Edgartown Yacht Club 'Round-the-Island Race marks return to July with strong 47-boat fleet

A new Peregrine will be sailing at Edgartown Yacht Club's 'Round-the-Island Race, with a team of returning champions led by Peter Lacoste (Newton, Mass.). The event starts Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 a.m. off Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard © Barby MacGowan

After a four-year run in June, Edgartown Yacht Club's 'Round-the-Island Race ('RTI) returns to its traditional July dates, starting at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 25.

Now in its 89th year, the 'RTI is one of the nation's oldest and most celebrated distance races, drawing sailors from across the Northeast for a challenging 55-nautical-mile circumnavigation of Martha's Vineyard.

A fleet of 47 boats will compete in nine classes: six for PHRF and one each for PHRF Non-Spinnaker, PHRF Double-Handed Spinnaker, and Multihull. Four defending class champions are back: Stephen Besse's (Guilford, Conn.) J/120 Apres (PHRF Spinnaker D), Dan Rabin's (Beverly, Mass.) Salona 33 Virgo (PHRF Spinnaker E), William Marsh's (Chatham, Mass.) Beneteau First 35 Ruse (PHRF Double-Handed), and Chip Hawkins' (Barrington, R.I.) C&C 41 Caneel (PHRF Non-Spinnaker).

"We're pleased to see growth, especially in the Multihull and Doublehanded classes where each has five entries," said Event Co-Chair Cindy Alten-DeLotto. "It reinforces that the race appeals to a wide variety of boats and combinations of sailors."

The fleet ranges from Ira Perry's (Dartmouth, Mass.) J/29 Seefest, the smallest entry, to Vanessa Kerry's (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) 72-foot Nissen Cutter sloop Isabel, the largest.

Among family crews are Peter Lacoste's (Newton, Mass.) aboard his Moody DS54 "fast cruiser" Southern Cross, sailing in PHRF Spinnaker C.

"We are a family crew from Australia who enjoy time on the water together, building experience for the next generation of sailors, and enjoying the challenge of competition," said Lacoste. "We really enjoy the 'Round-the-Island Race; you can't beat the spinnaker run down the sound under a building breeze."

Ryan Scudder (Centerville, Mass.) and his crew have spent the season tuning up their new J/36 MKII Peregrine for regional competition, including the 'RTI where they will sail in Spinnaker Class D.

"We took second in our division at Figawi on Peregrine's maiden voyage, and with each Wednesday night race we've continued closing the gap on the leaders," said Scudder. "We're having a blast experimenting with sail combinations, peel strategies, and trim. During our last training session we got Peregrine surfing at 14 knots under the A2 spinnaker. We can't wait to see what she can do in this year's RTI."

With forecasts calling for winds of about eight knots at the start, building to 15 knots during the day, organizers expect a full-course race and fast finishes.

"If the breeze develops as forecast, the multihulls could finish as early as 11 a.m.," said Alten-DeLotto. "We don't anticipate shortening the course, and many of the monohulls should be finishing by early afternoon."

For more information visit edgartownyc.org/about-the-regatta