An international group of sailors and guests at the 2016 Newport Bermuda Race prize-giving will celebrate the final moments of a spectacular week after starting the 50th Thrash to the Onion Patch Friday, June 17 in Newport, RI. Of the 185 boats officially registered to race, 133 boats set out expecting be sorely tested by difficult conditions in the 635-mile Gulf stream crossing. Forecasters were wrong. 122 finished with just ten dropouts coming from equipment failures or just drifting conditions. The race actually turned out to be one of finest with a full moon and normal offshore sailing conditions.

His Excellency, The Governor of Bermuda, George Fergusson and the Commodores of the Cruising Club of America, Jim Binch, and of Commodore of Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Leatrice Oatley, will present 114 prizes. Five are major Division trophies and the remainder are for class podium finishes and other awards. The ceremony is held on the grounds of Government House overlooking Bermuda’s North shore channel.

The yacht Warrior Won, an Xp41, skippered by Christopher Sheehan of Larchmont (NY) Yacht Club took the main prize, the St David’s Lighthouse Trophy. This silver replica of the islands landmark lighthouse is awarded to the boat in St. David’s Lighthouse Division that is first on handicap corrected time. This division was the largest in the fleet with 110 entries.

In the second largest division, the Cruiser Division, Shearwaterwins the Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy for first place on corrected time. She’s a Mason 43 sailed by Daniel Biemesderfer out of Stonington Harbor Yacht Club.

Bermuda’s favorite entry, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation’s training ship,  Spirit of Bermuda took first against 3 other competitors; and among the Double Handed sailors, Yankee Girl was first out of 16 entries with co-skippers Zachary Lee of Pelham NY and Gust Stringos of Skowhegan ME sharing the helm. They win the Philip S Weld Moxie trophy.

In one of the most exciting developments Jim and Kristy Hinze Clark’s Comanche won the open division, was first across the finish for line honours and set a new Open elapsed time record of 34 Hours, 42 minutes and 33 seconds. This is a professionally sailed ultra modern boat designed to win line honours and break records around the world and win the Royal Mail trophy

The excellent performance of High Noon, the Young American Junior Big Boat Sailing Team from American Yacht Club was another magnificent achievement. The crew of seven 15-18 year-olds, two parents and a coach sailed to first place on elapsed time for a ‘traditional’ boat.  Their Tripp 41 came second overall across the line with an elapsed time of 72 hours, 44 minute, 11 seconds but corrected behind Warrior Won and Flyer, a Cal 40 skippered by Douglas Abbott.

Photos of the prize presentation and complete prize results will follow the Saturday evening ceremony.

About the CCA/RBYC Newport Bermuda Race
Few tests of blue-water seamanship are as iconic as the 635-mile Newport Bermuda Race. The 2016 race (starting on June 17) is the 50th and also marks the 90th anniversary of the partnership of the organizers, the Cruising Club of America and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

Sailed almost entirely out of sight of land, the Bermuda Race was created in 1906 by Thomas Fleming Day, a yachting writer who believed in the then-radical idea that amateur sailors in small yachts could sail safely in blue water. The colorful Tom Day was a pioneer in the sport of long-distance racing. In the 1920’s the race inspired Britain’s Fastnet Race and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, and also the freshwater Bayview-Mackinac Race on Lake Huron.

An international fleet of some 190 boats will race in this biennial race. Many will also compete in the three event Onion Patch Series which includes the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex in Newport and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta in Bermuda.

The 2016 Newport Bermuda Race has six divisions, each with its divisional and class awards. The race has no single winner and hands out well over 100 trophies and prizes.

  • St. David’s Lighthouse Division: cruiser-racers with amateur helmsmen.
  • Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division: racers with professional helmsmen permitted.
  • Cruiser Division: cruisers/passagemakers with amateur helmsmen.
  • Double-Handed Division: one crew may be a professional.
  • Open Division: cant-keel racers with professional helmsmen permitted.
  • Spirit of Tradition Division: replicas and other traditional boats.

See more at the ‘About’ tab on the race website. ABOUT THE RACE

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