2026 Safe Harbor Race Weekend - Preview
by Barby MacGowan 4 Aug 07:30 PDT
August 7-9, 2026
Vigilant (foreground) in IC37 fleet © Stephen R Cloutier
The 6th Annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend, returning August 7-9 with one of its most competitive fleets to date, will welcome 76 racing sailboats for three days of world-class competition on and around Narragansett Bay.
Growing each year in both popularity and caliber, the regatta combines high-level racing with a welcoming atmosphere for owners, families, and crews. The event is designed to foster not only spirited competition and outstanding sportsmanship on the water but also lasting memories through exceptional shoreside social events hosted by Safe Harbor in Newport and Portsmouth, R.I.
Nine out of 10 class champions from 2025 are returning to defend their titles in 2026 across ten classes: two for ORC, two for PHRF, one for IC37 One-Design, one for Swan 28 One-Design, three for Coastal Racing, and one for Superyacht Coastal Racing.
Racing for all classes except the Superyachts will take place on upper Narragansett Bay, where August typically delivers reliable sea breezes. The Superyacht fleet, with six yachts ranging from 87 to 118 feet, will compete under the ORC superyacht rule on Rhode Island Sound, where deeper water accommodates the yachts' substantial drafts.
Greg Evans, captain of Delta House, the 98-foot defending champion in the Superyacht class, explained that his team races in the spirit of the yacht's late owner, Bob, who passed away two years ago. "That is the bigger picture for us, something larger and tighter than just a sailboat race."
"Bob was a great man, and this regatta provides a chance for his kids and grandkids to come together and sail with a crew who has truly become extended family. Whether we win or lose, it's a great time, and our enthusiasm won't change."
Evans identified the well-sailed 109' Nakupenda and the 118' Whisper as his team's toughest class competition here.
Close racing is expected in the ORC division as Wendy Schmidt's (Newport, R.I.) Botin 45 Azulito and John Cooper's (Springfield, Mo.) ClubSwan 43 Cool Breeze return to defend their Class A and Class B titles, respectively. With narrow rating bands in each class, flawless crew work will be essential.
"We have a fairly similar crew to last year, and we try to keep the team as consistent as possible," said Rob MacMillan, Azulito's tactician. "We have extremely good crew work and camaraderie, and we've sailed a few events already this season with good success. I love sailing in the Bay and going around Prudence Island. It's a fun and challenging venue, and it's not something we get to do enough when sailing out of Newport." (An Around Prudence Island Race is scheduled for the ORC, PHRF, and Coastal Racing fleets on Friday.)
The team aboard Cool Breeze will give its all to win Class B like it did last year aboard a Cape 31 that carried the same name. "We sailed our current entry, the ClubSwan 43 Cool Breeze, at this regatta two years ago when it was brand-new to us and struggled," said Cool Breeze's tactician and team manager Billy Liberty, "so we're returning with new improvements to it and turning the page. We expect to be very competitive."
Liberty added that the race management is a major reason his team continues to return.
"It's a given that we can count on good competition," said Liberty, "but we also know the Race Committee is top-tier and we're always going to sail up the Bay where we're not likely to sit around waiting for wind. That gives us the confidence to return here in August for the racing."
Defending champions leading the charge in PHRF division's Class C and D, respectively, are Joe Brito's (Bristol, R.I.) J/121 Incognito and David Schwartz's (Bristol, R.I.) Lyman-Morse 40 Mischief.
"We sail a dozen weekend regattas every season, and this has turned out to be the crew favorite," said Schwartz, adding that his team has been basically the same for decades. "We've been training hard for 72 days and counting. Most of the training has been cardio (laughs); this will allow us to run back and forth quickly to the lobster table for seconds and thirds!"
The Coastal Racing division has attracted 18 PHRF boats that will be divided into four classes to set sail on longer navigation courses around government marks throughout Narragansett Bay.
Brian Nelson (Shrewsbury, N.J.), returning champion in Class B with the J/112E Honey Badger, said he used to sail primarily One-Design with his former J/105 (also called Honey Badger) but has transitioned to coastal PHRF racing for which the J/112E is better suited. "We still find ourselves sailing against great sailors and beautiful boats while getting to stretch our legs a bit on some of the longer runs where we must focus on maintaining boat speed," said Nelson.
Also returning to defend Coastal Racing titles are Dudley Johnson's (Watch Hill, R.I.) Marten 49 Pugilist in Class A and Chris Bjerregaard/Joe Whelan's (Bristol, R.I.) Alerion Express 38 Hope in Class C.
"We find coastal racing around government marks more interesting than windward/leeward racing," said Chris Bjerregaard. "I'd rather focus on speed, wind, and current than starts and boat-vs.-boat tactics. We only have one self-tacking jib and one asymmetrical spinnaker, and we enjoy tuning the boat to optimize our cruising boat setup. We also enjoy sailing with friends in a different but still local setting."
The Swan 28 class and the 18-boat IC37 One-Design class, the largest at the regatta, will showcase expert boat-handling skills, sailing windward/leeward courses on the same race circle throughout all three days of sailing. (These classes and the Superyachts will not participate in Friday's Around Prudence Island Race.)
In IC37s, Peter Wagner's (Portola, Calif.) Skeleton Key, which won the class here last year and finished fourth at the recent IC37 North American Championship, returns to take on the turbo-charged competition. Among the top challengers are the current North American champion Daniel Thielman's (Tiburon, Calif.) Kuai and runner-up Carter Robertson's (Essex, Conn.) Shaman.
The class also includes eight all-women teams preparing for the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women's International Championship in Newport this September. Among them is Vigilant, the Sail Newport entry, skippered by Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick (Darien, Conn.), which finished third at the North Americans.
"This will be our second Safe Harbor Race Weekend and our last chance to race in a fleet size that is comparable with what we'll have at the Women's International Championship," said Grapengeter-Rudnick, who counts two Olympians and three Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year among her 10 crew members. "It will also be the first time we get to sail against many women's teams who we haven't raced against yet this season, so we're really looking forward to it."
Racing/Social Schedule
Racing is scheduled to begin at noon each day for all classes.
On Friday, weather permitting, the ORC, PHRF, and Coastal Racing fleets will contest the Around Prudence Island Race on Narragansett Bay. Saturday and Sunday will feature windward/leeward racing for ORC and PHRF classes, while Coastal Racing competitors sail navigation courses using government buoys, inflatable marks, and islands as turning marks.
The Superyacht fleet will sail one coastal race each day on Rhode Island Sound using staggered starts, while the IC37 and Swan 28 fleets will contest multiple windward/leeward races on Narragansett Bay throughout the three-day event.
A full slate of shoreside events complements the racing, beginning Friday evening with the Coastal New England Dinner, presented by Citizens. Set against panoramic views of Narragansett Bay at The Point at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks, guests will enjoy casual coastal cuisine and live music. Saturday's festivities shift to Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard for the Talk of the Town Crew Party, presented by Mount Gay Rum, featuring live music and local fare. The regatta concludes Sunday evening with a post-race awards ceremony.
For more information on Safe Harbor Race Weekend and daily releases/full results (when available), visit bit.ly/SafeHarborRW.