2026 Newport Bermuda Race - 54th race is one for the history books
by Bermuda Race Media 27 Jun 19:29 BST
June 27, 2026
2026 Newport Bermuda Race © Daniel Forster
Tonight, the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race will come to a close with the Prize Giving Ceremony hosted at Bermuda's Government House.
This year's historic race saw a nearly record breaking line honors time, an increased community presence on both sides of the rhumb line, and an incredible amount of camaraderie and shared passion for offshore sailing.
The race's most prestigious prize, the St. David's Lighthouse Trophy, went to Cal 40 Nicole, owned and skippered by Thomas Campbell for winning the St. David's Lighthouse Division overall title. Line honors—meaning the first boat to finish the race—as well as the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy and division title was secured by the largest boat in the race, Remon Vos' 100 foot maxi yacht Black Jack 100. The yacht came within less than one hour of breaking the race's time record set in 2016. More on these and other division winners can be found below.
"I am so happy to see the enthusiasm from sailors and fans for this year's race," said Race Chair Andrew Kallfelz, who sailed aboard his boat Safir skippered by his wife Julie. "The aggressive conditions made for an exciting race, and I am glad to have been out there—especially with no drama on the course."
For 120 years, the Bermuda Race has been a premier offshore sailing regatta known for its challenging conditions and infamous Gulf Stream crossing. This edition of the race marked a century of partnership between the Cruising Club of America (CCA) and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) to organize this iconic event—one of the longest-running partnerships in international offshore racing.
"Celebrating 100 years of partnership with RBYC in Bermuda has been absolutely incredible. This race holds so much history and is of such significance to so many sailors, families, and sailing enthusiasts and the CCA could not be more proud to play a role in its continued success," CCA Commodore Chace Anderson said. "The Newport Bermuda Race is truly the embodiment of adventurous use of the sea."
"Hosting the sailors of the Newport Bermuda Race fleet every two years is a major honor for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club," added RBYC Commodore Hal Kempe. "This year has been especially meaningful because of the century of partnership between our clubs. Thank you to all the sailors who have come to our corner of the world, and congratulations on completing this incredible race."
In celebration of this milestone, the Bermuda Race this year expanded its reach to sailing fans both new and seasoned. In both Newport and Bermuda, a brand new Bermuda Race Gazette was distributed to thousands of readers by local publications Newport This Week and The Royal Gazette. For the second time, the race followed a course lengthened by one mile with a starting line at Newport's Fort Adams. Also for the second time, the Fort played home to what is becoming one of North America sailing's most anticipated spectator events: The Newport Bermuda Race Starting Line Festival.
The coverage and accessibility of the race was more expansive than ever, beginning with the Starting Line Live Show Powered by Ørsted. More than 12,000 viewers tuned in live to see the action and get expert commentary on the race from hosts Andy Green and Tucker Thompson, as well as insights from other guests. The replay of the show is available to view on the Bermuda Race YouTube channel. Coverage continued as the fleet made its crossing with the first-of-its-kind Gulf Stream Show Powered by Palm Beach Motor Yachts, which provided offshore interviews and updates with sailors, as well as additional expert commentary and information, all hosted by Bermuda Race On Board Reporter Lauren Zike. Five episodes of the Gulf Stream Show followed the fleet from their first full day at sea through their docking at RBYC in Hamilton. The episodes are posted at BermudaRace.com/Show.
This year's race will be remembered for its particularly tumultuous conditions and as one of the fastest approaches to and through the Gulf Stream. The fleet headed out to open waters after a series of sporty starts on Friday, June 19. The fastest boats in the fleet darted across the Gulf Stream and arrived on the Onion Patch—as Bermuda is lovingly known—between the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, June 21 and the evening of Monday, June 22. Black Jack 100 arrived first at St. David's Lighthouse just before 1:00 a.m. EDT Sunday with an elapsed time of one day, 11 hours, 26 minutes and 46 seconds.
Back at sea, the majority of the fleet was slowed by a high pressure system depleting their only source of power—the wind—between the Gulf Stream and Bermuda on Monday. However, when the breeze filled in, a parade of boats came streaming past St. David's Lighthouse and crossed the finish line on Tuesday, June 22, with more than 100 arriving before day's end. Wednesday morning saw the final arrivals and by noon that day all competing yachts were safely in port.
As is tradition, family and friends of sailors welcomed them back to land one after another throughout the week on the docks of RBYC with a tray of Goslings Dark 'N Stormies, beaming smiles, and many hugs.
Out of a fleet of just under 150 boats, only six retired early. All boats and crews reported they are safe and sound and have since made their way back to land.
As in past editions of the race, boats in the fleet were divided into divisions, each governed by specific rules regarding participants and equipment. These divisions have been further subdivided into classes based on handicap ratings. In 2026 there were five divisions: St. David's Lighthouse Division (eight classes), Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division (two classes), Finisterre Division (three classes), Double-Handed Division (two classes), and Spirit of Tradition Division (1 class). In addition to overall division winners, each class within a division has its own winner and prize.
St. David's Lighthouse Division
The St. David's Lighthouse division is the largest division, with nearly 60% of the fleet competing for the iconic trophy modeled after the red-and-white lighthouse which sits above the race's finish line. With no overall race winner, this is considered the top prize amongst the awarded trophies. The division limits the number of professional sailors onboard, and only amateurs may drive.
A close battle for the top spot was ultimately won by Nicole. "Nicole is fast and efficient. I have a wonderful crew," remarked owner and skipper Thomas Campbell. "My goal with the program is to provide a boat that is safe, seaworthy, and sound, and that we can sail hard. We didn't have one glitch in our program on the race course. What we did this race was an evolution: we had a plan and it changed right from the beginning."
Placing second in the division's overall standings was the McCurdy & Rhodes 38 Selkie skippered and owned by Bermuda Race legend Sheila McCurdy. This is McCurdy's third time in the number two spot in this race and she has now completed 22 Bermuda Races. In the fall, McCurdy will be inducted into the Bermuda Race Roll of Honor.
Rounding out the St. David's Lighthouse podium was Towhee, a Cal 40 skippered and owned by Paul Jennings.
Though they did not take the overall division title, Alexander Mehran's Gesture, a Sparkman & Stephens sloop captured first place in Class 3. Eighty years ago in the first Bermuda Race following the Second World War, this boat won the St. David's Lighthouse Trophy. A restoration of Gesture, completed in 2023 was carried out with another Thrash To The Onion Patch in mind. "It has been so cool to be sailing the boat in conditions that it was designed for and returning it to Bermuda's waters," said skipper Max Petrushonis.
Gibbs Hill Light House Division
The Gibbs Hill Division is the no-holds-barred category, with no limits on crew composition or sail inventory. These are the thoroughbreds of the fleet—high-performance programs often competing for Line Honors, awarded to the first boat to cross the finish line. The overall winner of this division is awarded the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy.
Both Line Honors and the overall division title went to Black Jack 100, skippered by Tristan Le Brun and owned by Remon Vos. Speaking to The Royal Gazette, Le Brun said, "You can never be sad if you executed the race properly, which we did. It was extra exciting that this was the first time for the boat and the crew to do this race. It's always nice to discover a new area of the world, a new weather system, a new dynamic and new people."
Bill McKinley's brand new Mills 58 Denali 4 finished second in the division and Jesse Fielding and D. Greenstein's Mills 68 Space Monkey rounded out the podium in third.
Finisterre Division (Formerly Cruising Class)
Formerly known as the Cruising Class, the Finisterre Division pays homage to Carleton Mitchell's famed yacht Finisterre, which won three Bermuda Races in the 1950s. Despite the name, these are far from casual cruisers. The division simply limits sail inventory and prohibits professional crew, offering a competitive platform for Corinthian—or amateur—teams. The overall winner is awarded the Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy.
Taking the top spot in Finisterre was Argyll, a Hinckley SW 48 owned and skippered by Christopher Burnham. "It was just an amazing race, really four races rolled into one. We roared down the line Friday and Saturday, caught an eddy at just the right moment, never were without some wind, and then matched raced the final day against our sister ship, Northeast Wind," commented Burnham. "I also had an exceptional team—all of us from the Gibson Island Yacht Squadron, so we've been together for over two years and, as we say in the Marines, we're now a hardened and well tested combat team!"
Second place went to the 2024 Finisterre champion Northeast Wind, a Hinckley 48 sloop belonging to Frank Sobchak. In third position for the division was Soren Schroder's Bristol 477 Elixir.
Double-Handed Division
The Double-Handed Division has grown in popularity recently and represents one of the race's most demanding challenges: completing the crossing with just two sailors onboard. While every offshore race is a test of endurance and mental fortitude, those stakes are raised in double-handed sailing.
Victorious in that challenge this year were Tony Giarratana and Paul Kanev aboard Giarratana's Hinckley SW 52 Bella. "Winning the double-handed class and division was special, particularly given the skill and experience of the other sailors. In preparation, we studied all available weather and gulf stream data." said Giarratana. "We worked to keep Bella moving through the night and in light breeze. It helped that Paul and I have sister ships and raced together many times the past 10 years."
Joining Bella's crew on the podium were Michael Kohler and Douglas Britton aboard the J/99 Eventyr in second and Kyle Wishart and John Plominski on J/40 Artemisia in third.
Sailors who cannot get enough of the Gulf Stream are now gearing up for the 2026 Bermuda Short Handed Return co-organized by New York Yacht Club, the CCA, and RBYC, starting on Sunday June 28. This race runs back to Newport from Bermuda and is now in its third edition.
Spirit of Tradition
This year one very recognizable boat stood on its own in the Spirit of Tradition Division. The Bermuda Sloop Foundation's Spirit of Bermuda is the national tall ship of Bermuda and returned to the race for the first time since 2022. Built in 2006 and designed by Newport naval architect Bill Langan, the boat's hull shape is adapted from Royal Navy Shamrock-class patrol boats and carries the famed "Bermuda" rig, which originated on the coastal Bermuda sloops of the 18th and 19th centuries.
"Completing the Newport Bermuda Race marks a pivotal milestone for the Spirit of Bermuda following a period of significant operational challenges. Our successful relaunch and presence at the finish line are a direct result of the steadfast backing of our donors, stakeholders, and the broader Newport Bermuda Race community," said skipper Mario Swainson. "I commend the crew for their professionalism and seamanship during the race. We look forward to participating in many more Bermuda Races for years to come."
The announcement of final results was delayed to allow for redress hearings and an international jury decision regarding the re-scoring of the race after an error was discovered in preliminary results. US Sailing published a statement addressing software-related issue affecting the corrected-time calculations.
"We appreciate the patience, professionalism, and sportsmanship shown by the fleet throughout the investigation of this issue," said Race Vice Chair Patti Young. "The competitors are who we serve in our efforts and the race would not exist without their passion and enthusiasm for the sport."
Photos from throughout the race and surrounding festivities are available to view at Photos.BermudaRace.com. Instructions have been posted on that page for those interested in purchasing photos. Photos from the Prize Giving Ceremony will be available for view and purchase in the coming days.
The 2026 Newport Bermuda Race has certainly been a regatta for the history books. Thank you once again to all the fans, sailors, volunteers, and team members who made the 54th edition a success. The next Newport Bermuda Race is set to take place in June of 2028.
bermudarace.com