Extra heat added to Newport's summer sailing season

by Barby MacGowan on 22 Nov 2013 Though the holidays may be just around the corner, it’s never too early to start planning next summer's racing schedule. Especially with two of 2014’s premier Rolex events – both hosted by the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) – adding some extra heat to Newport, R.I.’s renowned summer sailing season.

First up is the 160th NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, scheduled for June 13-15. The oldest continually running regatta in the country knocked it out of the park last June with a record 154 entries. The 2014 edition may rewrite that record, as it will serve as the first of three competitions to count in the venerable Onion Patch Series (celebrating its 50th anniversary), of which the Newport Bermuda Race, directly following, is the second.

The next event of the double bill is the NYYC Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, which takes place July 12-19. Classics and Metre-boat racing will kick off the competition on Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13, while HPR, IRC, PHRF and one-design racing will follow on Wednesday through Saturday, July 16-19 (with practice races scheduled for Tuesday, July 15). Race Week’s latter half will feature a variety of course configurations, including near-shore 'stadium racing'; offshore courses with inshore finishes off Fort Adams; traditional windward-leeward courses; and a middle distance race, which will count toward the overall standings. It also will serve as the inaugural HPR International Championship, the Club Swan 42 National Championship and the J/109 North American Championship. The event concludes with the Rolex Gala Banquet and awards ceremony at Harbour Court on Saturday, July 19, providing everyone with a chance to celebrate the week of sailing in style, applaud the winners, and head home at their leisure on Sunday.

For more information or to coordinate a class championship with either the Annual Regatta or Race Week, contact NYYC Racing Director Brad Dellenbaugh at dellenbaugh@nyyc.org or (401) NYYC website