Newport Bermuda Race

Excited to report that we have successfully completed the Newport Bermuda race. Frolic is currently at the dock at RBYC. We were sailing in the Finisterre Division, which is the cruising division of this race. While we were competing we were also really putting the boat and its systems (and the crew) through its paces as a final shakedown before our North Atlantic transit.

Following a light/variable air start with some nearby looming thunderstorms, the race was entirely upwind. We chose to go to West of the rhumb line, somewhat opportunistically because of catching a good breeze off Block Island that let us fly the spinnaker for a while and also because of expectations about the location of the meander in the gulf stream and the wind models. Overall this worked out reasonably well and we finished the race in 3 days, 12 hours and 17 minutes. Sailing upwind pretty much the entire time in 4-6 foot waves was relatively exhausting especially when below deck off watch and several of us got a bit seasick (good test case for our amazing off shore medical team who provided terrific support).

In the next couple of days we will be reconfiguring Frolic from racing mode to cruising mode before departing for the Azores. A big thanks to everyone on the crew, especially the members of the “Bermuda Watch” who are now heading home.