John F. Kennedy Sailing In Newport

President John F. Kennedy vacationed at Hammersmith Farm in Newport on August  26th & 27th, 1962.

Speaking about President Kennedy’s lifelong fascination with the sea, Jacqueline Kennedy once said; “It was really the boat that relaxed him the most. . . . It was for what getting out on a horse was for me, in the air, no phone . . . He loved the sun and the water and no phone.”

In the photos, the 35th President of the United States sits aboard the United States Coast Guard boat Manitou on August 26, 1962 in Narragansett Bay.

John Kerry on Coast Guard Yacht Manitou with President John F. Kennedy, August 26, 1962
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Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

President Kennedy would return to Newport, RI in September for the 1962 America’s Cup.

John Kerry joined President John F. Kennedy to watch the September 1962 America’s Cup race from the USS Joseph P. Kennedy off Newport, Rhode Island.

Sources: Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020).

He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide.

Ryan is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, and Local Independent Online News Publishers. He is committed to the codes of ethics of these organizations: accuracy, independence, accountability, and transparency.

In Newport, Ryan served on the boards of the Fort Adams Trust and Potter League for Animals, and hosted a daily radio talk show for four years.

In 2021, Ryan moved to Alexandria, Virginia, to support his wife Jen's career. He launched The Alexandria Brief in 2025, applying what he learned in Newport to a new community. With the help of some talented on-the-ground contributors, he still runs What's Up Newp — and always will.

Contact: ryan@whatsupnewp.com.

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