The 54th Newport Bermuda Race will start Friday, June 19, sending a fleet of more than 150 boats on a 636-nautical-mile journey across the Gulf Stream to Bermuda.
For the second time, the public is invited to watch the start from Fort Adams during the Starting Line Festival, which will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the fort’s grounds and feature views of the race start, family activities, food trucks and bars. The event is free, though organizers encourage sailing fans to register on Eventbrite. Attendees are urged to beat traffic by arriving at the fort by bike, ferry or rideshare, with transportation details available on the festival website.
The start will also be live streamed on YouTube and throughout the park as part of the Starting Line Live Show, powered by Ørsted, with expert commentary, aerial views and onboard footage. Organizers noted that a restricted flight area will be in effect during the start window and that no drones are allowed.
The 636-mile offshore race, known as the “Thrash to the Onion Patch,” celebrates a century of partnership between the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in organizing the event. Following the start, the race will be easier to follow than ever, organizers said. Beginning June 20, the Gulf Stream Show, powered by Palm Beach Motor Yachts, will follow the fleet offshore with a daily broadcast during the week of the race.
The Newport Bermuda Race is organized by the Bermuda Race Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and managed by the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee, a joint working group of the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
