Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

Newport Bermuda Race wrap

by John Rousmaniere on 27 Jun 2010
iBoattrack showing the courses taken by Sinn Fein (yellow), Carina (dark yellow) and Speedboat (orange) Newport Bermuda Race Media http://www.bermudarace.com

Newport Bermuda Race website Media Editor looks at the race conditions, lists tactics that worked, introduces some valuable people, and discusses editorial policy.

Doing it right. 'That’s the way it should work,' said a sailor who heard about one of these incidents of owner-stimulated reverse redress.

(1) When Scott Bearse saw his Slide Rule listed as Class 4 IRC winner, he advised race chairman Bjorn Johnson that something was wrong, saying, 'I sailed a good fourth-place race, not a first-place race.' Scorer Brin Ford found a typo in the rating certificate and Slide Rule slid to third.

(2) Erwin Wanderer was so certain that his Ocean Wanderer 1 finished 33 minutes later than the finish line committee believed that he insisted that the recorded time be changed at the cost of a position in the Double-Handed Division.

Champagne conditions.
Rán’s blog had this representative rave: 'We have a calm sea and an endless horizon. Nothing else in sight, just blue water, perfect temperature, beautiful sunshine. What else could we ask for?' Adding to the enjoyment was the spectacular wildlife. Navy midshipmen in Invictus counted a tuna, some sharks, many dolphin, lots of Portuguese men of war, and a sea turtle. Other boats saw whales, sometimes in pairs.

Turning point 1.
A hole on Day 2 left boats in the middle doing doughnuts while a few crews on the sides found new breeze. Carina improvised a quick escape that navigator Patricia Young must have had in mind when she told Thursday’s Navigator’s Forum, 'Carina’s iBoattrack’s movie file looks a great deal more even than what we experienced.' The boat’s navigator for many years of high finishes, Clark is the first woman to win the race’s George W. Mixter Trophy as navigator of the winning boat.

Turning point 2.
Did everybody sail in the same Gulf Stream? 'We didn’t see as much of a boost as we expected,' said many navigators, yet Aurora carried favorable current for 100 miles. The big boats had easy weather through the Stream, with no need to reef, yet smaller ones had heavy squalls (Rives Potts in Carina counted seven.) No wonder oceanographer Frank Bohlen describes the Stream as 'more variable than neatly deterministic.'

Turning point 3.
Oceanographer Jenifer Clark hit the nail on the head when she opened her pre-race briefing, 'The 2010 Newport Bermuda Race should be a dynamic event this year with respect to ocean currents.' The area between the Stream and the island has acquired the ironic nickname 'Happy Valley' because so many dreams of glory have been shattered there. Dorsey Beard of Esmeralde described its currents: 'Some from the east, some from the south – but foul every which way.' There was less chaos near the rhumb line.

Swinging for the fences. Generally speaking, east was best. First to finish Speedboat went pretty straight near the rhumb line, as did Carina and Clover III, top boats in the St. David’s and Cruiser Divisions. But one high-finishing boat did a bold end run to the west.

Peter Rebovich early on was faced with a choice: Should Sinn Fein cover the other Cal 40s – Doug Jurrius’ Belle Aurore and Bill LeRoy’s Gone with the Wind? Or should he observe Richard Nye’s 'swing for the fences' rule?

A faint heart had not won Pete two straight Bermuda Races. He ventured 50 miles west of the rhumb line and reached down to the finish at 8 knots under his big asymmetrical over a staysail while the boats to the east were under Code Zeros or genoas. Despite half a knot of foul current for the last 90 miles, Sinn Fein ended up second in Class 1 and seventh overall.

To appreciate the options, go to iBoattrack and select boats at Boat Mapper.


Amazing Repair 1.
Powering out to the start, Dan Epstein discovered that his Swan 51 Blue’s centerboard cable had snapped. Notifying the race committee that he’d be starting late, he went to Newport Shipyard, where the boat was hauled and the yard owner’s son spliced a new cable. Blue sailed out, crossed the phantom starting line two and a half hours late, and did the race. Said Epstein, 'We were definitely the winners.'

Amazing Repair 2.
Seven minutes after the start, Snow Lion’s new mainsail blew out, making the sail unusable unless a reef was tied in. Larry Huntington’s crew closed the rip with tape and reinforced the sail by sewing in sail stops radiating out from the clew. Dozens of man hours went into the repair using old-fashioned sailmaker’s needles, waxed twine, and palms (they had two of them because Steve Lirakis always carries a palm in his seabag). Snow Lion ended up second on corrected time in the Gibbs Hill Division.

Band of brothers. Double-handers John Ryan of Bolands Mills and Michael Hennessey of Dragon greeted each other with a warm hug after match-racing for 635 miles.

Editorial policy.
Unlike a newspaper or magazine, an online publication can easily influence the event it’s covering. Providing outside assistance that’s not available to others is a violation of Racing Rule 41. After the 75-footer Titan XV exited the Gulf Stream, crew member and website reporter Chris Museler sent us an email passing on navigator Peter Isler’s surprise that there was little southeast set in the Stream. While repeating this tidbit online surely would have entertained armchair tacticians, just as surely this would have been welcomed – and used – by at least some navigators in the 180 boats trailing Titan. So we cut it from the story, and saved it for now.


Full Race Results click here

RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMPalm Beach Motor Yachts

Related Articles

PredictWind launches PredictRain
New app From PredictWind delivers hyper-accurate, short-term rain predictions PredictRain is a groundbreaking standalone app that combines advanced AI modelling with intuitive tools to provide timely and precise rain forecasts for all types of outdoor activities.
Posted today at 4:51 am
49er & 49erFX Junior Worlds champions crowned
One final race before the storm kicked in at Øresund The final day of the 2025 Junior World Championship delivered high drama and even higher waves. As wind and rain swept across the Øresund, Race Committees managed to run one final race before safety concerns forced an early end to the competition.
Posted today at 4:43 am
Admiral's Cup: Emotional, Rare, Unforgettable
The 2025 Admirals' Cup set the stage for a bold new era in offshore racing Once the pinnacle of international offshore sailing, the return of the Admiral's Cup was a resounding success, setting the stage for a bold new era in offshire racing.
Posted on 4 Aug
29er World Championship at Porto Day 2
The breeze never quite showed up but the action didn't stop Day two of the Porto World Championships began with hope—and strategy. With light winds in the forecast, the race committee scheduled an early start in anticipation of a short sea breeze window.
Posted on 4 Aug
RS Aero World & Youth Worlds overall
The fine Brittany weather and afternoon sea breezes have provided excellent racing The stage was set for a dramatic final day showdown in Quiberon Bay, France, to decide the titles for the 7th RS Aero Worlds and 4th Youth Worlds.
Posted on 4 Aug
RS Feva Worlds at Aix-les-Bains, France Overall
Crowning of our 2025 World Champions As our World Championships drew to a thrilling close on Friday afternoon, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation! Sailors and families were buzzing with excitement as they prepared for their journey home.
Posted on 4 Aug
ClubSwan 28 American Series launched
US-based regatta series unites high-performance design with competitive racing. Nautor Swan today announces the launch of the ClubSwan 28 American Series in collaboration with Terry Hutchinson and American Magic, a new high-performance racing circuit designed to ignite competitive sailing in the U.S.
Posted on 4 Aug
Just another event?
Is Cowes Week still a pinnacle regatta? We've been blessed with incredible sailing so far this summer in the UK (for once) with great breeze much of the time, and some of the best events in the world gracing our shores. But, like with Storm Floris, there are clouds on the horizon...
Posted on 4 Aug
Safe Harbor Race Weekend starts Friday
Exciting racing, unforgettable shoreside festivities on tap Ever growing in popularity and caliber, the three-day Safe Harbor Race Weekend will host an impressive fleet of 73 boats on August 8 when it begins its fifth annual edition in Newport, R.I.
Posted on 4 Aug
Tenerife Windsurf Grand Slam Day 3
Pierre Mortefon draws first blood after the wind fills in late After a couple of days of waiting for the wind, Day 3 eventually provided the goods to end the wait for some official competition as the Slalom X got under way during the early evening in 15-18 knots of wind.
Posted on 4 Aug