ABOUT OAKCLIFF SAILING

Founded in 2010 by Hunt and Betsy Lawrence in order to raise the caliber of sailing in the United States, Oakcliff Sailing has grown by leaps and bounds each year from offshore racing to high performance as well as inshore racing. Based in the North Shore of Long Island in Oyster Bay, Oakcliff hosts sailors from around the world filling the bay with sails year round.

The idea for Oakcliff Sailing, as it is known today, was proposed to Hunt and Betsy Lawrence by their family in July of 2009. Lifelong sailors and lovers of the history and traditions of sailing, the Lawrence’s envisioned creating a national sail training organization that would help fill Oyster Bay with boats, and ideally raise the level of sailing throughout the United States.

Years before, Hunt had fallen in love with match racing and saw an opportunity to increase America’s international match race rankings and to create the next great American America’s Cup skipper. To that end he purchased eight Match 40’s (previously known as the Swedish Match 40’s launched in 2003) and had four more built. These were purpose-built boats being used on the World Match Racing Tour at the time. Between Oakcliff and Hunt, there are now 12 evenly matched Match 40s that actively race in Oyster Bay, and the Oakcliff International is a proud official stage of the current World Match Racing Tour.