I personally enjoy the challenge of overnight races and have been fortunate enough to have been the navigator on a few winning boats. Every race is different but the feeling of winning never changes. Madcap won the last Wetherill in 1989, Peregrine the last Fuller overnight in the early '90's and Gremlin has won two of the three Rock to Rock overnights since it began in 2004. Crew work, good strategy, a correct weather forecast and plenty of luck all played their part.

     The Mudnight Madness Overnight is continuing the tradition of Navigator's Choice in which direction to round Block Island. In 2006, in the final race run by the Thames Yacht Club, Gremlin opted to go clockwise while the rest of the fleet, led by Lindy, Quantum Leap and She's The Boss, went counter clockwise in an ebbing current from Cerberus Shoal. I was navigating for Gremlin owner Bruce Cathcart and didn't want to be stuck at 1BI with no wind and a current turning foul. (Long range strategy) We found the no wind zone for sure, but rode the still fair current around the legendary green buoy at midnight and felt good heading down the east side of Block in a freshening breeze. That feeling went far away quickly as we saw the rest of the fleet about even with the North Light, sailing fast going the opposite way, led by Dave Dickerson's Lindy. They had been in the fresh breeze for awhile and despite the ebbing current in their face, they had a nice ride going north around Block. It was a pretty quiet and embarassing moment as we realized they were about six miles ahead of us! (Ooops!)

     "It's a long race, guys," I grimly suggested as we watched their shadows sail by a hundred yards to weather of us. "They have to get through the glue now." Amazingly, the breeze built along the east side of the island and soon we were reaching along at about 7 knots, hardened up at the Southeast Point, held on starboard for a mile or so off shore and then a big header allowed us to tack and lay Cerberus Shoal as the current began it's friendly flood. A few hours later, not too long after a bright dawn, we were 20 minutes ahead of Lindy as we rounded Cerberus. The pressure was south, the shift was perfect and we were there to make it our own.. Who knew?

     Never mind Lindy won the race between Cerberus and the finish in 2006. That's another story. In the end, a little thought and pre planning and a conviction that can't waiver is all you need to have some fun! It's an overnight. It will require your upmost attention and the winning boats will not be sleeping 12 hours into the event. It's a marathon where you never stop sprinting. Because you can't get to an opportunity fast enough. You just have to recognize it when it arrives and make it your own.

     So, find some crew, prep your boat with jack lines, hook in and face the madness on July 6th.
  You can download the Notice of Race here.