Newly formed Rhode Island Offshore Challenge Trophy

The Bristol Yacht Club and the Ida Lewis Yacht Club have joined forces to create the Rhode Island Offshore Challenge Trophy to be crafted and donated by GMT Composites. This perpetual trophy will be presented to the boat with the best combined score in the Sid Clark Offshore and Ida Lewis Distance races.

The Sid Clark Offshore Race dates back to 1904 and may well be the oldest distance race in the country. The July 10, 2015 race will feature a variety of courses ranging in length from 75 to 160 miles. The start will be just outside Bristol Harbor. The race will take you down Narragansett Bay and into the waters around Block Island and the Elizabethan Islands, with the finish just outside Newport Harbor. There will be classes for IRC, PHRF, One Design, multihull, and double-handed boats. Link: www.bristolyc.com/racing/overnight.php

The Ida Lewis Distance Race on August 14, 2015 is the perfectly designed overnighter for IRC, PHRF, One Design, Multihull and Double-Handed boats of 28 feet or longer. It features four coastal round trip race courses between 104 nm and 177 nm, with course starts and finishes off the historic Ida Lewis Yacht Club and includes turning marks at Castle Hill, Brenton Reef, Block Island, Montauk Point, Martha’s Vineyard and Buzzards Tower. Link: www.ildistancerace.org/2014/index.php

GMT Composites is the sponsor for the newly formed Rhode Island Offshore Challenge Trophy in hopes more sailors take advantage of the world class offshore racing found in the local New England summertime waters. These two events offer competitive racing and good times from the pre-race pancake breakfast at the Bristol Yacht Club to the awards dinner on the deck of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club.