Rhody Regatta raises $13,000 for Meals on Wheels of RI
by Barby MacGowan 2 Sep 11:10 PDT
May 31, 2026
From left: IYAC Co-Owner and Rhody Regatta Event Chair Mick Harvey, Meals On Wheels External Affairs Coordinator Wetherley Hundley, Committee Member Steve Eddleston, and IYAC Co-Owner/Committee Member Pat Kennedy © Barby MacGowan
The International Yacht and Athletic Club (IYAC) presented a check for $13,000 to Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island after tallying donations from competitors in its 2026 Rhody Regatta.
The event, held May 31, sent a fleet of racing sailboats, ranging in length from 30 to 66 feet, on a tactically challenging 18-nautical-mile circumnavigation of Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay. IYAC has organized and administered the event since its inauguration in 2023.
"We're incredibly grateful to the International Yacht and Athletic Club and the Rhody Regatta community for choosing Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island as this year's beneficiary," said Meals on Wheels of RI Executive Director Meg Grady. "Support from events like this helps advance our mission and allows us to deliver more than 480,000 nutritious meals each year to over 5,500 Rhode Islanders, helping people across the state live healthier, more independent lives."
Top fundraising donor was C.B. Utility Foundation, while top team was Joe Brito's J/121 Incognito of Bristol, R.I., which won overall honors for best corrected time and captured first place in PHRF 2. Top fundraising individual was Doug Sabetti.
Organizers had established a goal of raising $10,000 and were ecstatic that they far surpassed that.
"Sailing has given so much to our community that we feel it's only appropriate to give something back," said IYAC Co-Owner and Rhody Regatta Event Chair Mick Harvey. "That spirit of giving remains central to the Rhody Regatta, which combines competitive sailing with fundraising for Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island."