The 6th Annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend returns to Narragansett Bay August 7-9, welcoming 76 racing sailboats across ten classes for three days of competition and shoreside events in Newport and Portsmouth.
Nine of ten defending class champions are back to defend their titles, highlighting a fleet that organizers say is among the most competitive in the regatta’s six-year history. Classes include ORC, PHRF, IC37 One-Design, Swan 28 One-Design, Coastal Racing, and Superyacht Coastal Racing.
The Superyacht fleet features six yachts ranging from 87 to 118 feet, racing on Rhode Island Sound under the ORC superyacht rule. Defending champion Delta House, the 98-foot entry skippered by Greg Evans, faces stiff competition from the 109-foot Nakupenda and 118-foot Whisper. Evans said the regatta carries special meaning for his crew, who race in honor of the yacht’s late owner. “Whether we win or lose, it’s a great time, and our enthusiasm won’t change.”
In ORC, Wendy Schmidt’s Botin 45 Azulito and John Cooper’s ClubSwan 43 Cool Breeze return to defend Class A and Class B titles. The IC37 fleet — the largest at the regatta with 18 boats — includes eight all-women teams preparing for the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship in Newport this September, among them Sail Newport’s Vigilant, skippered by Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick, whose crew includes two Olympians and three Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year.
Racing begins at noon each day. Friday’s program features an Around Prudence Island Race for ORC, PHRF, and Coastal Racing fleets, weather permitting. Saturday and Sunday shift to windward/leeward and navigation courses. Shoreside events include Friday’s Coastal New England Dinner at The Point at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks, Saturday’s Talk of the Town Crew Party at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard presented by Mount Gay Rum, and a post-race awards ceremony Sunday evening.
For more information and results, visit the Safe Harbor Race Weekend website.
