Both the longest and largest island in the contiguous United States, Long Island extends 118 miles eastward from New York Harbor to Montauk Point. With a land area of 1,401 square miles, Long Island is the 11th largest island in the United States and the 148th-largest island in the world.

Today, two Mini Transat 6.50s--Abilyn (USA 829) and Frogger (USA 706)--will sail around this land mass as part of the Around Long Island Regatta, which I believe is the first time two of theses boats have lined up against each other in this regatta. Although the 21-foot Abilyn is going for the win in Division 8, her #1 priority is to capture bragging rights by squishing Frogger, metaphorically speaking of course. To do this, Abilyn will need to cross the finish line at the Glen Cove breakwater no less than 9.5 minutes in front of Frogger, whom we owe 3 seconds a mile. That sounds stupid, you might say, since these are both Mini 6.50s, and are designed to the same box rule. You're right, but I have a genoa that is 30% larger than Frogger's jib. That said, Frogger's jib reefs to a jib top, which is ideal in the reaching conditions we're likely to see on the way out to Montauk. [sigh] Such is handicap racing. Please file your Mini 6.50 related grievances with the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound.

The regatta will take these two Minis, and the entire fleet, around Montauk Point, and back into the Sound (keeping Orient Point to port), with a finish in Hempstead Harbor just off the Glen Cove breakwater.

You can follow Abilyn's progress at any of the links below:

http://www.abilynracing.com/abilyntracker/
https://share.delorme.com/AbilynRacing

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