The German Youth Team will be racing on the Andrews 56 Norddeutcshe Vermoegen Hamburg (shown here at the 2007 HSH Nordbank Blue Race) in the Transatlantic Race 2011. (Photo courtesy of Nico Krauss)
Among the 30-strong fleet preparing to compete in the Transatlantic Race 2011 in late June and early July, there are at least as many variations on the theme of traversing 2,975 nautical miles of ocean stretching from the start in Newport, R.I., to the finish at The Lizard on the coast of Cornwall in Southwestern England. For some, sailing across the Atlantic in this race, co-organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club, is about the chance to sail into the history books, while for a younger generation of sailors it is about building a foundation for future success in the sport.
A growing contingent of younger competitors is seeking sailing opportunities beyond the inshore dinghy programs typically offered at yacht clubs, high schools and colleges. The young sailors making up the Oakcliff All American Offshore Team (AAOT) on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s (USMMA) IRC 65 Vanquish and the German team on the Andrews 56 Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg are two groups who are taking advantage of the Transatlantic Race 2011 to expand their skills and hopefully build reputations as the next wave of capable ocean racers.
The German team is organized by Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt e.V., an organization founded in 1903 in Hamburg with the express goal of maintaining seagoing vessels and training young people, both physically and temperamentally, to become skilled mariners. The German crew looks to be the youngest in the race, with an average age of 22.5, but has experience that belies their years as all have offshore experience from racing long and short distances as well as making passages on the Mediterranean, Baltic and North Seas.
“This specific team never sailed together before,” said Eike Holst whose third Transatlantic Race will be his first as skipper. “We all knew each other and almost everyone sailed together somehow but never in this constellation. This is caused by the structure of our club. For example, me and my navigator, Max Wilckens, sailed together exactly in these positions in the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, finishing second in our division, and we sailed together with one other crewmember, Katrin Hilbert, in the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race when Max was one of the watch officers and I sailed as bowman.”
Holst selected the team to undertake the Transatlantic Race 2011 “with good advice of Max,” and noted that while most of the crew participated together in an ISAF Survival at Sea Seminar in March as well as in “teambuilding meetings” during the winter, the first time they all sailed together was in April. When Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg, launched in 1999, departs with the 15 other boats during the second start (June 29), Holst and his crew will have spent close to three weeks in Newport making their final preparations for the race.
“Probably we’ll be the youngest crew in the race this year and we’re really curious what the race will bring,” said Holst. “In long distance racing everything is possible, so let’s see what a young crew will achieve with an ‘old’ boat.”
Learning of the German entry in the Transatlantic Race 2011 was all the motivation Ralf Steitz, President of the USMMA Sailing Foundation, needed to form the Oakcliff AAOT earlier this year. Steitz brought his long-held desire to establish a youth-driven ocean racing movement to fruition with the backing of other leaders on the U.S. sailing scene, and, once the program was announced, saw 250 applications pour in over four weeks from sailors anxious to seize the opportunity. The average age of the 14 Oakcliff AAOT members who will race aboard Vanquish is 23.75, and, like the young German team, with just a few short months to prepare they will get a crash-course in working as a cohesive unit during their participation in Storm Trysail Club’s Around Block Island Race and the Annapolis to Newport Race prior to making the third start (July 3) of the Transatlantic Race 2011.
“I really enjoy sailing offshore,” said Nate Fast (Noank, Conn.), who will celebrate his 20th birthday two days before starting the race and is the youngest member of Oakcliff AAOT. “I did the 2008 Bermuda Race, which was my introduction to the high level and complexity of offshore sailing. Being the youngest means I have to work that much harder, but that will probably help me because I’ll be trying to prove myself. Offshore sailing is a lot of fun and a great experience and I hope to continue with it after this race.”
Both the American and German teams qualify as youth entries in the Transatlantic Race 2011, meaning that at least 50% of the crew is age 25 or younger on the date of that yacht’s start in the race. In addition to respective class honors, the two teams will vie for the Venona Trophy, which will be awarded to the highest placing youth entry.
“Of course we want to win this trophy!,” said Holst. “But it’s going be really hard work for us. The Oakcliff AAOT has a really young but very professional crew (some of them are sailing in the RC44 circuit regularly) and for sure the faster and newer boat. Crossing the finishing line in front of them would be great but probably as hard as beating them by corrected time. Of course we also have quite a lot of experience in offshore sailing but in a different way. The focus in our club lies on good seamanship and education for becoming skilled mariners but this doesn’t imply that we’re becoming professional offshore sailors. But besides that we’re having regular contact with Oakcliff AAOT and are looking forward to meeting them and having fun together in Newport.”
More about the Transatlantic Race 2011
The Transatlantic Race 2011 charts a 2,975 nautical mile course from Newport, R.I., to Lizard Point, South Cornwall, England. Pre-start activities will take place at the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, while awards will be presented at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Cowes Castle clubhouse on the Isle of Wight. Three separate starts – June 26, June 29 and July 3 – will feature 30 boats ranging from 40 to 289 feet in length. In addition to winners in seven classes (IRC Class 1 Racer, IRC Class 2 Racer, IRC Class 3 Racer/Cruiser, IRC Class 4 Racer/Cruiser, Classic, Class 40, and Open), whichever yacht finishes the course with the fastest elapsed time will set the benchmark for a new racing record from Newport to Lizard Point, to be ratified by the World Speed Sailing Council. Rolex watches will be awarded to the record holder and the overall winner (on corrected time) under IRC.
The Transatlantic Race 2011 is also the centerpiece of the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series (AORS), which includes the Pineapple Cup – Montego Bay Race, RORC Caribbean 600, the Annapolis to Newport Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Biscay Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Of the seven races in the AORS, three races, including the TR 2011 must be completed to qualify for a series victory. Each race is weighted equally in overall series scoring with the exception of TR 2011, which is weighted 1.5 times. All entered yachts are scored using their two best finishes in addition to the TR 2011. Awards for the AORS will be presented in November, 2011, at the New York Yacht Club’s Annual Awards Dinner in Manhattan.
For more information, visit www.transatlanticrace.org
TR 2011 Roster of Entries
Yacht Name, Skipper, Hometown
Ambersail, Simonas Steponavicius, Vilnius, Lithuania
Beau Geste, Karl Kwok, Hong Kong, China
British Soldier, Lt. Col. Nick Bate, Falmouth, Cornwall, U.K.
Carina, Rives Potts, Essex, Conn., USA
Concise 2, Ned Collier-Wakefield, Oxford, U.K.
Cutlass, Nick Halmos, Palm Beach, Fla., USA
Dawn Star, William N. Hubbard III /William N. Hubbard IV, both New York, N.Y., USA
Dragon, Michael Hennessy, Mystic, Conn., USA
ICAP Leopard, Clarke Murphy, New York, N.Y., USA
Jaqueline IV, Robert Forman, Bay Shore, N.Y., USA
Jazz, Nigel King, East London, U.K.
Kamoa’e, Eric LeCoq, Bridgeport, Conn., USA
Maltese Falcon, Elena Ambrosiadou, Monaco
Norddeutcshe Vermoegen Hamburg, Eike Holst , Hamburg, Germany
Nordwind, Hans Albrecht, Munich, Germany
Ourson Rapide, Paolo Roasenda, Vedano al Lambro, Italy
Persevere, Bugs Baer/Colin Rath, Madison, Conn. / Darien, Conn., USA
Phaedo, Lloyd Thornburg, St. Barthelemy
Prodigy, Chris Frost, Durban, South Africa
PUMA Ocean Racing mar mostro, Ken Read, Newport, R.I., USA
Rambler 100, George David, Hartford, Conn., USA
Sasha, Albrecht Peters, Hamburg, Germany
Scho-ka-kola, Uwe Lebens, Hamburg, Germany
Shakti, Christoph Avenarius / Gorm Iver Gondesen, Hamburg, Germany / Flensburg, Germany
Snow Lion, Lawrence Huntington, New York, N.Y., USA
Sojana, Peter Harrison, U.K.
Sumurun, Bob Towbin, New York, N.Y., USA
Vanquish, USMMA Oakcliff All American Offshore Team, Kings Point, N.Y., USA
Varuna, Jens Kellinghausen, Hamburg, Germany
Zaraffa, Huntington Sheldon, M.D., Shelburne, Vt., USA
The Oakcliff All American Offshore Team will be sailing on the IRC 65 Vanquish (shown here at the Storm Trysail Club’s 2009 Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex) in the Transatlantic Race 2011. (Photo courtesy of Rolex/Dan Nerney).
Carina Winner Of St. David's Lighthouse Division At Start (Photo by George Bekris )
Owned and sailed by Rives Potts (Westbrook, CT) with a crew blending four families, Carina is the 46th winner of the race’s top trophy in the 104-year history of the race, which runs 635 miles from Newport, RI to St. David’s Light, Bermuda.
The 48-foot McCurdy & Rhodes designed sloop won on corrected time under the Offshore Racing Rule by the very large margin of 3 hours, 35 minutes over Gregory B. Manning’s Sarah (Warwick, RI). Belle Aurore, a Cal 40 owned by R. Douglas Jurrius (Easton, MD) was third, seven minutes behind Sarah.
Carina’s chances for winning looked good but hardly certain when she finished the race at dawn Tuesday. Her chief challenge came from Belle Aurore and three other boats in Class 1, the small-boat class. Any of them could save their time and elbow Carina off the victory podium should she finish by about 7 PM. Many sailors at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and elsewhere spent much of Tuesday following the quartet’s progress on the online iBoattrack tracker. In the end, nobody was able to save their time on Carina.
Those four smaller boats still did well. Belle Aurore won Class 1 and took third place in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division. Two other Cal 40s, Peter Rebovich’s two-time defending champion Sinn Fein (Metuchen, NJ) and Bill Leroy’s Gone with the Wind (Tiburon, CA), took second in the class and seventh in the division, and third in class and eighth in the division, respectively. The fourth boat, David G. Dickerson’s Peterson 38 Lindy, was fourth in class and 20th in the division.
Carina also won the North Rock Beacon Trophy as the top boat under the IRC Rule, with a margin of nearly four hours over Gracie, a custom 69-footer owned by Stephen and Simon Frank (Darien and Rowayton, CT). Gracie was also designed by McCurdy & Rhodes. Third under IRC was Arbella, a First 44.7 owned by James Shaughnessy (Greenwich, CT).
As of Noon ADT Wednesday, 9 boats in the 183-boat fleet were still on the race course. This is the third largest Newport Bermuda Race since it was founded in 1906. The St. David’s Lighthouse Division, for amateur crews, is the largest of the race’s five divisions, with 103 boats this year.
Invictus At Start (Photo by George Bekris)
FOR NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE START PHOTOS CLICK HERE
2010 Newport Bermuda Race
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
| Place, Yacht, Owner, Origin, Results (ORR(Cls, Div) / IRC(Cls, Div)) |
| Class 1 (11 Boats) – St. David’s Lighthouse Division
|
Speedboat Crew On Deck
Stan Honey and Crew Of Speedboat Arrive In Bermuda
It was a slow race, with Speedboat making the 635-mile course in just over 59 hours after the start at Newport on Friday. The crew of 25 never reefed the boat. In the light to moderate conditions that prevailed through most of the race, Speedboat was hard pressed by Il Mostro, Rambler, and several boats in the mini-maxi 70-80 foot range over the first third of the course. “We really didn’t get away from them until we were in the Stream,” navigator Stan Honey said after Speedboat tied up at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club’s marina early Monday morning. “Then they gained a lot in the light stuff as we came into the finish.”
At 5 AM EDT the mini-maxi Rán on its blog reported less than 10 knots as she beat to windward toward the buoys guarding Bermuda’s reef. “Titan is downwind from us and is not a threat. Rambler and Beau Geste are upwind and in front as we thought they would. We are still in a strong position although it now looks like Beau Geste is the biggest threat. Just a few more hours to go.”
At 6:30 the blog reported, “As we are approaching the finish slowly but surely, we are all on deck, no more watches, all are on duty for the final stretch. Coffee and tea served on the rail – black only as no more milk powder onboard. Very calm water. Wind speed of 9 knots –
just over – and land in sight.”
Traditional Dark n Stormys Being Prepared At The Dock For Speedboat Crew
Ran At Newport Bermuda Race Start (Photo by George Bekris )
The Newport Bermuda Race fleet made their upwind starts in 16 classes over a period of more than two and a half hours on Friday afternoon. There now are 183 boats, after Avatar didn’t start. In addition, Blue sailed back to the shipyard to get her broken centerboard cable fixed; she’s expected to start again after the repair.
The start found some skippers were surprisingly aggressive. Apparently forgetting that this isn’t a day race but a 635-mile marathon running several days, they also seem to have experienced a touch of amnesia about the tide table. As the new ebb tide ran with every great velocity out of Narragansett Bay, it pushed them inexorably toward Bermuda, but also over the starting line a little earlier than their tacticians had planned.
Of the 13 boats in Class 4 (St. David’s Light Division, 45-55 footers), four found themselves over early at the pin end, with Star Chaser getting what one of her crew called “the best start in the fleet” in an email to media@BermudaRace.com. “We were at the committee boat end of the line with some of the J-Boats but higher and faster. We all chose to be slightly late on the gun: no use being OCS on a race of 635 nm!”
In Class 8 (St. David’s Light, 65-footers) two boats were premature. One was Aurora (with Gary Jobson in the afterguard), and she had to pick her way back to the line, losing at least three minutes in the process.
The current new on the Newport Bermuda Race is that Speedboat took the lead from Titan XV at sunset Friday night as the big 183-boat fleet raced toward Bermuda on a fast close reach in a flat sea, clear visibility, and a moderate southwest wind that gradually strengthened and clocked toward the west. Two boats set Code Zeros.
For current boat positions click HERE
Chris Museler reports from Titan XV: a collision, a Code Zero, and a champagne wake
Friday, 2045 EDT. What an incredible day we’ve had! When I woke up to clear skies and glassy conditions, I knew the sea breeze was setting up nicely. After our delicious hot lunch aboard Tom and Dotty Hill’s Titan XIV, we set out in a relaxed mood, everyone smiling about the conditions. The spectators were all smiles and cheers. There were so many people camped out on the Castle Hill lawn that you couldn’t see any grass.
We started well to weather of the other mini maxis in Class 10 (Gibbs Hill Division) and from then until sunset (a few moments ago) it’s been champagne sailing conditions – sailing at 13-15 knots in a steady wind. We’ve been the lead boat for a few hours, but now as it’s getting dark, Speedboat is passing us to leeward. She started at 4:30, an hour after we did, and it’s now after 8. Rán (in our class) isn’t far behind.
At about 5:30 we hit a large marine animal of some kind. It may have been a basking shark, maybe as long as 20 feet. The hit was soft and we almost stopped. The fish made a few squiggles, spun off, and swam away in our wake. The boat appears to be undamaged.
We’ve switched to a Code Zero, and as our grinders are getting busy they look a lot bigger than before. Mark Strube, who finished second at the Star Class Europeans two weeks ago, is 250 pounds of muscle. The crew has just had dinner – hot rice and chicken with pineapple, which took an hour to cook in two large pots, plus the usual Snickers and Pringles for snacks . . . and apples, too.
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- Newport Bermuda 2010 Start (Photo by George Bekris)
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- Newport Bermuda 2010 (Photo by George Bekris )
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- Newport Bermuda 2010 ( Photo by George Bekris )
Photos By George Bekris
More Photos Of The Newport Bermuda Race Start by George Bekris click HERE
The leader for several hours was Titan XV, in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division. She was caught by Speedboat (Open Division, which started an hour later) at about 8:45 pm. Other positions have been changing in the extremely competitive group of mini maxis sailing in the Gibbs Hill Division, with Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente overtaking Niklas Zennstrom’s Rán soon after midnight, and Rán then catching Rambler and Beau Geste in parking-lot conditions. The wind slowly faded during the night, swung into the north for a while. After dawn, two boats reported a very light breeze from the southeast, which is the course to Bermuda. Later on Saturday morning the wind filled in nicely with a report of 15-plus knots, whitecaps, and the first sighting of cumulus clouds over the Gulf Stream ahead. There also were reports of U.S. Navy exercises in the area of some boats.
By John Rousmaniere
One Of The Classes Starting In Newport Bermuda Race 2008 (Photo by George Bekris)
Down in Bermuda, the best spot to watch the yachts finish in Bermuda is from the grounds of St. David’s Lighthouse. Visitors will find that the Finish Line Committee is very hospitable and depending on the finishing traffic, they may be invited up into the tower for a tour. It is a straight up climb and not for people afraid of heights. The view from the lawn is almost as good and worth the trip to St. David’s.
The HD Gateway Finish Line Cam is new for 2010. From the high definition camera mounted on the St. David’s Lighthouse tower, finish line action will be streamed worldwide 24/7. Spectators can use iBoattrack to follow their boat of interest to the finish, then actually watch them cross the line when they arrive.
In Bermuda, digital spectators can watch boats finish from the comfort of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. A Gateway ‘SMART Board’ will be available for viewing in the Calabash Lounge and a smaller HD TV monitor will be available over the Terrace Bar.
by Talbot Wilson
New Bermuda Race Entrants
| Yacht | Yacht Type | Division | Captain |
| ANGEL | Ctm 84 | CD | Edward T. Anderson |
| ATALANTA | Little Harbor 54 | CD | James F. Volkwein |
| ATTITUDE | Beneteau 423 | CD | Shawn Dahlen |
| AVATAR | Ranger 37 | CD | Janusz Kedzierski |
| BERMUDA OYSTER | Oyster 435 | CD | Paul B. Hubbard |
| BLE U | C&C 51xl | CD | Dan Epstein |
| BLUEBIRD | Migrant 45 Ketch | CD | Harry Bird |
| BONSPIEL | Nordic 44 | CD | James J. Richter |
| CADENCE | Apogee 50 | CD | R. David Warters |
| CETACEA | Hinckley 59 | CD | Christopher J. Culver |
| CHECKMATE | Alden44 | CD | Frank J. Flores |
| CLOVER III | Swan 56 | CD | Neal F. Finnegan |
| CONVERGENCE | Jeanneau 43 DS | CD | James Linsley |
| EAGLE | J-40 | CD | Dana Oviatt |
| ECLIPSE | Hinckley 59 | CD | Barbara & Robert Cavanagh |
| FOX | Swan 53 | CD | Ruth M. Pecherek |
| FREEDOM | Sabre 452 | CD | Cary W. Thomson |
| HAERLEM | Swan 55 | CD | Hendrikus (Henk) P L Wisker |
| I’LL THINK ABOUT IT | Beneteau 523 | CD | Marc Tandourjian |
| ISOLA | Baltic 52 | CD | Howard M. Eisenberg |
| KALUE | Wooden Ketch | CD | Rudy Schreiber |
| LAURA B | Island Packet 45 | CD | Joseph R. Triggs, Jr. |
| LIBERTY CALL | HR 43 | CD | Matthew G. Pilon |
| LILLA | CNB 76 | CD | Simon M. De Pietro |
| MANANA | Swan 48 | CD | Michhael V. Johnson |
| MISTY | Little Harbor 54 | CD | Eric G. Thorkilsen |
| NIRVANA | Maxi 80 | CD | Charles F Kiefer III |
| NOSTOS | Alden 44 | CD | Lorenzo D. Weisman |
| NOVA | Swan 56 | CD | Mark DiStefano |
| PILGRIM | Alden 44 | CD | Mark Rice |
| POESKE | First 42 | CD | Richard Donn |
| RESTIVE | Alden48 Ctm | CD | George P Denny III |
| RUTAINE | C&C 37/40+ | CD | David P. McLoughlin |
| SCEPTRED ISLE | Ctm 63 | CD | Rex G. Herbert |
| SHEARWATER | Morris 40 | CD | Conrad Hall |
| SHINDIG | Pearson 39-2 | CD | Kevin G. Flannery |
| TEMPTRESS | IMX-45 | CD | Arent H Kits van Heyningen |
| WHISKEY GIRL | Hinckley 70 | CD | Michael McAllister |
| WINDWALKER II | Lyman Morse 60 | CD | Daniel Levangie |
| ALIBI | J-120 | DH | Gardner L. Grant, Jr. |
| BOLANDS MILL | Class 40 | DH | John Ryan |
| CHOUCAS | Jeanneau SF36 | DH | Frederic Cosandey |
| CORDELIA | Valiant 42 | DH | Roy F. Greenwald |
| CUTLASS | Class 40 | DH | Alex / Nick Mehran / Halmos |
| DAWN TREADER | Swan 48 MK II | DH | Lawrence G. Cohen |
| DELAWANA | Swan 51 | DH | Hans F. Himmelman |
| DIRIGO | C&C 41 | DH | Eric M. Johnson |
| DRAGON | Class 40 | DH | Michael S. Hennessy |
| ESMERALDE | Sabre 386 | DH | Bruce R. Beard, Jr. |
| GREAT SCOT | J-35 | DH | Darren T Garnier |
| HERON | J-120 | DH | Greg R. Leonard |
| KAMOA’E | Class 40 | DH | Eric Lecoq |
| KILLUA | Aphrodite 101 | DH | James G. Binch |
| KIVA | Hinkley SW51CB | DH | Mark Stevens |
| LORA ANN | Express 37 | DH | Richard T. du Moulin |
| MIREILLE | J-120 | DH | Edwin Gaynor |
| NEXT BOAT | Morris 45 | DH | Mark Ellman |
| OCEAN WANDERER1 | Montivideo 43 | DH | Erwin Wanderer |
| PALADIN | J-35 | DH | Jason A Richter |
| PLUM CRAZY | Sabre MK II | DH | Michael R. Berg |
| RESOLUTE | J/122 | DH | D. Scott Miller |
| SEABISCUIT | J-46 | DH | Nathan C. Owen |
| SIR EDMUND | Ctm 49 | DH | Fredrick R. Holt |
| TOOTHFACE | Akilaria Class40 | DH | Michael W. Dreese |
| WHISPER | Hinckley 48 | DH | Thomas J. Vander Salm |
| BEAU GESTE | Farr 80 | GHL | Karl Kwok |
| BELLA MENTE | Mini Maxi | GHL | Hap Fauth |
| CAPTIVITY | Farr 60 | GHL | Samuel T. Byrne |
| CATAPULT RACING | SouthernCross 52 | GHL | Marc Glimcher |
| HOI AN | Custom 50 | GHL | Heilner Marc |
| NATALIE J | TP52 | GHL | Philip D. O’Niel III, D.D.S. |
| NOONMARK VI | Swan 56 | GHL | Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy |
| RAMBLER | Ctm 90 | GHL | George David |
| RAN | JV 72 | GHL | Niklas Zennstrom |
| RIMA2 | R/P 55 | GHL | John Brim |
| SNOW LION | Ker 50 | GHL | Lawrence S. Huntington |
| TITAN 15 | ctm75 | GHL | Tom Hill, Mr. |
| VELA VELOCE | Southern Cross | GHL | Richard H Oland |
| GENUINE RISK | Dubois 90 | Open | Mark E / USMMA Watson III |
| ILMOSTRO | VOR70 | Open | Ken Read |
| SPEEDBOAT | Maxi | Open | Alex Jackson |
| ACTAEA | Hinckley B40 | SDL | Michael M. Cone |
| AKELA III | Swan 43 | SDL | Djoerd Hoekstra |
| AKUBRA | J44 | SDL | Reginald H. Goodday Dr. |
| AMADEUS | IMX-40 | SDL | Jack R. Yaissle |
| AMERICAN GIRL | King 40 | SDL | Daniel Galyon |
| AMIGO VI | J-42 | SDL | Bernie P. Coyne |
| APSARA | J-109 | SDL | Mike Sleightholme |
| ARBELLA | First 44.7 | SDL | James P. Shaughnesy |
| AURORA | Tartan 41 | SDL | Andrew F. Kallfelz |
| AURORA | Reichel/Pugh 66 | SDL | Gus Carlson |
| AVENIR | C&C 41 | SDL | Joseph T. Murray |
| AVRA | J/120 Mod | SDL | George Petrides |
| BABE | Swan 46 | SDL | Colin E. Couper MD |
| BACCI | Swan 53 | SDL | Lorenzo Vascotto |
| BARLEYCORN | NYYC Swan 42 | SDL | Brendan J. Brownyard |
| BEAGLE | J-44 | SDL | Philip H. Gutin |
| BEAUSOLEIL | Beneteau 456SD | SDL | Richard A Parent |
| BELLE AURORE | Cal 40 | SDL | R Douglas Jurrius |
| BIG BOOTY | Lutra 42 | SDL | Patrick Eudy |
| BOMBARDINO | Santa Cruz 52 | SDL | James W. Sykes |
| BRAND NEW DAY | J-65 | SDL | James C. Madden |
| BUZZ | Sydney 38 | SDL | Richard E. Stevenson, Jr |
| CARINA | CTM 48 | SDL | Rives Potts |
| CHARLIE V | J-44 | SDL | Norman H. Schulman MD |
| CILISTA | J-130 | SDL | Jeffrey L. Eberle |
| CONVICTUS MAXIMUS | Farr IRC 42 | SDL | Donald W. Nicholson |
| CYBELE | IMX-45 | SDL | Richard M. Burnes, Jr |
| CYGNETTE | Swan 441 | SDL | William J. Mayer |
| DENALI | Nelson Marek 70 | SDL | Michael A. D’Amelio |
| DOGSLED | Kaufman 47 | SDL | Todd F. Barnard |
| DOLPHIN | J-42 | SDL | Henry S. Morgan |
| DONNYBROOK | Ctm Sloop | SDL | James P. Muldoon |
| FEARLESS | Farr 395 OD | SDL | Shaun J. Ensor |
| FINESSE | J-42 | SDL | Newton P.S. Merrill |
| FLIRT | Navy 44 MK1 | SDL | US NAVAL ACADEMY |
| FLYING GOOSE | Ctm 56 | SDL | Daniel C. van Starrenburg |
| FROLIC | Sabre 362 | SDL | Peter G. Brown |
| GLORY | J-44 | SDL | Jack Neades/ USCGA |
| GOLD DIGGER | J-44 | SDL | James D. Bishop |
| GONE WITH THE WIND | Cal 40 | SDL | William M. LeRoy |
| GRACIE | Ctm 69 | SDL | Stephan A. & Simon W Frank |
| GREY MATTER | Hanse 470e | SDL | Brian R. Parselle |
| GREYGHOST | Zaal 38 | SDL | Philip W. Parish |
| HAKUNA MATATA | Cal 39 | SDL | Christopher J. Andrews |
| HIGH NOON | Tripp 41 | SDL | Colin Rath |
| HIRO MARU | Swan 43 Classic | SDL | Hiroshi Nakajima |
| HOUND | Ctm 60 | SDL | Eberhart Frank |
| INVICTUS | TP52 | SDL | US Naval Academy |
| JACKNIFE | J-133 | SDL | Andrew Hall |
| JACQUELINE IV | Hinckley SW42 | SDL | Robert S. Forman, Jr |
| JADE | J-42 | SDL | Robert W. Thuss, Jr. |
| KALEVALA II | Grand Soleil 37 | SDL | Tapio O. Saavalainen |
| KODIAK | Swan 601 | SDL | E. Llwyd Ecclestone |
| LAPIN | Benn Frst 40.7 | SDL | Christopher Clark |
| LINDY | Peterson 38 | SDL | David G. Dickerson |
| MAGIC | Santa Cruz 52 | SDL | Kenneth Laudon |
| MERLIN | Swan57 | SDL | John H Duerden |
| MISCHIEVOUS | Ctm 65 | SDL | Albert J. Fitzgibbons |
| MISTY | J-40 WK | SDL | Fred A. Allardyce |
| MOJOE | Peterson 43 | SDL | Joseph M. Naroski |
| MORGAN OF MARIETTA | Centurion 42 | SDL | Colin G Golder |
| NASTY MEDICINE | Corby 41.5 | SDL | Stephen J. Sherwin MD |
| RAGANA | Cape Fear 38R | SDL | Darius Peleda |
| RAINMAKER | Swan40 | SDL | Kenneth P. Hylwa Mr. |
| REGATTA | CARTER41 | SDL | Constantine G. Koste |
| REINDEER | Morris 47 | SDL | Peter/Tony Driscoll/Parker |
| RELATIVITY | Beneteau 53F5 | SDL | Hall Palmer |
| RESOLUTE | J-44 WK | SDL | Fred Madeira |
| RICOCHET | J-120 | SDL | USCGA |
| ROCKET SCIENCE | J-120 | SDL | Rick F. Oricchio |
| RUNAWAY | J-44 | SDL | Lawrence R. Glenn |
| SAILOR BANDIDO | Quest 33 | SDL | Christopher A. Palabrica |
| SARAH | X-41 | SDL | Gregory B. Manning |
| SFORZANDO | Ker 55 | SDL | Clayton G. Deutsch |
| SHINNECOCK | J-120 | SDL | James C. Praley |
| SINN FEIN | Cal 40 | SDL | Peter S. Rebovich, Sr. |
| SIRENA BELLA | J44 | SDL | Joe Murli |
| SIRENSONG | J-133 | SDL | Thomas J Carroll |
| SLIDE RULE | First 44.7 | SDL | Scott Bearse |
| SPIRIT | Baltic 38DP | SDL | A. John Gregg |
| STAR CHASER | Swan 51 | SDL | Wijnand (Boogie) van den Boogaard |
| STARLIGHT | Simonis Voogd 56 | SDL | Michael Dybvik |
| SWIFT | Navy 44 MK1 | SDL | US Naval Academy |
| TEMPTATION | Taylor 45 | SDL | Arthur & Peter Santry |
| TERRAPIN | Beneteau 40.7 | SDL | Jonathan Litt |
| THEJACKAL | Beneteau 40.7 | SDL | John DeFilippo |
| THREEBEANS | Santa Cruz 37 | SDL | Christopher Rosow |
| TIGER | Swan 46 | SDL | Thomas & Nancy Grieb |
| TRIPLE LINDY | Swan 44 MK II | SDL | Joseph Mele |
| TRUE | J-42 (mod) | SDL | Howard B. Hodgson, Jr. |
| UPGRADE | Farr 395 | SDL | Peter Gibbons-Neff |
| VALKYRIE | First 44.7 | SDL | David Andril |
| VAMP | J-44 | SDL | Leonard J. Sitar |
| VANQUISH | STP 65 | SDL | Rego / Riker Lucas / USMMA |
| VORTICES | J 145 | SDL | Christopher L Saxton |
| WAZIMO | Aerodyne 38 | SDL | W. Barrett Holby, Jr. |
| WESTRAY | Concordia 39 | SDL | John D. Melvin |
| WHISPER | Canning 48 | SDL | Sheldon Brotman |
| WHITE RHINO | Swan 56 | SDL | Todd Stuart |
| WINDBORN | J-120 | SDL | Richard W. Born |
| XCELSIOR | IMX-45 | SDL | Alice O. Martin |
| XENOPHON | Swan 44 MKII | SDL | Jeffrey V. Rabuffo, MD |
| ZEST | Hinckley SW42 | SDL | Brian E. Swiggett |
| ZWERVER | S&S 57′ Berm Cut | SDL | Frans van Schaik |
The above list subject to change.
For More Photos of the Newport bermuda Race 2008 by George Bekris click HERE
Newport Bermuda Race 2008 (Photo by George Bekris )
From the June 18th start in Newport to finish in Bermuda 635 miles later, this classic ocean race is almost a spectator sport.
Beau Geste (Photo by Carlo Borlenghi)
Although several boat are still racing, Richard Bamford’s Swan 38 Dolfijn retired this morning which means that at tonight’s prize giving Karl Kwok’s Farr 80, Beau Geste, will be awarded the RORC Caribbean 600 trophy for best yacht overall under IRC, the line honours trophy for monohulls and Class trophy for IRC Super Zero.
“I have never cleaned up as well before so it feels really good,” smiled Karl Kwok upon hearing the news. “There may have been a lack of wind but we kept on going all the time and when the wind was with us we had flat water and some fantastic sailing. Beau Geste has a great spirit, I have been friends with Gavin Brady for two decades and we sit down and decide who we will have on board. Friendship is very important to me, we choose the best sailors but also the right people. I have to say a big thank you to Gavin Brady and the two watch captains, Jonno Swain and David Endean but all of the crew did a great job.
Beau Geste races all over the world and I would like to invite all of the competitors we come across to do this race. The sailing is as good as can be and I have enjoyed it immensely.”
Winner overall of the CSA division and second place overall under IRC is Richard Oland’s Southern Cross 52, Vela Veloce.
“We had a close battle with Privateer who beat us by less than a minute in our last encounter, so beating them this time was a bit of payback,” admitted Richard Oland, skipper of Vela Veloce. “Privateer are good sports and I am sure we will share a beer with them tonight. Although I have done a lot of cruising here, this is the first time I have raced in the Caribbean since the 60s. The boat comes from New Brunswick, Canada and it amazes me why people don’t come down here and enjoy these water.
Winner of IRC Super Zero Canting keel, third overall under IRC and second under CSA was Ron O’Hanley’s Cookson 52, Privateer.
“We have never raced against another Cookson 50 which we were really looking forward to but Privateer is a newer boat with some differences and we weren’t really racing close to Lee Overlay Partners. We had a really good fight with Vela Veloce. This is the first time we have competed in a RORC race and I would like to give a big thank you to the organisers; this has been a very well run event.” Commented Vela Veloce boat captain Scott Innes-Jones.
Third overall under CSA and fourth overall under IRC was Adrian Lee’s Cookson 50, Lee Overlay Partners. Dockside Adrian Lee was still full of admiration for the race. “Very different to last year but we have enjoyed it just the same, this was as much a challenge but for different reasons, keeping the boat going and concentrating the whole time were so important. The last few miles were agonizingly slow but we kept cool under pressure and to be honest, we were delighted just to finish. Congratulations to Beau Geste on an excellent performance.”
Only one boat, AAG Big One has finished since Lee Overlay Partners came in last night. The breeze virtually shut down, right across the racecourse, causing many yachts to retire. ‘H’ one of the BLESMA crew describes the scene on board as Spirit of Juno made the decision to stop racing. “The skipper went to every guy and asked him for his view, everybody had their say but when he turned the engine on, it was a sickening feeling. We just ran out of time and needed to get back for flights home. We have developed as a team and really got to grips with the physical side of things but we need to work more on the tactical side, we will be back for sure. The RORC Caribbean 600 is unfinished business.”
Antigua is usually blessed with easterly Trade Winds and the unusual weather is extremely rare. However, the competitors in the RORC Caribbean 600 did have the sensation of surfing through the Caribbean sea in sublime conditions, at least some of the time.
Update as of Sunday
Willy Bissainte and Benoit Reffe’s Class 40, Tradition Guadeloupe were rightly proud as they crossed the finish line in the early hours of Sunday morning, having spent five nights at sea. A large contingent greeted Tradition Guadeloupe including Elizabeth Jordan, Commodore of the Antigua Yacht Club and Ian Loffhagen, RORC Racing manager. Every yacht competing in the RORC Caribbean 600 was welcomed back to Antigua, regardless of the time. Jonathon Cornelius and his ABSAR team was on call day and night through out the race and piloted every yacht into Falmouth Bay.
“We were never going to retire,” said Willy Bissainte dockside. “The RORC Caribbean 600 is a big part of my training for the Route de Rhum, which I will be racing solo, later in the year. We always had at least a little wind, we kept going all of the time. It was great to have such a reception from the Antigua Yacht Club and the RORC. We will only be staying for a short while though, we must go back to work in Guadeloupe in just a few hours.”
Willy Bissainte and his co-skipper Benoit Reffe picked up the Concise Trophy for the best Class 40 and the class trophy for IRC Zero. After a quick shower, the two sailors who defied the unusual weather, set sail for home.
The last yacht in the 2010 RORC Caribbean 600 was finally accounted for.
