Jonathan Brewin is relishing his role as chairman of the Newport Bermuda Race. The former Royal Bermuda Yacht Club commodore is the first Bermudian to be appointed as chairman of the prestigious race, whose origins date back to 1906.

As chairman, Brewin is responsible for the overall co-ordination of the next event in 2018 and sees his new role as an “exciting challenge” as well as a means of “giving something back” to a sport he is deeply passionate about.

“I did my first race in 1982 and along the way I have done a few,” Brewin said. “Then when I became a junior flag officer for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, I got involved with the administration of the race as well as competing in it and I recognised it was a tremendous way of giving something back to the sport I love.

“However, I was also aware that no one from the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club had ever been in a position to chair and organise the race, which I feel is something we should be doing.”

Brewin was appointed as chairman by the commodores of the Cruising Club of America and RBYC in June.

“I stood in as the acting chairman for the last race and felt that this was something that I could actually help with, so they selected me,” he said.

In the short time Brewin has been in the post, he has overseen the appointment of the 18-member 2018 Bermuda Race Organising Committee and commenced orientation of the new committee chairmen to their roles and development of a strategy based on a survey from the previous race.

“Being involved with such a prestigious race and co-ordinating the activities of more than 200 extremely talented volunteers is an exciting challenge,” Brewin said.

“Those volunteers are all accountable to about 15 different heads of different committees, so it’s actually working with the senior Bermuda Race Organising Committee.”

Serving as race chairman has not come without sacrifice, as the veteran of ten Newport Bermuda Races has been ruled out of the next event because of his heavy workload.

• Strong gales postponed day two of the Aspen Viper 640 International Championship presented by EFG in the Great Sound yesterday.

Zeke Horowitz, of the United States, is the overall leader, while Somers Kempe, the Bermuda Viper Class executive and race chairman, leads the local contingent and is tenth overall.

The regatta features teams from North America, Europe, Australia and Bermuda, and is running concurrent with the first Viper 640 North American Championship to be held here.

Yesterday’s adverse conditions also forced postponement of the opening races of the Autumn Bacardi Keelboat Regatta, also being contested in the Great Sound.

The regatta features international and local sailors competing in the J105, Etchells and IOD fleets.