Dear Sailors,
As anticipation grows for the 50th Thrash to the Onion Patch, we are pleased to report a few exciting developments in this race:
The Notice of Race is now available on the race website's Official Notice Board . Responses to common questions and highlights of the Notice of Race's changes will be posted on the race website's FAQ page soon.
Registration for the CCA's March 19-20, 2016 Safety-at-Sea Seminar in Newport, RI is open online at this link.
Brewer Yacht Yards, the Official Boat Preparation Resource of the race, will be hosting a Race Preparation Seminar at Pilots Point Marina in Westbrook, CT on November 7.
A Super Yacht Division has been created in response to competitor interest. Additional pre-entry expressions of interest are most welcome and helpful.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at one of the email addresses listed at the bottom of this bulletin if you have any questions.
We look forward to seeing you on the starting line on June 17, 2016.
Kind regards,
A. J. Evans
Chairman
Bermuda Race Organizing Committee
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CCA/Bermuda Race Safety at Sea Seminar
March 19-20, 2016
Marriott Hotel, Newport, RI
This seminar addresses the needs of participants in the 2016 Newport Bermuda Race.
A minimum of 30% of all crew members shall have attended a US Sailing-sanctioned safety at sea seminar within five years of the start of the race. The captain and either the navigator or a watch captain must be included in the required 30%. In addition, two members of each crew must hold a First Aid/CPR certificate. (In 2018 the race will require two crew in each boat to have ISAF certification.)
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Brewer's Race Preparation Seminar in Westbrook
November 7, 2015
Pilots Point Marina, Westbrook, CT
There's still time and space to register for the third Race Preparation Seminar presented by Brewer Yacht Yards, the Official Boat Preparation Resource of the Newport Bermuda Race.
In response to expressions of interest from owners and captains of yachts over 90' on deck, the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee has created a Super Yacht Division.
The Super Yacht Division will sail under some rules that are different from the rest of the fleet, and on a different rhumb line. For example, the Super Yacht Division will have:
- a staggered start at a different time, for safety;
- a course that leaves Block Island and Bermuda to port (rather than starboard); and
- some variations in the Safety Requirements where they conflict with the yacht's classification society's or flag state's regulations.
In keeping with the race's commitment to science based handicapping, the Super Yacht Division will be scored using the International Super Yacht Rule, which uses the same VPP as ORR.
To avoid confusion, the Super Yacht Division's exceptions are listed in the Notice of Race's Addendum A.
Owners or captains of super yachts with a minimum length on deck of 90' should contact John Winder at [email protected] for more information or to express interest.
