63 boats already registered for 2020 Newport Bermuda Race
by Newport Bermuda Race 17 Sep 2019 23:05 BST
Merlin, the famous 68-foot West Coast sled by Bill Lee shown after the start in 2018, has already entered for 2020 © Daniel Forster / PPL
Counting down to the June 2020 start, there are nine months and three days to go, and a strong fleet is already gathering.
Are you planning to compete? If so, submit your entry and deposit by Friday, September 20 to take advantage of lower early-entry fees. If you're still on the fence, read the Notice of Race and the Competitor's Guide.
Who has entered so far? Owners who lean toward mythology, for one thing, like the pair that bracket the entire fleet size-wise. At the shorter end of the burgeoning scratch sheet is Phillip Haydon's Cepheus, a Quest 33 named for the mythical king of Aethiopia, who was husband of Cassiopeia and father of Princess Andromeda. At the larger, faster end is Jason Carroll's Argo, the MOD 70 catamaran that just broke the Transpac record; its name comes from the builder of Greek mythology's first sailing vessel, crewed by Jason and the Argonauts.
Most of the other entries in the 2020 Newport Bermuda Race don't feature their home port as Mount Olympus, although custom Bill Lee 68-footer Merlin hails from Arthurian legend. As usual, it's a diverse fleet that is growing fast and includes predominantly 35- to 55-footers. The roster to date includes 2018 class winners Yankee Girl (Double-Handed Division overall), YYZ (St. David's Lighthouse Division, Class 8), and Liberty Call (Finisterre Division, Class 12). Jason Carroll was also a winner in 2018, sailing Elvis, his Gunboat 62, in the inaugural Multihull Division.
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