2016 NEWPORT-BERMUDA RACE COVERAGE by CHNYC

[TrippAlyn]

It has been only four years since George David's RAMBLER smashed the old Elapsed Time record and set a mark which may stand for a long time.....[b]under 40 hours[/b] in the biennial Thrash to the Onion Patch. Many hot boats are arriving in the area to be readied for the start at midday on Friday, 17 June. Spectating will be exciting....just off Castle Hill as many classes will start their 635 mile race to St. David's Head Light. As in past years we will likely see INVICTUS from the Naval Academy Offshore Sailing Team, along with 2-3 of the Navy 44s. A USCGA team may compete as well. They will be berthed at the MWR Marina and may also compete in the New York YC Annual Regatta the weekend before the Bermuda Race. Let's extend warm hospitality to these visiting academy sailors! The Race will have a tracker so that it will be possible for you to monitor the status of those friends/family in the race. STAY TUNED!! Tripp CHNYC PHRF Fleet Captain

[TrippAlyn]

LINKS TO THE NEWPORT-BERMUDA RACE: http://bermudarace.com/ RACE WEBSITE http://bermudarace.com/resources/spectator-resources/ SPECTATOR INFO Will add more info about the Race Tracking resources when they are posted. Tripp

[TrippAlyn]

With just 2 days and 30 minutes remaining until the 1st gun for the starting sequence of the race, it appears that there are 186 entries in the 2016 edition of the biennial thrash to The Onion Patch. Everyone is primed for the start....months of preparation are approaching a culmination with crew lists, training regarding weather and the Gulf Stream, offshore safety training, equipment checklists and safety inspections, food and supplies accumulation and tuneups with delivery races, the NYYC Annual Regatta last weekend and travel arrangements to get many home from Bermuda. Oh...and don't forget those unsung heroes who will be traveling down to Bermuda to serve as delivery crews for the return sail to various ports on the East Coast. Fair Winds and Safe Journeys to you all.....SAIL FAST!! Tripp

[TrippAlyn]

......AND THEY'RE OFF.....!!!

After watching a troubling weather forecast for the Friday afternoon winds, the Newport-Bermuda fleet was graced with greatest gift of all....WIND! It was one of those sparkling Newport afternoons and the crowd packed into the sweeping lawn at Castle Hill gave evidence of yachting in Newport at its very finest. Reminiscent of the throngs lining the shore in the old Cup days were many appreciative spectators who were not disappointed at the sight of the 16 class starts.....which culminated in speedster COMMANCHE's sprint off the line. She's leading the pack towards the finish line at St. David's Head Light, currently making 13kts, with 512.5nm to the finish.

The race record elapsed time of 39:39:18 is safe for another year. RAMBLER 88's 2012 record is not in jeopardy as Bermuda lies upwind of Bermuda in this 2016 edition of the thrash to the Onion Patch. A remarkable number of boats withdrew from the race prior to the to start, due to the ominous weather forecast of a gale and rough going in the powerful Gulf Stream. The fleet of 184 has been whittled down to around 142 as boats of various sizes and ages won't be venturing out into the stormy waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Two entries from the Navy Marina have different status reports:

1. CRACKERJACK - withdrew from the race and is safely tied up on C dock, currently doing 0.0kts

2. PAU HANA - currently doing 5kts on a course of 162deg (starboard tack) and currently predicted to finish 95th out of 127 boats being tracked by the Pantaenius online live race tracker. They are indeed in our thoughts as they sail forth "in harms way" and we wish them a safe journey.

TO MONITOR THE RACE ON THE ONLINE TRACKER:

http://pantaenius.us/en/home/newport-bermuda-race

OR: http://bermudarace.com/resources/spectator-resources/ (click on Race Tracking)

[TrippAlyn]

NEW RECORD!!! COMANCHE SMASHES THE 39:39:18 record of Rambler 88 set in 2012. NEW RECORD is: 34:42:53

Well, it was an exciting morning at St. Davids' Head Light as, at 4:22:53 am (EDT), Jim & Kristy Clark's 100ft COMANCHE, skippered by Newporter Kenny Read got the gun.....they were hundreds of miles ahead of the next boat and the fleet spread out astern....all to the west of the rhumbline. The NEW RECORD is: 34:42:53, which is faster than RAMBLER's mark by 4:56:25.

The fleet is awaiting some rough weather and seas tonight and Monday morning. PAU HANA is 120th in the fleet at this point and we'll see how she weathers the approaching storm....our thoughts are with them! The next boat to finish is due in approx. 26 hours from now.

Tripp

[TrippAlyn]

HIGH NOON.....1st conventional boat to finish! This Tripp 41 skippered by longtime sailing friend Peter Becker crossed the line this a.m. at St. David's Head and received not only the gun for their class, but a bottle of champagne from the Royal Bermuda YC Commodore Oatley. This syndicate of youth sailors from American YC in Rye, NY is in line for a lot of hardware as they are 1st on elapsed time in the conventional fleet, 1st in class, winner of the Stephens Brothers Youth Division Prize (named for legendary yachtsmen Olin J. and Rod Stephens). Now that COMANCHE has already departed the RBYC docks, HIGH NOON will have the distinction of standing alone on the docks, waiting for the rest of the fleet to arrive....those will indeed be prized photos as it is rare that a boat of 41ft arrives so far ahead of the larger boats.

The CHNYC entry of David Wilson's PAU HANA is now less than 200nm from the finish and will likely finish around 115th in the fleet sometime midday on Wednesday. We'll be waiting to hear those stories from Dave, Paul & Nick.

Tripp...