Sailors prepare for second leg of 1-2
Murray Danforth on his Beneteau Flying II, Flying Turtle, won the single-handed leg of the Bermuda 1-2 Race from Newport, Rhode Island.The 29-boat fleet, which started the annual race last week, all made the 635-mile crossing and are moored at the St. George’s Dinghy and Sports Club.Included in the fleet are four Mini 6.5 boats, considered the smallest ocean racing yachts in the world, some measuring only 21 feet.Roy Guay, the event chairman, said a boat from the Charleston to Bermuda Race would join the fleet for the doubled-handed leg back to Newport next Thursday.“All the boats are in and they will head back at noon next Thursday,” said Guay.“They will all be getting a crew person to show up and will sail back double-handed. There will actually be 30 boats going back to Newport as one of the Charleston to Bermuda fleet is joining us. He’s up in Hamilton right now.”Guay said competitors were scored independently for the single-handed leg to Bermuda and the double-handed leg to Newport. The scores would then be combined to determine the overall winner.“The boats are scored for the leg down and the leg up,” Guay explained. “They are also scored for a combined event; there will be three sets of trophies.”