IRC to Race for Bermuda's North Rock Beacon Trophy

by Talbot Wilson on 22 Feb 2008 Racing this year in the Newport Bermuda Race, IRC boat owners will set their sites on a new “mark”, Bermuda’s North Rock Beacon Trophy. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club has donated the new North Rock Beacon Trophy to the race. It will be awarded to the 1st overall, corrected time winner of all IRC boats in both the Gibbs Hill and St. David’s Lighthouse Divisions.

The new prize is a silver and bronze 15” scale replica of the lattice tower that warned mariners of Bermuda’s northern reef from 1960 to 1990. The tower is silver and the bronze part is a replica of North Rock itself. This spectacular “keeper” prize is being crafted by the same silversmiths who make the famous Bermuda Race lighthouse trophies.

The Newport Bermuda Race online entry system opened Monday January 14th at http://www.bermudarace.com/. Applications for entry are pouring in as expected. Qualified monohull yachts with a minimum ORR 'L' of 27.5' up to a maximum LOA of 30.000 meters (98.4') may go online now to apply for entry.

All yachts that race are required to have a ‘fully measured’ ORR certificate and those electing to race for the IRC trophy will need an endorsed IRC certificate as well. If your boat needs to be measured or re-measured just notify US Sailing at offshore@ussailing.org.

The Newport Bermuda Race is a serious 635-mile Cat 1 ocean race. It is America’s classic, a must-do for all serious offshore sailors. The race starts June 20th 2008 in Newport Rhode Island. The Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club organize the event and invite all qualified yachts to apply for entry to join the fleet.

The centennial race in 2006 saw a record 264 starters. Organizers expect the 2008 fleet to be close to that record. Advanced reservations for berths in the Royal Bermuda Yacht club marine are evidence of a big turnout. The marina is already full with 4 months left before the June 20th start. Berths are available at the nearby Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.

All IRC boats entered in the Newport Bermuda Race are also eligible to enter both the Onion Patch Series and the Gulf Stream Series.

The Onion Patch Series includes racing in the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta, the Newport Bermuda Race, and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta. It is a top quality series with racing on a wide variety of courses, not just windward-leewards, with both team and individual yacht competition. The Onion Patch series had 48 entries in 2006, a record turnout.

Entry for the Onion Patch Series begins in the entry process for Newport Bermuda. Both regatta events have individual entry processes that must be completed.

The Gulf Stream Series includes racing in up to 18 events starting in January with Ft. Lauderdale to Key West, includes all the Onion Patch events, and ends with the IRC East Coast Championship in Annapolis at the end of October 2008. Entry is at http://www.us-irc.org/.