Competitor Bulletin #6: Important Entry Deadlines, Crew Requirements, Starting Information, and Wind Farms
We hope you are continuing to enjoy our monthly Race Newsletters. These Competitor Bulletins are full of condensed information pertinent to 2024 participants and your attention to detail ensures a smooth sailing experience.
You can receive these updates in your inbox directly by subscribing here: Bermuda Race Newsletter.
Captains / Entry managers: You can see your division eligibility by signing into the entry system and selecting: Racing/My Race Entries/Manage/Tasks, and you can see specific crew categorizations and the status of other crew related requirements by viewing the ‘Crew Checklist’.
Questions? [email protected].
The starting area off Fort Adams is new for the Bermuda Race and sailors are encouraged to think ahead about their strategy and tactics. A draft schematic of the starting area is attached. This drawing is for information purposes only and approximates what to expect on race day. Here are some considerations that may be helpful in your thinking about race day.
At the end of this month on April 24 at 7pm, we will host a webinar with North Sails and Charlie Enright to discuss the starting area in more detail, as well as considerations that may inform your starting tactics, such as:
Pre-registration required for the link and the recording will be published after.
Since the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race, 12 wind turbines (South Fork Wind) have been installed between Nantucket and Montauk, just west of the rhumb line to Bermuda. Many additional turbines (Revolution Wind Project) are planned to be under construction during June 2024 in a nearby large area that includes the rhumb line to Bermuda. Depending on weather conditions at the start of the race some of the fleet may be transiting these areas during a period of low visibility.
We are in close coordination with Ørsted, the wind farm developer. Depending on the location of Ørsted’s construction activities at the time of the race, we may establish an exclusion zone to route the fleet away from construction vessels. Information to inform a decision about an exclusion zone will likely not be available until mid-May. If an exclusion zone is instituted it will be detailed in the Sailing Instructions. Note that it is expected that all competitors will have up-to-date charts, tools, systems, and skills to safely navigate through an area of constructed and charted wind turbines.
Ørsted has prepared and maintains a publicly accessible description and status of their construction projects including access to downloadable files of waypoints representing installed, under construction, and planned turbine locations. Additionally, Orsted offers a subscription to a regular email notice of their construction activities.
Regardless of a potential exclusion zone, all competitors are urged to:
Gear up for the Bermuda Race with top-quality crew apparel
Helly Hansen Newport and Team One Newport are standing by to take your crew gear orders. Whether you're a seasoned sailor preparing for the ultimate challenge, part of a dedicated crew, or a passionate race fan, explore our curated collection to kit out yourself and your team with the best in performance and style.
Looking for a place to stay in Newport?
Located on Newport Harbor at America’s Cup Boulevard, Hammetts Hotel is like nothing else on the Newport waterfront. Born of the desire to forge the working history of the wharf into the very pulse of Newport, Hammetts has focused on becoming part of the fabric of this community, gracefully inviting visiting and local sailors and their friends to the latest venue of the Newport community.
Don't have to wait until June to visit Newport!
Newport is more than a summer town! Thanks to our Official Sponsor, Discover Newport, has created a list of things to do in Newport in the Springtime! There are plenty of family-friendly activities around town, including Daffodil Days, the NEW Save The Bay Hamilton Family Aquarium, and The Sailing Museum
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