Newport Race crews rest and recover from weekend’s exertions
Sailors cleaned boats, aired out gear and relaxed with cold drinks in the sun yesterday after completing the Newport to Bermuda race.The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club was full of sailors and spectators, with the majority of the entrants having completed the race by yesterday afternoon.Tanner Rose, captain of Glide, completed the race around 7am.“This is my fifth Bermuda race, but the first time on a boat I’m responsible for,” Mr Rose said. “We’re delighted to be here.”Mr Rose purchased the 42-foot boat last spring after the death of its previous owner, Admiral Henry Morgan.Previously named Dolphin, the sailboat has been in every Newport to Bermuda race since 2000.Owen Smith, a Glide crew member, sat arranging the 46 signal flags.The flags are supposed to be flown in a particular order from bow to stern, “otherwise it’s a shocking breach of flag etiquette,” Mr Smith said.Many sailors who have participated in the race before commented on the quickness of the trip compared to past years.“We actually did it in a day less than we did it before,” said Jerry Burnham, who has done the race twice before. Mr Burnham arrived Monday around 4pm aboard the Corby 41.5 Nasty Medicine.Some sailors aren’t just in the race for sport or adventure, such as the crew of the US Navy sailboat Defiance.“This is part of our professional training,” Nick Tucker said. “We’re all going to be officers.”This year was Mr Tucker’s first time in the Newport to Bermuda race.He and the rest of Defiance’s crew crossed the finish line Monday evening, earning second place in their class.Gus Koste, captain of Regatta, said it was a fun race despite facing some technical difficulties at the beginning, including the failure of their wind instruments.“It was a very quick ride through the Gulf Stream,” Harry Seemans, another Regatta sailor, said. “We just tried to keep ourselves moving.”Previously based in Maryland, Regatta will be changing ownership to become a Bermuda-based boat now that it has finished the race.Jim Callahan, while cleaning equipment with fellow Morpheus crew member Brian Comfort, summed up his Newport to Bermuda race experience.“The wind was at the right angle the whole time,” Mr Callahan said. “We had a great time out there.”