An end of summer tradition

The Conanicut Yacht Club in Jamestown, RI hosted the 87th Annual Around the Island race on Sunday August 31, 2014. The race is one of the oldest ongoing sailboat races on Narragansett Bay, and features a complete circumnavigation of Conanicut Island. This end of summer tradition combines a great day of competitive sailing with a dinner celebration of the Narragansett Bay sailing community.

“Our 87th Around the Island race once again brought the Narragansett Bay sailing community – in all boat classes, age groups, clubs and communities – together in a competitive and fun day on the Bay. This year, our participant list included competitive crews as well as families and monohull boats of nearly all makes, models and dimensions,” said John Mayers, the event’s organizing chairman.

Eight-five boats registered for the event and the Conanicut Yacht Club hosted over 250 people for the dinner party and awards celebration. “Every year, our greatest variable is the race day weather but this year we had 10 to 15 knot winds throughout the race supporting a great competition. Our fastest competitor finished the circumnavigation in less than two hours,” said Mayers. The majority of finishers completed the race before 3pm.

For the 87th running, the Conanicut Yacht Club awarded two overall fleet awards:

Commodore Bruce R. Brakenhoff Memorial Trophy: Awarded to the boat that circumnavigates Conanicut Island in the shortest time.
Winner: Privateer; Ron O’Hanley; Time: 1 hour 59 minutes 37 seconds

Best Corrected Time: Awarded to the boat with the best PHRF-NB handicap adjusted time in its circumnavigation of Conanicut Island.
Winner: Manic; Alex Wadson; Time: 02 hours 42 minutes 23 seconds

Event website – Results

Report by event media.