Ida Lewis Distance Race - 24-Hour Offshore Race in New England Waters
by Barby MacGowan 10 Aug 2024 10:38 PDT
August 16-17, 2024
Forty-nine teams have registered thus far for the 2024 Ida Lewis Distance Race presented by Bluenose Yacht Sales, and they'll be starting the revered 24-hour race south of Pell Bridge in Narragansett Bay's East Passage on Friday, August 16 at 11 a.m. From nearby vantage points along the Jamestown and Newport shorelines, including Fort Adams and Castle Hill, spectators can watch the fleet as it heads off to some of the most storied cruising grounds in the Northeast, including Rhode Island Sound, Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, Long Island Sound and the waters south of western Long Island before returning to a finish off host Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport.
"It's a fun distance race that has been enjoyed by veterans and newcomers alike for 18 editions," said Event Chair Anselm Richards. "Fine tuning over the last few years has all but guaranteed that every boat will finish in 24 hours, so that makes the time on the water just right: not too long, not too short." Richards added that the Ida Lewis Race Course Development Team has plotted a choice of several courses between 100 and 235 nautical miles; prior to the start, it will determine which class will sail what course, based on weather and handicap ranges for each class.
Teams sail either in ORC (classes 1, 2, and 3) or PHRF (classes Aloha, Coronet, Bagheera, and Double handed) for top-three and overall trophies as well as special trophies for Collegiate and Youth Challenges. The event also is a qualifier for the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy and Double-Handed Ocean Racing Trophy.
Returning this year is perennial favorite Spirit, a J/92 skippered by EC Helme (Newport, R.I.). "Last year's race was pretty interesting for us," said Helme, who finished second in Bagheera class and will sail in that class again. "Being the smallest and lightest boat combined with those steady, strong conditions made it a real test for Spirit and crew, but it made crossing the finish line that much sweeter. Being pushed a little physically and mentally is one of the reasons why we keep coming back. The Bay races generally don't offer that, and the Ida Lewis Distance Race is just the right distance to make it an honest challenge while being 'reasonable' on a 30-foot boat." (No boat in the race can be smaller than 28 feet.)
Chris Krayer (Seymour, Conn.), who last sailed his C&C 21 Salsa in the 2022 event, said he loves the race for the same reasons he loves the Newport to Bermuda Race: "It starts in Newport, my favorite town of all time! And Ida Lewis Yacht Club makes our stay and the event a welcoming experience." Salsa's challenge will be in Coronet class, with competition the likes of Vento Solare, a J/109 skippered by Bill Kneller (Newport, R.I.) and Digger, a J/44 skippered by James Phyfe (Cranston, R.I.), which will be dual scored for the Youth Challenge. (Youth Challenge entrants must have more than 40% of the team reaching their 14th birthday but not their 20th birthday prior to August 16.
This is a group of sailors who have sailed the Ida Lewis Distance Race with us for the past two years (winning the Youth Challenge in 2023 while finishing third in Coronet class)," said Phyfe. "Many of these kids also did either this year's Newport to Bermuda Race with us or the return trip."
This will be Phyfe's third Ida Lewis Distance Race with Digger. Before that he participated a handful of times as crew on other boats. "It's a great race because it takes you offshore for 24 hours, and the fleet naturally stretches out," said Phyfe. "You are almost guaranteed a range of weather conditions...keeping the boat moving in all conditions is a key to doing well, and we enjoy that challenge. On top of that, it's a great opportunity to introduce enthusiastic sailors to distance racing."
Defending Champion in Aloha class will be the R/P 66 Boudicca, skippered by Richard Moody (Jamestown, R.I.).
Rumble, a JPK 10.30 skippered by its new owner Brad Gibbs (Providence, R.I.), qualifies as a Collegiate Challenge entry in ORC 3. A faculty advisor to the Brown Sailing Team, Gibbs will sail with many of the Brown sailors aboard. "The boat is still new to me, so my goals will be to stay safe, have fun, and learn some things about sail selection and optimization heading into the ORC Worlds in Newport this September," said Gibbs. "Looking at the names in our class, it is an experienced group. John Brim's (Palm Beach, Fla.) Rima98 is always well sailed and Al Minella's (Saint Petersburg, Fla.) The ROCC proved itself to be quick at the Annual Regatta."
James Coffman and Laura Hess (Westport, Conn.), on their Swan 45 Gemini II will also look to the Ida Race as a key tune up for their debut at the upcoming ORC Worlds. "This race has been on my bucket list for years," said Coffman, who will sail in ORC 2.
In ORC 1, Rikki will be a boat to watch, but skipper Bruce Chafee (Boston, Mass.) said he has humble expectations. "We'll be sailing against some big and fast boats," said Chaffee. "We rate closest to Jax (a a Botin 43 skippered by Newport's Oivind Lorentzen), and I know they have smart brains aboard."
Chafee has three or four editions of this event under his belt. "We remember two finishes where a dying breeze at the end foiled our bid at winning, but we also remember having sailed really well until then! It's good to have a distance race right in our own back yard."
Ida Lewis Distance Race Gold Sponsor is Contender Sailcloth. Silver Sponsors are Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard and Hogan Associates/Christie’s International Real Estate. Bronze Sponsors are Gold’s Wine and Spirits, Langan Design Partners, Newport Construction Services, Inc., and North Sails. Contributing Sponsors are Toni Mills Graphic Design, Mac Designs, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, and Stella Artois.
For the Notice of Race and more information, visit http://www.ilyc.org/distancerace or contact Race Chair Anselm Richards, ">. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.