Miami, Florida is quickly becoming the most popular location in the United States for winter sailing. With the Caribbean trade winds extending up to Florida's southern tip and traditionally warm winter temperatures, Miami is an ideal venue for mid-winter regattas and practice sessions. It is because of these ideal sailing conditions that many premier racing classes, such as the Farr 40s and Melges 32s have decided to make the southern city their home for the northern off-season. Also, with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London approaching, several campaigning sailing teams are using southern Florida as their training venue and winter home. In addition to ideal sailing conditions, the city possesses several yacht clubs that are up to the daunting task of hosting major, large-fleet events throughout the winter season; the most popular of these venues being the Coral Reef Yacht Club, the U.S. Sailing Center in Coconut Grove, and the Miami Beach Marina.

The Coral Reef Yacht Club is a beautiful spot for winter sailing and is famous in the junior sailing world for its hosting of the Orange Bowl Regatta each year from December 26^th-29^th. This post Christmas event is the highlight of most junior sailors' winter seasons, allowing them to trade in their heavier sailing gear for board shorts and flip-flops. In addition to the Orange Bowl, the Coral Reef Yacht Club is also playing host to this years' inaugural Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, combining regattas in multiple one-design classes with the world-famous Star Class event, the Bacardi Cup. This week-long event begins on March 8^th and continues through the 13^th with racing in the Viper 640, Melges 20, Star, Melges 24, and J-24 classes. With big names such as George Szabo, current Star Class world champion, Andy Horton, and Augie Diaz, the Bicardi Cup will certainly be the highlight of this years' Bacardi Miami Sailing Week.

The U.S. Sailing Center in Coconut Grove is another major host of mid-winter sailing in Miami, particularly for several 2012 Summer Olympic hopefuls. The Sailing Center is world-renown for putting on the Miami OCR (Olympic Classes Regatta) each year, which typically attracts competitors from across the United States, as well as, from Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. This event is also the qualifier for the U.S. Sailing Team AlphaGraphics and a major training platform for both past and up-and-coming Olympic teams. In addition to the OCR, the U.S. Sailing Center this year conducted the North American Championships for both the 470 and 49er classes. When the Sailing Center is not hosting events, it serves as the training venue for Olympic class hopefuls such as 470 teams Roberts/Martin and McNay/Biehl, and 49er team Storck/Moore.

For premier one-design classes, such as the Farr 40s and Melges 32s, the Miami Beach Marina serves as their winter sailing venue. With instant access to the ocean and an ideal South Beach location, the marina is perfect for the keel-boat crowd. The marina was host this year for the Acura Miami Grand Prix, an event during the week of March 4^th-7^th, incorporating racing from these two classes as well as the IRC class. For the 10-boat Farr 40 fleet, this event was an ideal practice regatta for their approaching world championships to be held in Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic in April. The Melges 32 class saw 23 entries and very tight competition during the 10-race series. The eventual winner was the French team, Teasing Machine, skippered by JeanFran Cruette. In the IRC class, Jamestown, RI resident James Bishop bested a fleet of 6 skippering his J-44 Golddigger II to an overall victory.

Each year, as the weather up north grows colder; sailing teams continue to head to southern Florida. With its warm temperatures giving sailors an opportunity to shed their winter sailing gear, ideal breeze, and countless yacht clubs for hosting regattas, Miami, Florida truly is an ideal location for winter sailing.