If you build it (and it’s fun), they’ll come

When the announcement of the inaugural Safe Harbor Race Weekend arrived at Scuttlebutt HQ, we immediately liked the vibe of the message. It sounded fun.

The trend in the sport has seen heightened expectations, and while that is worthy of championship events, it has leaked downstream and impacted participation. There is a reason why summer beercan racing is well attended… people know it’s not the Olympics. Just the opposite.

The Safe Harbor brand is becoming increasingly well-known in the USA as they add marinas to their portfolio, and now they have gotten into the regatta business. We checked in with Veronica​ Brown of Safe Harbor Marinas to learn about their first event August 13-15 to be held on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay:

How did this event get started?
Newport is a sailing town. Narragansett Bay has hosted some of the most memorable moments in sailing history and avid sailors continue to flock to the bay every summer for fun and competition. We’re fortunate to have a number of Safe Harbor locations in Narragansett Bay and are proud to be the home port of so many great vessels and their crews.

We have been planning this regatta for almost a year, with the goal of creating a premium sailing event in Rhode Island to welcome Safe Harbor Members & guests from across our network to come race or simply enjoy the social events.

And you found space on the calendar too.
We considered all factors when choosing the date, trying very hard not to conflict with other regattas and sailing events that were already on the calendar, while also taking advantage of an incredible time of year in New England.

Our original plan was for monohulls and multihulls (30’ LOA and up) to join us, and when there was interest from the superyacht community, we formed a class that looks to have 11 entries. Overall, with more than 50 boats expected to participate, we look forward to a fun, competitive, and memorable event for all involved.

Event information – Race details – Entry list