Calling All Sailors

Looking for a major nautical thrill? Then toss your hat in the ring for this year's Newport Bermuda Race, a biannual regatta that departs from Newport, Rhode Island and ends in St. David's, Bermuda every other June (this year it shoves off on the 15th). Founded in 1906 as the first ocean race for amateur sailors, the regatta has since become one of the world's premier sailing events—a 635-mile open ocean contest, most of it out of sight of land. Although the entry process for the 48th annual Newport Bermuda Race has only been open for three weeks over 100 boats have submitted entries, including past champions Sinn Fein—Peter Rebovich's Cal 40, winner of the coveted St. David's Lighthouse Trophy in 2006 and 2008—and Llwyd Ecclestone's Frers 68 Kodiak (Editor's note: This is a big deal within sailing circles. Get excited people). It's a much-anticpated week among sailors, but even more so for us islanders—after all, the much-anticpated race is yet another excuse to drink copious amounts of Dark 'n Stormy's while watching the ships pull in harborside. If you're interested in entering visit the Newport Bermuda Race official website. Or if you just want to party in June, well, visit Bermuda.

Sail On

Gentlemen, start your engines. Or whatever the sailing equivalent of preparing for a major race is (Hoist the sails? Batten down the hatches?). According to Cruising World, the Notice of Race for the 2010 Newport Bermuda Race has officially been posted, which essentially means all you sailors hoping to enter the “thrash to the Onion Patch” have until March 30 to enter the historic international ocean race (thanks for the pic PPL photo agency). What? You’ve never heard about the Newport Bermuda Race? Founded in 1906 as the first ocean race for amateur sailors, the race has since become one of the world’s premier sailing events—a 635-mile open-ocean contest, most of it out of sight of land. Every two years in mid-June a fleet of nearly 200 boats in five classes set sail from Newport, Rhode Island, to the Royal Naval Yacht Club in Hamilton, Bermuda, and luckily for us islanders, this is the year. The race kicks off on June 18 and normally takes five to six days to complete. Which means right around the weekend of June 25, there should be a big 'ol party here in Bermuda. Tourists, book your hotels now. So what are you waiting for? If you’d like to take part in one of the greatest open-water adventures in the Atlantic, I’d suggest you get cracking. And if any of you captains out there feel like bringing a blogger turned amateur sailor aboard, consider me—and Bermuda Shorts—reporting for duty.