Photo: Stephen Cloutier

Nearly two years of preparation and anticipation have set the stage for the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race, featuring a fleet of more than 150 boats, a celebration of 100 years of collaboration, and a deeper connection to the communities on both sides of the Gulf Stream. Now the starting line is in sight for the 1400 sailors who will be taking on the 54th edition of the Thrash to The Onion Patch.

This historic edition of the race has brought together a roster of competing yachts that includes eye-catching modern cruisers, legendary past winners, and some of today’s most famous racing boats. As always, crews will be a mix of professional and amateur sailors from across the globe. Both pre- and post-race festivities in Newport and Bermuda will be a veritable who’s who of the sailing world.

As always, the St. David’s Lighthouse division is stacked with talent competing for the eponymous trophy. Carina and Hound will rehash their 2024 neck-and-neck battle to the finish line. Crazy Horse features a crew of youth sailors who have cut their teeth in a successful 2025 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race campaign. In the Gibbs Hill Division, the 100-foot maxi yacht Black Jack 100 has its sights set on breaking the current race record held by Comanche.

Northeast Wind seeks to defend its 2024 Finisterre Division title, while competitors Thunderhead and Running Tide make historic returns to the Bermuda Race. Showcasing the ultimate challenge of shorthanded sailing, the Double-Handed Division features several Class 40s—purpose-built for short-handed offshore racing—such as Scowling Dragon, co-skippered by accomplished solo sailor Michael Hennessey.

Final preparations for these and all boats in the fleet are currently underway, as they are coming off the hard for the season or making their way from warmer waters up to the Northeast. The dedication and sweat equity that the race requires is on full display this spring. To ensure his team makes it to the start, Dave Taylor is driving his boat Hissy Fit II up the East Coast himself on a rented tractor trailer.

The race’s defining feature, the Gulf Stream, is proving to live up to its infamous unpredictability. The current’s meander in the 2024 acted like a moving walkway, boosting the fleet’s speed on its crossing. Weather experts noted on this month’s Gulf Stream Webinar that the meanders in the current have been changing frequently lately, which could make for especially exciting conditions come race time.

This year, it’s easier than ever to follow the fleet during the Bermuda Race! Will you be in Newport on June 19th? Join us at Fort Adams for the Starting Line festival for the best view of the action. Can’t make it? Tune into our Starting Line Live Show Powered By Ørsted for expert commentary and in depth coverage of the start broadcast on BermudaRace.com and YouTube. For the first time ever, get daily updates from the rhumb line with the Gulf Stream Show Powered by Palm Beach Motor Yachts, featuring interviews directly from competitors in the race. Track the fleet in real time with the Palm Beach Motor Yachts Race Tracker.

Don’t forget to follow the Bermuda Race on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop. Share your race content with us by using #BermudaRace.

See you at the starting line!