Preparing for offshore racing success

The 2025 Marion Bermuda Race starts June 20 from Marion, MA, with the 645 nm course finishing at Bermuda. Mark Richards, CEO of race sponsor Grand Banks Yachts, is also an elite offshore competitor who shares insights that Marion skippers-especially first-timers-can take to heart:

You’ve had incredible offshore racing success, including skippering *Wild Oats XI* to multiple Sydney-Hobart wins. What’s the biggest mindset shift sailors must make when preparing for a long offshore race like the Marion Bermuda Race compared to shorter coastal regattas?

Distance races like the Marion Bermuda and Sydney Hobart are not easy-they can be mentally draining. A lot of these races are really won at night. About a month before Sydney-Hobart, I shift my schedule and begin staying up at night so I’m acclimated. You have to know how draining it can be and prepare yourself to stay fully focused for long periods.

The Marion Bermuda Race encourages celestial navigation and traditional seamanship. How do you balance modern technology with classic sailing skills in offshore racing?

Driving a boat is still done by feel, and that’s essential. Finding the balance is key. On our boats, when we’re going downwind at 35 knots, everything happens fast-we rely on the best technology to support our decisions. But tech doesn’t replace the skill of the helmsman; it enhances it. Safety and performance both depend on that balance. – Full report