NEWPORT, R.I. — The Safe Harbor Race Weekend is back for its fifth year, starting August 8 with a record-breaking 73 boats across several classes.
This three-day regatta in Newport features boats in ORC and PHRF classes, a 19-boat IC37 one-design class, and six superyachts.
Steve Liebel, last year’s IC37 class winner, is excited about the large turnout for the IC37 class. He notes that the competition is tough, with over half the boats having a real shot at winning.
“We are excited for our largest-ever showing of IC37s here,” said Liebel (Tampa, Fla.). Liebel added that the IC37s are “always stacked with amazing talent,” and this year’s Safe Harbor competition will prove no exception due to several teams, many of them international, that are using the event as practice for September’s New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. “It is always tight racing; this year more than half of the entrants have a legitimate shot at winning.”
The event offers different race formats. IC37s will race windward/leeward courses over three days. ORC and PHRF classes start with an Around Prudence Island Race on Friday, followed by fleet races on Saturday and Sunday.
Superyachts are back for the first time since 2023, racing along Newport’s coastline on Rhode Island Sound. Tony Rey, tactician on the 197-foot ketch Maximus, says, “This has become a top Newport event. It’s great to see Safe Harbor supporting races for all kinds of boats, including superyachts, in one regatta.”
Event Director Peter Craig notes, “Safe Harbor Race Weekend has become a summer highlight. Sailors love a regatta that combines great racing with fantastic shoreside events.”
After racing, there’s a Coastal New England Dinner on Friday, a “Talk of the Town” Crew Party on Saturday, and awards on Sunday.
Victor Wild, racing in ORC Class A, expects tough competition. He says, “If we win, it’ll be because we worked hard and got lucky.”
For more information on Safe Harbor Race Weekend and daily releases/full results (when available), visit https://bit.ly/SafeHarborRW.
