Photo: Stephen Cloutier

The origins of the Bermuda Race are rooted in the idea that amateur sailors can take on the challenge of offshore racing. For 120 years, the Bermuda Race has been a living testament to the art of seamanship and has proven year after year that sharp sailing skills do not require the title of professional. The race’s Corinthian spirit is most visibly on display in the Finisterre Division, formerly known as the cruising class.

The Finisterre Division is reserved for boats with mostly amateur crew. There are limits on the number and type of sails that competing yachts can carry on their crossing. However, this does not make the competition any less stiff or taking on the challenge of the race any less impressive. Because of its Corinthian emphasis, crews in Finisterre are often made up of families and close friends who have bonded together over their passion for and ability in offshore sailing. 

In 2024, the division was won by Frank Sobchak’s Hinckley 48 Sloop Northeast Wind. “I bought the boat with the express goal of sailing and training for the Newport Bermuda Race,” says Sobchak. He notes that Northeast Wind is a natural fit for the Finisterre Division and remembers that when his team was handed the trophy in 2024, the hull shape looked like that of his boat. “One of my crewmates has said that sailing Northeast Wind is like driving a nice old Cadillac over country roads. The boat handles the rough stuff well.”

Sobchak’s crew two years ago was put together by a close friend from his time in the Army who shared his passion for sailing. About half of them are returning for the 2026 race. According to Sobchak, the Finisterre Division and the race in general are special because of the camaraderie and focus that is fostered amongst the crew. “It’s a good sense of accomplishment to push the boat to the limit and to see the team work together. You can’t fake it with Newport Bermuda, you need the discipline to succeed.”

For 17-year-old Oliver Lee, 2026 will be his first “Thrash to The Onion Patch”. However Thunderhead, the Phillip L. Rhodes-designed sloop he will be aboard, is making a return to the race for the first time in 60 years. “We are competitive, but we also want to do the race for the experience and to have fun together,” Lee says. The high school senior has been managing Thunderhead for the past year for owner Steve Ross. The crew for the race includes Lee’s father, two uncles, cousins, and close friends with whom he has been sailing since childhood. “I am going off to college after this summer, and I couldn’t think of a better experience to have with my family and best friends before that.”

Lee and the rest of the crew are excited for the competition they’re going to face as well. “There are lots of other boats from our home port of Rockport, Maine that are also sailing in the Finisterre division.” Similar to Sobchak and the Northeast Wind crew, Lee believes Thunderhead’s physical characteristics and the crew’s skills make Finisterre a good fit. “The Newport Bermuda Race has such an aura around it. I can’t wait to be on the starting line of a legendary race with the historic and iconic boats that are also competing.”

Fifty years ago, Beau Van Metre won the 1976 Bermuda Race aboard his S&S Custom 59 Running Tide. This year Van Metre and three of his crewmates from 1976 will be on board Running Tide again in the Finisterre Division. “Ocean racing is really about camaraderie and having a special boat and crew around me is great. The boat is a living organism, and not just a piece of aluminum,” he says. Van Metre actually sold Running Tide in the 1980s in France, but bought the boat back in 2018 and rebuilt it.

For Van Metre, the Finisterre Division is a chance to relive the memories of the heyday of ocean racing. “I’ve made a few modifications to the boat that were targeted to doing the Bermuda Race. I’m looking forward to seeing how it performs in the long stretches of the race course.” This will be Van Metre’s 13th race and the seventh for Running Tide.

The Corinthian spirit of offshore sailing has no better showcase than the Finisterre Division in the Newport Bermuda Race. More than 30 boats across three classes are set to compete in the division for the coveted Finisterre Trophy. Only two months remain until the start of the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race! Stay tuned to BermudaRace.com and social media for more as the fleet approaches the starting line!