News & Events | Noticias y Eventos

Newport to Bermuda race

Highlights from this year’s start

Photos by NANCY BLOOM

The 12 Metre Yacht Club Gives Back Race for Ukraine Raises $20,000

Text & Photos by NANCY BLOOM

The 2022 Race for Ukraine, hosted by the 12 Metre Yacht Club (Newport. Rhode Island), provided a fundraising platform that supported the people of Ukraine. A total of $20,000 was raised for medical supplies for the people of Ukraine. The race, open to all sailboats with PHRF ratings, was championed by Steve Eddleston, Commodore of the 12 Metre Yacht Club and owner of America Cup’s winning 12mR yacht Weatherly. Donations to Ukraine were made through Heart to Heart International (HHI), a global humanitarian organization whose mission is to improve healthcare access around the world by ensuring quality care is provided equitably in medically underresourced communities and in disaster situations around the world. Ida Lewis Yacht Club (ILYC) and Bristol Yacht Club (BYC) provided simultaneous race starts at each end of Narragansett Bay. The Herreshoff Marine Museum (HHM) acted as the Organizing Authority, registering and scoring all entries. The International Twelve Metre Association (ITMA) also supported this event.

2022 Safe Harbor

Race Weekend Overall, Amazing

Photos by NANCY BLOOM

Sixty-two teams in 11 classes competed in the second annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island. The regatta’s fun meter seemed always to be pegged at max, whether at official social functions or dockside minglings at the three host venues: Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard, Safe Harbor New England Boatworks, and Safe Harbor Jamestown Boatyard. Predicting frustratingly light air on Friday, the Race Committee wisely moved up the racing by one hour from a scheduled noon start; however, the planned windward/leeward buoy racing for the IC37s had to be cancelled completely while an Around

Prudence Island race that started for all other Division 1 classes had to be shortened to two-thirds of its original length. Division 1 sailed their regatta on Narragansett Bay, while Division 2, comprised of two classes for Superyachts, sailed theirs “outside” – just beyond the Bay’s entrance on Rhode Island Sound. In a more solid breeze there, the Superyachts completed a 15-mile navigator’s race on Friday, just fine. Division 2 was a spectacle of racing. The majestic 91-foot custom yawl Bequia might have been the most visually arresting of the Superyachts competing at the Safe Harbor Race Weekend had it not been for the equally magnificent profiles of six other Superyachts that, along with Bequia, comprised the event’s Division 2. Aesthetics aside, Bequia turned in the finest performance over three navigator’s races to win the Superyacht B class and take overall honors for the division. Winning Superyacht A was the 76’ sloop Zemphira. “We took advantage of collective local knowledge aboard and were able to tack quickly and go into places where some of the other Superyachts didn’t want to go,” said Bequia’s tactician Mike Toppa (Newport, R.I.). “Overall, it was a fantastic regatta. The Race Committee did a nice job, modifying the schedule based on the wind forecasts and giving us good, high-quality racing. As for the shoreside hospitality, we enjoyed it all… the morning breakfast, the big parties on Friday and Saturday nights, the Awards on Sunday… everyone was happy and there was lots of food, music and fun…you couldn’t have asked for more.”

For more information on Safe Harbor Race Weekend and daily releases/full results, visit https://shmarinas.com/safe-harborrace-weekend/.

TIWAL 3R, THE SUPERCHARGED INFLATABLE DINGHY CARRIED IN BAGS

Having sold more than 2,000 of its inflatable sailing dinghies worldwide, Tiwal is now launching the Tiwal 3R, its new sport dinghy. This is a technical and compact boat for serious sailors. Easy to assemble, it’s on the water in just 25 minutes. And it can be taken anywhere, in the back of the car... The mix chosen by the R&D team makes the Tiwal 3R a powerful and sporty sailboat, but also one that’s technically and physically accessible. Emmanuel Bertrand, President and Co-founder: “The Tiwal 3R’s performance is close to that of rigid-hulled sailing dinghies, but it’s easier to access. It planes quickly. Its power allows it to play with the water, ride the waves, and make long runs with fast, consistent speed. It’s a pleasure to get the boat going in the groove and to finetrim the rig for optimal performance”. The boat gets its power from the rig. For the sails (77sq ft or 67 sq ft), the R&D team and North Sails went for a laminated fabric from offshore racing. The mast and boom are 90% carbon, contributing to the responsiveness of the boat. All the sail controls return to the helmsman on each side of the boat and offer a great finesse for trimming. The boat is also light, with a total weight of 121 lbs. The Tiwal 3R’s inflatable hull gives the sailing dinghy an amazing rigidity, with its fusion material in conjunction with the aluminum exoskeleton. The daggerboard and rudder are made in composite material, and highlight the overall rigidity of the boat. The result? A behavior similar to that of a rigid boat, while keeping its compact functionality for transport. Marion Excoffon, the boat’s designer adds: “Close your eyes and you can compare it to a rigidhulled dinghy. Open them, it fits in 2 bags!”

IN BRIEF

Book Reviews

Three great boating books by Bloomsbury Publishing. www.bloomsbury.com/US

Heavy Weather Sailing – 8th Edition

By Martin Thomas and Peter Bruce

Expert sailors share their experiences of the open waters in extreme weather in this updated edition to help you navigate the challenging seas and to help protect you and your crew during any voyage. In this newly updated Eighth Edition, you will find: Even more tips and tricks to help prevent, cope, and navigate challenging seas Miraculous stories from expert sailors about battling dangerous winds and storms conditions that highlight lessons on handling treacherous scenarios Advice from a retired surgeon and author, Martin Thomas, on how to stay calm during medical emergencies at sea and ways to prevent injuries This thrilling handbook will not only provide sailors with the knowledge to properly prepare for a voyage but includes fascinating tales of extraordinary sailors and how they survived deadly storms. $55.00

Skippers Cockpit Guide

Instant Facts and Practical Hints for Boaters: US Edition By Bo Streiffert

Invaluable for experienced sailors as an aide-memoire, as well as for beginners and students, this essential quick-reference guide covers a wide range of topics such as seamarks, buoyage, pilotage, lights, boat handling, anchoring and mooring, ropes and knots, heavy weather sailing, man overboard, grounding, fire aboard, distress signals and VHF radio. The splashproof pages and spiral binding enable it to stand up to the demanding marine environment. This North American edition covers the IALA-B Buoyage System. $16.20

The Complete Ocean Skipper

Deep Water Voyaging, Navigation and Yacht Management By Tom Cunliffe

The essential reference for anyone interested in offshore sailing and ocean passages. Following on from his bestselling The Complete Day Skipper and The Complete Yachtmaster, yachting legend Tom Cunliffe turns his attentions to the third strand of the RYA syllabus. With the same hugely popular, highly practical approach, The Complete Ocean Skipper covers everything a sailor needs to know when planning and preparing for an offshore cruise or ocean passage: - Preparation: types of suitable boat, choice of rig, engine power, safety equipment, communication systems, crew preparation - On passage: ocean weather systems, forecasting, deck routines, watchkeeping, self-steering, emergencies, heavy weather techniques - Ocean navigation: electronic as well as celestial The second edition of this definitive handbook is fully updated, with new and revised content on multihulls, autopilots, radar, anchoring and software. $45.00