52nd Newport Bermuda Race: How to watch the start, how to follow the race
by Sean McNeill 16 Jun 2022 04:49 AEST
June 17, 2022
The race begins at the mouth of the East Passage against the spectacular backdrop of the Newport and Jamestown shore, where state parks and Castle Hill Inn offer excellent viewing opportunities for race fans © Daniel Forster / PPL
Whether you know someone competing in the Newport Bermuda Race or you're an avid fan who might have the race on your bucket list, there are many ways to follow the 2022 race as it starts on Friday with a first warning signal at 1:00 pm for a 1:10pm start. The fleet is divided into multiple classes and will start successively at 10-minute intervals.
The starting line is set at the mouth of the East Passage of Narragansett Bay, so if you can make it to Newport or Jamestown, you'll find several great vantage points to watch the fleet depart. Race sponsor Castle Hill Inn offers ringside seating on its expansive lawn. Farther south, Brenton Point State Park also offers excellent views, as do the state parks at Fort Wetherill and Beavertail on the Jamestown side.
Tune into the Starting Line Live Show if you can't be there—or you want to see and hear more from the starting area. On this YouTube livestream, media team members Joe Cooper, Kate Somers, and John Burnham will talk about the boats and teams, and feature a number of the boats competing, while also describing the action of each start. Sign up to be notified when the show starts, or easily locate it on the bermudarace.com homepage on Friday morning.
Once the race begins, follow the Bluenose Yacht Sales YB tracker to see the fleet progress in real time towards Bermuda over the next two to five days. The tracker is also on the bermudarace.com homepage, updating the position of each boat via satellite tracker every 15 minutes. Many boats will also Tweet messages via the satellite connection, so if you see small Twitter logos on the tracker chart, click and read what was happening on that boat at that position on the course.
Note that in addition to the tracker for laptop browsers, the free YB Races app is available on iTunes for iOS devices or the Google Play store for Android devices. (Be sure to download an updated version.)
Follow the Newport Bermuda Race social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, in addition to YouTube, for reports on wind and wave conditions and life aboard several boats during the race. You can also access reports, photos, and videos by subscribing to the race's email news or visiting the race website's News section.
All competitors typically arrive in Bermuda in four or five days. Results will be posted as finalized for each class, and the formal Prize-Giving ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 25th.