Author: Barby MacGowan

For 2025, Edgartown Race Weekend will say goodbye to its two-day, ’Round-the-Sound Races of recent years and hello to a fresh new focus on its centerpiece ’Round-the-Island Race (’RTI), which will be 88 years old when it begins on Saturday, June 21. Although it’s one of yacht racing’s oldest distance events, the 55-mile circumnavigation of Martha’s Vineyard is anything but staid, thanks to host Edgartown Yacht Club (EYC). Lively shoreside parties and an early morning start with a…

  The third annual Rhody Regatta, hosted by the International Yacht and Athletic Club (IYAC) based in Newport, RI and benefiting the Rhode Island Community Food Bank headquartered in Providence, takes place Saturday, May 31, helping kick off the Narragansett Bay sailing season with a single mid-distance race, approximately 18 miles around Jamestown (Conanicut Island). In format changes, the start and finish area will be near Gould Island rather than the previously near Fort Adams, and the Awards Party will be held…

24-Hour Test of Fortitude   Light air prevailed for the 19th Ida Lewis Distance Race presented by Bluenose Yacht Sales.  © Stephen R Cloutier The 19th sailing of the Ida Lewis Distance Race presented by Bluenose Yacht Sales hosted 45 teams, with almost as many of those new to the event as returning and including both world-class and recreational racers. The competition’s 24-hour format saw seven classes leave Newport Harbor at 11 am Friday, August 16 and return on Saturday to a…

J/105 Double Handed Team Wins Coveted Venona Trophy Photos by Rick Bannerot/OntheFlyPhoto.net Henry Sesselberg’s J/105 Ubuntu (Cape Elizabeth, ME), a double handed entry in Edgartown Yacht Club’s ’Round the Island Race (‘RTI), managed to sail away with the coveted Venona Trophy in the Edgartown Race Weekend, sailed June 20 – 22 in the waters off Martha’s Vineyard, MA. The ’RTI, an annual circumnavigation of Martha’s Vineyard that is one of America’s oldest distance races, realized its 87th running on…

The International Yacht and Athletic Club (IYAC) hosted its second annual Rhody Regatta on Saturday, June 1, and Matt Brooks’ (Freemont, CA/Jamestown, RI) 1929 Sparkman & Stephens yawl Dorade stole the show. Not only was the 52-foot classic yacht visually striking by virtue of her sleek lines drawn by Olin Stephens, but she also appeared to be “always in the right place” despite a variety of often-fickle conditions. Sailing to win its five-boat Class 3, Dorade also claimed overall victory when scored collectively with the…

A strong return of past participants and an energetic influx of new teams (over 30%) says a lot about Edgartown Race Weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, coming up June 20-22. The event endears itself to veterans and newcomers alike with varied distance racing, including Saturday’s ’Round-the-Island Race (’RTI) – one of the oldest distance races in this country – and the preceding Thursday/Friday’s ’Round-the-Sound Races (’RTS), which are separately scored and a keen tune-up for Saturday, not to mention…

It’s not the Newport Bermuda Race, but a great alternative for competitive sailors who want an adventurous offshore experience in June. Edgartown Race Weekend, scheduled for June 20-22, includes a Thursday and Friday of ‘Round-the-Sound (‘RTS) racing followed on Saturday by the centerpiece ‘Round-the-Island (‘RTI) Race, a circumnavigation of Martha’s Vineyard that is one of yacht racing’s oldest (87 this year) and most venerable distance races. “At approximately 55 miles, our race is simpler, with no technical rigamarole…

It was as good as it gets for 47 teams sailing in the Ida Lewis Yacht Club’s 18th Ida Lewis Distance Race presented by Bluenose Yacht Sales. Race organizers had promised to reinforce the race’s reputation as a challenging 24-hour overnight competition, and that they did by developing a brand-new selection of courses to fit all sorts of weather scenarios and incorporate as many sailing angles as possible. After a two-hour postponement due to a severe weather forecast, the race…

Challenge XII and Columbia Become Two-Time World Champions After participating in a morning parade around Newport Harbor that was punctuated by cannon salutes from yacht clubs and other prime waterfront viewing spots, ten historic 12 Metres moved on to Rhode Island Sound for the final race of the 12 Metre World Championship on Saturday, August 6.     To be named the World Champions at the end of the day, Jack LeFort’s Challenge XII (KA-10; Winter Park, FL/Jamestown, RI) had…

Winners Named in Five Classes, Fundraising Extended!     All types of boats comprised the fleet of 37 entries sailing in the first-ever Rhody Regatta, which was combined with the International Yacht and Athletic Club (IYAC) Newport Cup on July 1. The event, an 18-mile race around Conanicut (Jamestown) Island, raised more than $15,000 for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank through team donations and will keep its fundraising link live through the month of July, should anyone else wish to make…