Newport Bermuda Race 2012
Every other year in June, over 180 boats set off on a 635-mile ocean race from Newport, R.I. to Bermuda. Hundreds of spectator boats jockey for the best view of the fleet, and crowds fill the Castle Hill lawns to gaze at the start. It is truly a spectacle. The first gun of this year’s edition of the Newport Bermuda Race will be on June 15 at 1250. Whether you’re on the water on Narragansett Bay, or on land at Castle Hill or Fort Adams, you won’t miss it. And if you can’t make the start, be sure to check out the competitors at the Newport Shipyard and around Newport Harbor the week before.
The race usually lasts between three and six days as the five divisions sail through the Gulf Stream and strong currents to Bermuda, where trophies are presented at the Government House. The bienniel race, which was first sailed in 1906, is run by the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
For full details on the race, including the Notice of Race, inspection and safety tips, information on Newport and Bermuda, and John Rousmaniere’s story on Carina _at the 2010 edition, download a PDF the 2012 Newport Bermuda Race Program, produced by our sister publication _Cruising World. For more on the race, visit the Newport Bermuda Race website. And stay tuned to _SW_’s Newport Bermuda page for continuing coverage.
