Ragtime Returns To California Offshore Race Week For The First Time Since 2009

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – May 2025 – Few boats have shaped sailing history like Ragtime. This week, the iconic 1963 racing yacht returns to California Offshore Race Week—her first time competing in 15 years.

The race, scheduled from May 24 to May 31, 2025, is one of the West Coast’s premier distance racing series, connecting three classic point-to-point races into one coastal challenge. The course spans over 500 nautical miles from San Francisco to San Diego, with stopovers in Monterey and Santa Barbara, offering both tactical complexity and a dramatic Pacific backdrop.

Originally launched in New Zealand and famously built of plywood and grit, Ragtime disrupted ocean racing in the 1970s with her sleek, lightweight form and exceptional downwind performance. Her form was so radical in 1963 that they didn’t know whether to laugh or follow. Within a decade, they were all copying her. Her most notable win came in the 1973 Transpacific Yacht Race, where she beat the much larger Windward Passage in a dramatic finish. Though unconventional in design, she quickly earned respect for her bold performance and enduring impact.

Now, over 60 years since her launch, Ragtime continues to race under the guidance of owner and skipper Tina Roberts. This year’s California Offshore Race Week marks her formal return to West Coast competition since 2009, as she builds momentum toward the 2025 Transpac.

“The crew and I are excited to join the starting line at St. Francis Yacht Club, my home club. It marks an especially critical time in our preparation for Transpac in July. Ragtime is performing better than ever—it’s an honor to share her with Bay Area sailors and celebrate the story of ultralight displacement boats. She was the first. And she’s still racing.”  — Tina Roberts, Owner& Skipper

California Offshore Race Week will bring Ragtime down the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego, with stopovers in Monterey and Santa Barbara. For many along the route, it will be the first time in decades to see her storied black hull cutting through local waters. 

In a sport shaped by tradition and technical evolution, Ragtime has always stood at the intersection of both. Her participation this year is not just a milestone, but a tribute to the enduring spirit of offshore sailing and the communities that have kept it alive.