2023 CONANICUT YACHT CLUB AROUND THE ISLAND RACE (Photo Credit: Stephen Cloutier) Credit: ©2023 STEPHEN R CLOUTIER

Good morning, Newport! 👋 Today is Tuesday, Aug. 26, the 238th day of 2025. There are 127 days left in the year.

🚨 You need to know

Nearly a century after its inaugural race, one of Narragansett Bay’s most storied sailing competitions will take center stage this Labor Day weekend as Conanicut Yacht Club hosts its 98th Annual Around the Island Race on Sunday.

The historic regatta has drawn nearly 80 entries for the 18-mile course that will take sailors on a scenic tour around Conanicut Island’s perimeter. The first of several staggered starts is scheduled for 11 a.m., with the Race Committee determining race morning whether boats will sail clockwise or counterclockwise based on weather conditions.

Competitors will navigate past some of Narragansett Bay’s most recognizable landmarks, including Beavertail Lighthouse, Fort Getty, Fort Wetherill and Fort Adams. The course offers spectators numerous vantage points from public parks along the Jamestown, Newport and Narragansett shorelines to watch the fleet pass by against the backdrop of the bay’s celebrated scenery.

The race is open to monohull and multihull sailboats ranging from 22 to 80 feet in length, with participants required to hold valid PHRF-NB certificates with ratings of 280 or lower. Registration closes at noon Friday at $210 per boat through Yacht Scoring.

Top finishers will be greeted with cannon fire as they cross the finish line in front of the yacht club, followed by evening festivities on the club’s waterfront lawn. The day concludes with a barbecue buffet, cash bar and live music from the Island Time Steel Band. Those planning to attend the after-party can purchase discounted tickets online until noon Friday, with higher prices at the door thereafter.

For those on shore, follow along on Facebook and Instagram for boat spotlights, registration highlights, and stories from the fleet throughout the day.

Here’s what else you need to know

A nearly complete wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut faces an uncertain future after the Trump administration abruptly halted construction, and the states’ Democratic governors, lawmakers and union workers called Monday for the president to reverse course. A rally is planned today in Newport to oppose the halt.

From live music venues to outdoor markets and public meetings, residents and visitors have numerous options for end-of-summer activities this week and weekend. Here’s our rundown of events, live music, and entertainment happening this week.

R.I. Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan has been placed on unpaid leave for six months, a week and a half after she made national headlines for berating Newport police officers as they arrested her during a night out on the town, WPRI reports. The Clarke Cooke House is playing up the incident with an “I’m An A.G.” mocktail, according to The Providence Journal.

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. Obituary: Mark Pinto
  2. Theatre by the Sea closes season with Elvis musical ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
  3. King Park Beach, Fort Adams Beach reopen after brief bacteria closure
  4. Highest-rated museums in Rhode Island by visitors
  5. Tennis Hall of Fame closed out a momentous Induction with Serenapova and a rockin’ concert
  6. Newport rally planned to oppose Trump wind project halt
  7. Obituary: Roger Slocum
  8. Notes: Rhode Island officials to hold press conference opposing Trump wind project halt
  9. Update: More details emerge in Newport assistant attorney general arrest case
  10. Democrats ask Trump to resume a major offshore wind project near Rhode Island

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
  • Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 57. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: WNW wind 5 to 10 kt becoming SW in the afternoon. Sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: SW wind 5 to 7 kt becoming variable and less than 5 kt in the evening. Increasing clouds. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 65 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 6:05 am. Sunset at 7:28 pm. 13 hours & 22 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 10:39 am & 10:54 pm. Low tide at 3:41 am & 4:06 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.

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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...