People planning a paddle, snorkel trip or boat pickup near Key West on November 8 should compare their route with the Coast Guard’s published race-area rule. The temporary regulation covers particular navigable waters and specifies three separate enforcement days. It matters where a trip goes as well as when it takes place.
Read the effective period and the enforcement schedule
The Coast Guard published a temporary final rule on November 4, 2026 for the Race World Offshore World Championship near Key West, Florida. Its effective period starts at 9 a.m. on November 4 and ends at 6 p.m. on November 8. The rule text specifies enforcement from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on November 4, 6 and 8, using local dates and times. November 8 is the remaining listed enforcement day at our November 7 check.
Keep the publication date, overall period and scheduled enforcement hours as separate entries in your plan. Copying only the first and last dates makes it easy to miss which hours the Coast Guard specified. Similarly, the enforcement schedule of this particular instrument does not establish whether a separate restriction or on-scene direction applies at the same location.
Match the route to the rule’s boundary
In the official published rule text from the U.S. Government Publishing Office, paragraph (a) defines the area as navigable waters extending 800 feet outward from a racecourse described by coordinates, plus navigable waters within 300 feet outward from the north shore of Sunset Key. The geographic limits come from the rule, not from the race name or the historical harbor photograph above.
Paragraph (c) prohibits nonparticipants from entering, passing through, anchoring in or staying within the defined waters during enforcement unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or a designated representative. The rule addresses persons as well as vessels. Plan to check the approach and return route, including a pickup point if someone is meeting you on the water. For a charter, ask the operator how its proposed route relates to the coordinates and any current directions from the Coast Guard.
Keep this rule tied to this event
The published rule identifies the authorization contact on VHF-FM channel 16 and requires compliance with lawful directions. For an outing near the affected waters, use the official rule and current Coast Guard instructions for the location. This notice describes a dated federal race-area restriction in Key West. A future event or visit calls for a fresh check of the instrument and local notices applicable at that time.
Evidence dates. Temporary final rule 91 FR 69501, document 2026-22468, published November 4, 2026. The event window was November 4 through 8. The rule and its stated enforcement schedule were checked November 7, 2026. By TRIMIX Sports.
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