Redress for Newport Bermuda Race

The 54th edition of the Newport Bermuda Race had 144 teams for the start on June 19, with 138 boats completing the 636 nm course. Black Jack 100 took monohull line honors in a day in a half, the final finisher – S&S Swan 55 Yawl Galiana – needed nearly five days, and an airline flight is 2.25 hours. Time is relative.

The handicap results got lost in translation when the ORR ratings were applied to the Forecast Time Correction Factor (FCT-F) which determines the optimal finish times based on weather forecasts. Changes to the results came and went until the International Jury granted redress on June 25. So much for progress.

UPDATE: US Sailing issued a mea culpa for their role in the scoring snafu.

ANOTHER UPDATE: After the results had been changed, and we published the latest update at 14:20 on June 25, the results were changed again on June 26… three days after yachts finished. See corrections below:

The St. David’s Lighthouse Division was the largest fleet as it limits the number of professional sailors onboard, and only amateurs may drive. Overall honors was claimed by Thomas Cambell’s Cal 40 Nicole, edging out Rives Potts’ McCurdy & Rhodes 4 Carina in second with Sheila Mccurdy’s McCurdy & Rhodes 38 Selkie in second with Paul Jennings’ Cal 40 Towhee in third.

The Gibbs Hill Division is the no-holds-barred category, with no limits on crew composition or sail inventory. Black Jack 100 won overall by over four hours over the Mills 68 Space Monkey which edged out over the Mills 58 Denali 4 with the Mills 68 Space Monkey in third.

Formerly known as the Cruising Class, the overall winner of the Finisterre Division was Christopher Burnham on his Hinckley SW 48 Argyll, finishing with a 30-minute margin over Frank Sobchak’s Hinckley 48 Northeast Wind in second while David Tabor was third on his J/42 Dianthus Soren Schroder’s Bristol 477 was third.

Event information – Race details – Results – Tracker

Elapsed Time Course Records
Monohull – Comanche, 01d 10:42:53 set in June 2016
Multihull – Argo, 01d 09:00:09 set in June 2022
Note: Course was lengthened from 635 nm to 636 nm in 2024 when start line was moved into Narragansett Bay alongside Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island.