Hats and the Newport Bermuda Race

While the 52nd edition of the Newport Bermuda Race was cancelled in 2020, there remain 51 editions of memories that have come from this 635nm course. Scuttlebutt is celebrating this history by sharing the stories … here’s one from Phil Garland:

One of my favorite stories about the Bermuda Race involves my good friend Steve Thurston from Rhode Island. He was doing the race doublehanded on his Pearson 36 Mariah, and after finishing the race in Bermuda, he noticed a vibration as he motored to the dock in Hamilton.

The next morning he learned the cause of the vibration when he dove the boat and discovered a baseball cap wrapped on his propeller.

Upon closer review, the cap had a name of the boat from which it came so Steve went and inquired if anyone was missing a cap. Yes, it turns out one of their crew did lose their cap overboard, but it happened at the start in Newport. Whew!