Newport Bermuda Race
Held once every two years in mid June, Bermuda Race also known as Newport Bermuda Race is a 635-mile yachting race on Atlantic. The race has always been one of the world's premier ocean sailing contests. The race starts from Newport in Rhode Island and ends in Bermuda.The finishing line is at
St. David's Lighthouse at the eastern end of the island.
The course is mostly out of sight from the shoreline and a challenging one. With the wind direction changing frequently in the mid ocean and the strong current particularly in the Gulf Stream, the race pushes the crewmen to extremes. It's only in the last 20-25 mile stretch when the island of Bermuda becomes visible to the sailors.
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Organized jointly by the Cruising Club of America and
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, this race however has maintained an exceptional level of safety records. The race first started in 1906 as an amateur sail boat race. In the initial years the race started from Brooklyn NY.
From 1936 onward, it stared from Newport. In line with the tradition, it has remained as an amateur race with most of the participants being friends and family members.
Course of Newport Bermuda Race
There are usually five divisions. Each division has a number of classes so that boats of same size can start together.
Spectators in large numbers gather at the starting point and view the start from the shore or charter boats. Prizes are given away at the Governor's house in Bermuda. There are prizes for winners of each class as well as for the divisions.
2016 Schedule
The 50th Newport Bermuda race to be held between June 17-25, 2016. Over 150 boats are expected to participate.
Further info
Visit the website bermudarace.com for entry application and other resources.
About the Author
By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj has been writing about Bermuda since 2008, when he launched bermuda-attractions.com, one of the longest-standing independent guides to the island. A Certified Bermuda Specialist (Bermuda Tourism Authority), his work draws on personal visits, local contacts in Bermuda, and questions and trip reports from thousands of readers over the years.
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