Newport Bermuda Race chooses New York YC as Newport Race Headquarters

Newport Bermuda Race chooses New York Yacht Club as Newport Race Headquarters




New York YC Sailing Center at Newport. Image copyright Dan Nerney.

by Talbot Wilson

The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee has announced that the pre-start race headquarters for the 47th Newport Bermuda Race will be the Sailing Center at the New York Yacht Club’s Newport clubhouse, Harbour Court. Crews may use the clubhouse and its facilities before the race’s start on June 18, 2010.


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

The announcement was made by Bjorn Johnson, chairman of the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee. “After an intensive selection process we chose the New York Yacht Club’s Sailing Center as the best possible site for our Newport headquarters. The club’s generous offer is only the most recent event in a long, healthy relationship between the NYYC and the Newport Bermuda Race. For years the race has been started by the club’s race committee, and many NYYC members (including me) have raced to Bermuda.”

Since opening in 2008, the Sailing Center has served as headquarters for numerous regattas, including the NYYC Invitational Cup in September 2009.


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

NYYC Commodore David K. Elwell Jr. congratulated the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the race’s organizers, on their ocean racing classic. “Having raced in ten Bermuda Races myself, I understand how important the race is to sailors and also how valuable a good central operations center can be.” He called the partnership between the race and the NYYC “a natural.” “This is exactly the job we had in mind for the Sailing Center when we built it as a facility for all the things that sailors, race officials, and the press have to do before they head out on the water for the start.”


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

Built in memory of former NYYC Commodore Robert G. Stone Jr., a veteran of 24 Bermuda Races, the Sailing Center has extensive office and meeting space, as well as press facilities, showers, and ready access to parking.

2010 Newport Bermuda Race


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

The race starts on June 18 at Newport, where the New York Yacht Club’s Sailing Center will serve as race headquarters. Applications for entry are accepted from January 18 through March 30 (registration is on-line). For all race information, go to www.BermudaRace.com.

The Notice of Race and entry information are posted. The Offshore Racing Rule (ORR) will again be the primary handicapping system. Those electing to race for the IRC trophy will need an endorsed IRC certificate as well. If your boat needs to be measured or re-measured, notify US Sailing at offshore@ussailing.org. All boats must be inspected by Bermuda Race inspectors.

The race’s Safety-at-Sea Seminar will be held at Newport on March 13, with other events on the 14th. Crew training rules and registration information are posted.


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

Divisions and prizes: The top boat in the St David’s Lighthouse Division (amateur crews) is the overall winner. The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy goes to the winner of the professional division. The Cruising Division’s top award is the Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy, the Double-Handed Division’s is the Philip S. Weld Trophy, and the winner of the Open Division (cant-keelers) is presented with the Royal Mail Trophy. The top IRC finisher receives the North Rock Beacon Trophy, presented by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

There also are prizes for first to finish, the winning navigator and family participation, plus the famous Galley Slave Trophy for the cook in the last boat to finish.

Newport-Bermuda Race Facts


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

The Newport Bermuda Race is a sailing classic that stands with the Fastnet, the Sydney-Hobart and the Transpac as one of the world’s top four ocean races. One of very few international races, it is historic, prestigious, and challenging. It inspires remarkable loyalty among the many thousands of sailors who have raced 635 miles across blue water since the first 'thrash to the Onion Patch' in 1906. More than 50 men or women have sailed at least 15 races. Since 1968, an average of 160 boats has competed, in good economic times and bad. The biggest turnouts were in the most recent races—the 265-boat fleet in the 2006 Centennial Race, and the 198 starters in 2008.

Newport-Bermuda Race