195 Entries for 51st Newport Bermuda
Race at Deadline
Safety emphasis
balances with openness to evolving technology
The
195 boats that submitted entries before the 2018 Newport Bermuda Race
“application for entry” deadline are anchored by the usual excellent turnout of
nearly 150 cruiser- and cruiser/racer-style boats sailing in the St. David’s
Lighthouse and Finisterre (Cruiser) divisions. The race, which is co-organized
by The Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, offers
several other divisions for different types of boats and competitors, which
truly makes this event seven races in one.
While some pre-start attrition is normal when a fleet faces
635 ocean miles across the Gulf Stream, a diverse fleet of 180 to 190 boats
should cross the line on June 15th, crewed by a mix of both professional and
amateur sailors. That would make it the biggest fleet since 2010, when 193
boats finished the race.
Among the entries in St. David’s and Finisterre divisions,
the 2016 success of youth sailors guided by adult advisors aboard High Noon
(link) has led to four entries by youth teams in 2018. There will also be new
divisions of Multihulls and Superyachts, which have added seven boats to the
fleet, the largest of which is the 112-foot Sparkman & Stephens design,
Kawil.
A view of a recent Newport Bermuda Race send-off for Class 3 of the St. David's
Lighthouse Division. Photo: Daniel Forster/PPL
Another key to the high entry total is the 20 boats entered
in the Gibbs Hill Division, which is for high-performance racing boats that in
many cases are steered and crewed professionally. Recognizing advances in
offshore racing technology, the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee allowed entry
this year by boats carrying water-ballasting systems and certain types of
canting keels. In past years, Gibbs Hill typically has drawn 10 to 15 entries;
in 2016, based on the high winds forecast in the days before the race, all of
the Gibbs Hill entries elected not to compete.
“The BROC remains committed to the value of the race as an
adventure and participation for its own sake,” says Jonathan Brewin, the event
chairman and past commodore of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. “The race is
different than many competitions; it’s a chance to compete for an array of
permanent trophies and be part of a history going back to 1906,” says Brewin,
“but above all it’s a chance to challenge oneself and one’s crew to prepare to
compete safely offshore at the highest level.”
The introduction of a Multihull Division was three years in
development, and based on the standards adopted for 2018, not every multihull
will be eligible to compete. Collaborating with an experienced cadre of
multihull designers and sailors, the Cruising Club of America’s safety
committee developed new ocean-racing safety standards for participating
multihulls and set more rigorous safety training requirements than for monohull
crews. In addition, the BROC collaborated with the Offshore Racing Association
to create a new VPP handicap system for multihulls (ORR-MH) that was
successfully tested in the 2017 Transpac Race.
See http://BermudaRace.com for news updates on the race. See
Official Notice Board for current list of entries: http://bermudarace.com/entry/official-notice-board/