109 SUNNY SIDE.

J/88 Class
A nice turnout of five boats will be racing for one-design J/88 class honors. Three teams that should feature on the podium are Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS, Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION, and Ken & Drew Hall’s NEVERMORE.

For more EDLU Distance Race sailing information
http://www.larchmontyc.org