The Oakcliff Racing Team crossed the finish line of the 2015 Montego Bay Race for the Pineapple Cup at 23:28:21 on Feb. 10. After jostling with another class 40, Amhas 2, for most of the race, Oakcliff’s Elizabeth Shaw and Jeff McFarlane finished strongly with a second in class and fourth overall result and a total elapsed time of 4:10:23:21. The only major hitch came after the finish when the motor decided to quit and they began drifting toward a reef. Once safely at the dock, sparklers, Red Stripe and a celebration followed.
Shaw described the race as a “challenging experience through 10 latitudes, eight of which were sailed on the same port tack, in heavy air and seas.”
She added that it was an experience the left side of her body would never forget and she was never more grateful for the trainers at Hammer Human Performance who put her through the paces because, “without that, [she] would have been damaged goods!”
As for her thoughts on the team, she shared: “Jeff is known for his single-handed sailing and a serious demeanor while I am the opposite, but on the boat, that switched. Jeff is a lot funnier than people think and I, more serious. That is one reason we were a great team. Our personalities met in the middle.”
Oakcliff Sailing, based in Oyster Bay, is the only complete training and coaching center in the world. Oakcliff’s America’s Cup style campus, with a new 40-person dormitory, creates complete sailors who are capable of sailing in any position, fixing every aspect of a boat and managing a small marine business. Oakcliff trains sailors in match and fleet racing, inshore and offshore, fully crewed and short-handed, as well as providing access to historically significant classic yachts. Each sailor leaves Oakcliff a leader with comprehensive skills and the benefits of an organization that boasts an 87 percent industry job placement. Graduates go on to compete in events including The Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup and the Olympics. Applications for Oakcliff’s 2015 programs are being accepted at www.oakcliffsailing.org.
Oakcliff Sailing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which graciously accepts donations monetarily or in-kind. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and Oakcliff supporters benefit from sailing on an extensive fleet.
