Black Jack 100 Collects Line Honors, Narrowly Misses Race Record

In the wee hours of Sunday morning, Tristan Le Brun’s Black Jack 100 crossed the finish line under St. David’s Lighthouse. The seasoned crew finished their Thrash to the Onion Patch with a time of one day, 11 hours, 26 minutes, 46 seconds—one of the fastest in the races history and less than one hour behind the 2016 record set by Comanche.

“You can never be sad if you executed the race properly, which we did,” LeBrun told the Royal Gazette’s Ross Clarke. “It was extra exciting that this was the first time for the boat and the crew to do this race. It’s always nice to discover a new area of the world, a new weather system, a new dynamic and new people.” You can read Clarke’s full report on the finish on the Royal Gazette website.

As is tradition, CCA Commodore Chace Anderson and RBYC Commodore Hal Kemp presented the boat with two bottles of champagne and a tray of Dark ‘N Stormies on the RBYC docks after Black Jack motored its way to Hamilton.

Also crossing the finish line on Sunday were Space Monkey, Denali 4, OC 86, and Il Mostro. Velocity is projected to reach the finish in the closing minutes of the day, and several yachts will be passing St. David’s during the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning.

More updates and details are available in today’s episode of The Gulf Stream Show Powered by Palm Beach Motor Yachts! Today, On-Board Reporter Lauren Zike checks in with the crew of Hound as they work through the changing conditions, catches up with the Willauer family aboard Breezing Up to talk about family traditions and generations of Bermuda Race memories, and meets the Argentine crew of Lykke as they take on their first Newport Bermuda Race.

Plus, legendary sailor and navigator Stan Honey shares his insight on strategy, routing, and the decisions that can make all the difference on the final approach to Bermuda.

From sunrise at sea to stories from across the fleet, Episode 2 captures the challenge, camaraderie, and magic of racing through the Gulf Stream.

We asked and you answered! Here are more incredible pictures from the rhumb line, submitted by crew to BermudaRace.com/Upload.