AVRA is a 40 foot racer/cruiser sailboat hailing from New York.  We race AVRA in windward/leeward regattas in Western Long Island Sound, we distance-race her in events ranging from 200 to 700 miles, and when time permits we take her for a family cruise.  The boat’s name is a Greek word meaning a pleasant breeze from the sea.

AVRA’s first place trophies in J/120 One Design include: Key West Race Week 2005, American Spring Series 2005, American Fall Series 2006 and 2007.  First place trophies in IRC include Larchmont Race Week 2009, Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta 2009 with US Naval Academy Team and Jamie Boeckel Memorial 2006.  First place trophies in PHRF include YRALIS Gitana Trophy 2006. 

In June 2008, AVRA competed in her first Newport-Bermuda Race, with an all-amateur team, only one of whom had ever done the race before.  AVRA finished third in Class 4 and 20th in the Saint David’s Lighthouse “amateur driver” fleet of 122 boats.  AVRA finished first among J/120s in 2008 and ranked higher in the Saint David’s Fleet than any other J/120 in the last decade.

With the waning of J/120 One Design racing in Long Island Sound and the waxing of IRC racing, AVRA underwent modifications supervised by her original designer, Rod Johnstone.  These mods include a taller mast, increased sail area (designed by Kerry Klingler of UK Halsey), a reshaped keel and weight loss of 850 lbs; see the Boat section for more info.  She is different enough from her original J/120 configuration that we have designated her an “IRC 40!”

In the months after completing her IRC modifications, AVRA won a second place in the IRC 40 Class at American Spring Series 2009 and a first place at Larchmont Race Week 2009 in the same class.

AVRA would like to thank each member of our Team, especially “old timers” Chris Bartick, Ari Dorrestijn, Jeff Feehan, John Hummler and Graham Lawlor.  AVRA would also like to thank our friends and families who support us in the sport, and the event organizers and Race Committees without whom there would be no racing!