Sunday, July 7, 2019

Sail Newport Regatta Preview

Sailing Newport Bridge
(Newport, RI)- Sail Newport will be hosting their annual Newport Regatta this coming weekend for a wide variety of one-design dinghy and keelboat classes.  Featured amongst them will be fleets of J/24s, J/70s and J/109s; all deeply laden with world-class talent.

The nine-boat J/70 class has an incredibly diverse and talented fleet attending, including several World, North American, and Midwinter Champions in their midst from various classes (not to mention some Olympic Medallists in their crews).  So, it should be an incredibly competitive event.  Watch for the following crews to be a factor on the leaderboard; Doug Strebel’s BLACK RIVER RACING, Glenn Darden’s HOSS, Oivind Lorentzen’s NINE, John Brim’s RIMETTE, Brian Keane’s SAVASANA, John & Molly Baxter’s TEAM VINEYARD VINES, and Mark Masur’s TWO FEATHERS.

In the half-dozen J/24 fleet are well-known characters (and World Champions) like Will Welles’ BUCKAROO, Steve Kirkpatrick’s BUCKSHOT, John Mollicone’s HELLY HANSEN, and Erica Beck Spencer’s SEA BAGS WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM. Doh! Perhaps the densest, most talented fleet of J/24s ever on a percentage basis? One wonders….

The J/109s should see incredibly close racing, considering all of them have won or were on the J/109 leaderboard in various events over the past twelve months. Those teams include John Greifzu’s GROWTH SPURT, Ted Herlihy’s GUT FEELING, Tom Sutton’s LEADING EDGE, and Bill Kneller’s VENTO SOLARE. For more Sail Newport Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.