Since 1977 sailing boats from around the region gather together for the Around Long Island Sailing Regatta (ALIR). For more than 40 years the race has been going strong and the 205 mile course has become Long Island’s premier sailing race.

 

This year the 43rd ALIR will be held on July 25th. Boats will queue up in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty and head toward the Verrazano Narrows and into the Atlantic Ocean.

 

“Could there be any more amazing backdrop for the start of a sailboat race, in the shadows of the Freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan and Jersey City skylines?” said Doug Wefer, co-chair of the race committee.

 

Boats will then head east along the South Shore to Montauk Point. They will then round the tip of the island and head northwest toward the Long Island Sound. Sailors either hug the North Shore or the southern coast of Connecticut westward. The race ends in Hempstead Harbor at the end of the Glen Cove breakwater.

 

Most boats finish the race within three days.

 

The regatta is open to all sailboats 24-feet long or larger and sailors at all levels in up to 10 divisions.

 

Every year, the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point and the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, MD also enter boats in the race.

 

Want to enter your sailboat in the 43rd annual Around Long Island Sailing Regatta? This year's race is set for July 25th and hosted by the Sea Cliff Yacht Club. According to a representative of the club, over 70 sailboats are expected in this race around Long Island. A New York Fire Department fireboat is planned to signal the start by spraying plums of colored water.

 

For details on how to get your Sailboat into the ALIR or simply to watch this great event click here.

 

See below for a schedule of the race and festivities that will follow:

 

Wednesday, July 24th at 7pm  - Captains' Meeting - Liberty House, Liberty Landing Marina, Jersey City, NJ

 

Thursday, July 25th around 4pm - 5pm - Start of the 43rd Around Long Island Regatta in New York Harbor

 

Sunday, July 28th at 2pm  - Awards Ceremony & Beach Party at Sea Cliff Yacht Club, Sea Cliff, NY