(Newport, RI)– A total of 65 boats started the 2020 Ida Lewis Distance Race on Saturday, August 15 in a building northeasterly that dished out 20-22 knots of breeze (and a few knock-down gusts) throughout most of the day and into the evening and overnight.

By the time racing had finished for two offshore classes (IRC and PHRF Doublehanded) and three inshore classes (PHRF Aloha, PHRF Coronet and PHRF Cruising Spinnaker), 16 boats had retired. However, plenty of teams were left to beam about their accomplishments, each one crossing the finish line in Newport Harbor, near where they started, and receiving – no matter what the hour – a congratulatory bottle of Zardetto Prosecco delivered to them on the water by Ida Lewis Yacht Club volunteers.

“The conditions were incredible,” said Ron O’Hanley, skipper of the custom canting-keeler Privateer. “On races like this, you just have to make sure nothing goes wrong. You have to make sure your tacks and jibes and spinnaker take-downs go right.” 

O’Hanley said he found the inshore course to be different than any other that has been typically held in the Bay and feels it allowed a lot of people to sail who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to, especially those who had to sail with fewer crew in order to stay with those in their social bubbles.


“Everyone’s idea of distance racing is different. For our crew, we’re used to 100-mile races, but for others ten miles is as much as they’ve done. I give the Ida Lewis Yacht Club and its Race Committee so much credit for adding formats to ensure COVID safety and draw more participants into distance racing. I recognize that it’s complicated for the Race Committee to run so many different courses, but Ida Lewis has always sought ways to make distance racing more inclusive, and 2020 was yet another high-water mark.”

The 17-boat Doublehanded Class, which sailed the 153 nm “Block Island Course”, saw a J/105 taking second, only three minutes behind Ken Read's Alchemist on PHRF corrected time. Sailing a 29-year-old design against the latest modern offshore boats promoted by big French, subsidized, companies, the J/105 proved it is still a very powerful, fast, steady, offshore boat for shorthanded sailing.  The duo on the J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN was 28-year-old Serena Vilage and teammate Peter Becker, entered by American YC's Young American Sailing Association in Rye, NY. Notably, this J/105 team also took the silver for the PHRF Doublehanded Mixed Crew division.

In the inshore PHRF Spin Aloha class, Bill Kneller's J/109 VENTO SOLARE managed to take the bronze on the podium in the blustery conditions. A fellow J/109, Bill Sutton's LEADING EDGE placed fifth.

In the PHRF Spin Coronet Class, Bob Manchester's J/133 VAMOOSE sailed fast to take fourth place, just 45 seconds shy of taking the bronze!  Sailing photo credits- Stephen Cloutier. For more Ida Lewis YC Distance Race information