Fast Start for the 2025 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race

With ideal summer conditions and a southwesterly breeze filling in, the 40th edition of the Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race (MHOR) began Sunday, July 6, in stunning form. Forty-five boats set sail off Halfway Rock, turned down the Massachusetts coast, and rounded Tinkers Rock before pointing toward the open sea and their final destination in Halifax, Nova Scotia—363 nautical miles to the northeast.

The biennial race, organized by the Boston Yacht Club and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, is one of North America’s oldest offshore challenges, dating back to 1905. This year’s fleet is a vibrant mix of classic cruisers, veteran offshore racers, youth teams, and doublehanded entries—all navigating the Gulf of Maine under nearly perfect conditions.

Inshore, the spectacle was worth the wait. Five separate starts brought excitement to Marblehead Harbor, especially as spinnakers blossomed on the reach toward open water. From timeless boats like Legacy 5, an Alden 54 ketch, to Good Friday, a modest C&C 32 proving size doesn’t dictate ambition, each division showed off a wide range of talent and determination.

Tight tactical battles unfolded early. In ORR3 and ORR4, Extra Mile was forced wide by Blitzen at the start but quickly regrouped. In ORR2, youth crews aboard Crazy Horse and Oakcliff Blue held their own in stiff breeze, and by the final ORR1 start, things got even more serious. Boats like Temptation, a JV66 loaded with top-tier talent including Dawn Riley and Gary Jobson, traded close quarters with Wahoo from the U.S. Naval Academy and Redwood, Oakcliff’s Ker 50.

As the fleet cleared Marblehead Neck and launched their kites, the race transitioned from harbor fanfare to offshore chess match. With 15–20 knots holding steady, many boats were making fast progress. Among the frontrunners as of Monday morning was Scowling Dragon, a Class 40 out of Mystic, Connecticut, trailed closely by the 66-footers Boudicca and Temptation.

Race organizers noted that if the wind continues to cooperate, finish times could be among the fastest in years. However, weather models show light and variable air could slow the back of the fleet near Cape Sable midweek. As always in MHOR, tides, tactics, and timing may yet reshuffle the leaderboard.Follow real-time race tracking at marbleheadtohalifax.com.

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