Newport is bustling with sailors getting ready for the 2014 Newport to Bermuda Race. The start will be this Friday, June 20, at the entrance on Narragansett Bay. This event only comes around every two years so make sure you get out to see it. Best viewing is on the Castle Hill lawn or on board a boat(we have 12 Meter Charters available). Check out these great pics from the 2012 Newport to Bermuda start!
10 Fun Facts About the Newport to Bermuda Race
1. The Newport to Bermuda Race is sailed biennially.
2. The first Newport Bermuda Race was held in 1906.
3. The Newport to Bermuda Race was founded by Thomas Fleming Day, editor of The Rudder magazine.
4. 2014 will be the 49th Newport to Bermuda Race.
5. The Newport to Bermuda raced is sailed under the ORR, Ocean Racing Rule.
6. The course is 635 miles from Newport, Rhode Island to St. Davids Head, Bermuda.
7. There are usually over 170 boats that race in the Newport to Bermuda Race, making it one of the largest ocean races in the world.
8. Most boats finish in three to five days. In 2012 Rambler smashed the Race record finishing in 39 hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds.
9. The Newport to Bermuda Race is one of the only races to start and finish in different countries.
10. The trophies for the Newport to Bermuda Race are replicas of Bermuda's famous lighthouses. The St. Davids Lighthouse Trophy (the main prize) is for the winner of the largest division, for boats crewed by amateur sailors. The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy goes to the winner of the division for boats with professional crews.