One Year to Go: Entries Open for 2020 Race Today
A Quick Guide to Entering the Race has been posted to assist Captains with the process.
Entries for the 2020 Newport Bermuda Race opened today at 1300, Newport time, via the race website’s Sailgate entry portal. (Read the press release.) The early entry process is part of sustained effort by organizers to streamline and simplify the entry process.
“Allowing Captains to enter the 2020 race up to a year ahead of time will allow them to tick off all the important boxes well in advance as they prepare for the race,” says Jay Gowell, Chairman of the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee. “As those who have done the race know well, preparation is a key to success in this unique offshore test.”
To aid Captains entering the race, a new Quick Guide to Entering the Race with SailGate has been posted. It includes guidance for first-timers as well as instructions on how to invite Crew to register, and provides detail as a supplement to the Competitor’s Guide released early this year.
North Sails Returns as Newport Bermuda Race Official Performance Partner
Top sailmaker North Sails joined forces with the Bermuda Race fleet in 2018 and has officially renewed its support as the official Performance Partner in 2020, as announced in this week’s press release. The leading sailmaker will again host their popular series of offshore performance seminars at lofts on the east coast, beginning in the fall. Sign up here if you're thinking of racing.
Video Series introduces the race and explains qualification processes
New videos by race organizers have been released this spring to describe the race’s process for entry crew qualifications. Bermuda Race Organizing Committee member Andrew Kallfelz offers insight into what’s involved in filing an entry (below) and member Hank Halsted explains how organizers review and assist in the Bermuda Race Qualifying Process.
Race Links to Two Online Platforms to Match Boats and Crews
New for the 2020, Newport Bermuda Race organizers team up with a pair of online platforms to help sailors, skippers, and race boats connect.
In the past, the Crew-Finder page has been a popular section of the Bermudarace.com, as crews anxious to do the race have posted their details and skippers short of crew have looked for the right match. For 2020, in an attempt to improve the service, the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee is working with two online platforms, RailMeets.com and Tendrr.co, which have begun to gain a foothold in the race markets in U.S. and Europe, respectively.
Skipper and crews sign up for sites individually and maintain their own profiles and can modify or delete them at any time. Postings made through these sites are governed by their privacy policies. For special links to each site, visit the Crew-Finder.
Special Rate: Subscribe to Seahorse Magazine
For 2020, race sailors and fans may take advantage of a special offer from Seahorse magazine, which covers offshore racing internationally. Subscribe at a preferred subscription rate—renewals included—and look for the Bermuda Race story in the August issue.
Sign up for Competitor Bulletins:
If you're considering sailing in the next race as a skipper or crew, enter your email address in the footer on this page and select the second option. If you'd like to receive less-frequent Newport Bermuda Race newsletter, select the first option.
How to Win the Bermuda Race
From the race archives, this classic article by John Rousmaniere offers guidance on sailing the race successfully with descriptions of many ways it’s been won in the past. More
