The National Yacht Club's Will Byrne has swapped the bow of the Reichel-Pugh 69 Moneypenny, which he raced last month in the 2023 Sydney Hobart Race, for a Cape 31 this week at Florida's Southernmost Regatta.
The transition to the one design class appears seamless, with Byrne picking up where they left off in winning mode with the Brian Thompson skippered Black Seal crew.
As regular Afloat readers will recall, Byrne, together with Nigel Young of Cork Harbour, raced to success last May with Thompson on his Swan 36 at the 2023 Sardinia Cup.
The Southernmost Regatta allows sailors from all over the World to experience a little fun in the Florida sun and the new format of the event has kept the traditional regatta scene in January at Key West alive.
After two races sailed at Key West on Monday, the British entry lies second in a fleet of five but on the same three points as leader Pacific Yankee (Drew Freides).
Byrne is not the only National Yacht Club sailor at the 2023 Southernmost Regatta, with Dublin Bay Sailing Club Commodore Eddie Totterdell and wife Dara, also involved in the five-day fixture.
The National Yacht Club's Dara Totterdell (right) is part of the welcome team at the 2024 Southernmost Regatta in Florida
Ed is working as a Race Officer with Chip Till, a US National Race Officer.
The regatta is using marker bots robotic buoys.
Dara is working on regatta results, using ORC and a regatta management programme known as 'Yachtscoring'.
Full results here
