The 38th edition of the Panerai Newport Classic Yacht Regatta presented by IYRS will start Saturday, August 26th in Bristol, Rhode Island with a point-to-point distance race from Bristol to Newport and culminate in Newport on Sunday, August 27th with racing in Newport.

Of interest to many will be the Classic Yacht Parade on Sunday, August 27th that will include the 40 competing yachts parading throughout Newport Harbor. The parade will begin at 10:30 am from the entrance of Narragansett Bay to Newport Harbor. The final day of racing gets underway immediately after the parade.

Among the 40 Classic Yachts, some of which were built as far back as the early 1900s, participating in the parade are;

Eleonora, a schooner and the largest boat in the fleet at 162 feet, is an exact replica of the infamous Westward. She was built and launched in 1910 by Herreshoff Manufacturing in Bristol, R.I.

Marilee, built in 1926 and one of the few remaining Herreshoff New York Club 40 yachts.

Ruweida V, at 97 years old, one of the oldest in the fleet. She was restored by the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport in 2011. She is a Burgess, Swasey & Paine (BS&P) designed and Lawley built Rboat.

The best vantage points include the IYRS marina, Goat Island Marina dock, Bowen’s Wharf, Bannister’s Wharf, The Newport Yachting Center dock, King’s Park Pier and the Alofsin Piers and Sail Newport Waterfront Center at Fort Adams. The yachts will be vying to win the coveted Classic Yacht Parade awards including Best Sail, Best Power, Most Patriotic and Best Costumes.

The Newport Regatta is the final event in a series of four classic yacht regattas that make up the Panerai North American Classic Yachts Challenge. With 40 yachts competing, the Newport Classic Yacht Regatta is the largest gathering of classic yachts in Narragansett Bay this year.

The race and associated events are free and open to the public.

Founded in 1980 by a group of Newport-based classic yacht owners and fans who wanted to preserve and promote the culture of classic yachting, the Panerai Newport Classic Yacht Regatta (PNCYR) brings together yachts designed and built by some of the greatest American masters. Through the years, these wonderful vessels have been maintained by equally passionate and talented professionals and yacht owners. The PNCYR is the final stage of the North American Circuit of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge.

Winners of the Panerai series are awarded at the ceremony on Sunday evening, August 27.

For more information, visit http://iyrs.edu/cyr.