Max, owned and skippered by Moritz Hilf, leads the fleet in the Annapolis to Bermuda Race and is on course to be the first vessel to reach the island.

As of yesterday afternoon, the Pogo 50 vessel was slightly less than 83 nautical miles away from Bermuda to lead both the overall fleet as well as the ORC class.

Tenacious USNA, skippered by Meade Tolen and Keegan Steele is in second place overall, with 138 nautical miles of the journey left, but leads the PHRF 1 class, ahead of a closely bunched pack of vessels which includes Jane Says, Pursuit and Kaja.

Not all vessels have enjoyed a smooth start to the 22nd edition of the race with notable special guest entrant Pride of Baltimore II, captained by Jan Miles, enduring difficulties shortly after the start of the race.

The 156-foot topsail schooner’s refrigeration system completely shut down, forcing skipper Miles to signal to race organisers that they were withdrawing from the race. However, a quick on-the-water repair was possible, and the vessel to rejoin the fleet for the offshore portion.

Meanwhile, another notable entrant Graybeard, skippered by Clarke McKinney, has been forced to withdraw. The Class 40 monohull, especially designed for short-handed offshore sailing, had been expected to challenge for honours prior t the race.

The Annapolis to Bermuda Race has marked its return after a four-year wait. Eastport Yacht Club officials were forced to cancel the 2020 running of the biennial race because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the closing of Bermuda’s borders the major contributing factor behind the decision.

This year’s event set sail on Saturday, with 29 boats attempting to to race 753 miles down the Chesapeake Bay and on to Bermuda. It typically takes five to seven days for most sailors, barring any significant weather or lack of wind. Racers are due to make landfall in the coming days.