21 J/Boat Entries For Bermuda Race
[by Talbot Wilson]
Three weeks into the entry process for the 48th Newport Bermuda Race, applications for entry for the 2012 race continue to roll in at a rapid rate for the 106-year-old biennial ocean-racing classic, with expectations of another large fleet.
Brin Ford at the Bermuda Race Organising Committee, commented, “As of February 3rd, the rate of entries was exactly on pace with the 2010 race with 105 boats having submitted Applications for Entry [AFE].”
The Newport Bermuda Race is an invitational event, so skippers must submit an application and receive an invitation before completing the registration process. The 2010 race was the third largest ever, with 183 boats. The only bigger fleets were 264 in the 2006 Centennial Race and 198 in 2008.
Among boat builders, currently J/Boats has 21 entries, twice as many as any other brand. In other words, nearly 25 percent of the Bermuda Race fleet are comprised of passionate offshore J sailors.
Many of them are amongst some of the most experienced and successful offshore sailors. Amongst the returning boats is “Gold Digger”, Jim Bishop’s J/44 [pictured] which will be back for its twelfth race in what looks to be like another tour’de’force for the five boat J/44 class so far.
Included amongst them are Phil Gutin’s “Beagle”, Len Sitar’s “Vamp”, Jason Leblanc’s “Glory” and Lawrence Glenn’s “Runaway”. In addition to the strong turnout of J/44s, there are a number of other very competitive boats in the St David’s Lighthouse Division, including two well-sailed J/120s lead by Richard Born’s “Windborn” and Jim Praley’s “Shinnecock”. Also present are past Bermuda Race competitors Darren Garnier sailing his J/35 “Great Scot”, Jan Smeets on his J/133 “Bacchanal” and Andrew Weiss sailing his highly successful J/122 “Christopher Dragon”. In Cruising Division will be Howie Hodgson’s J/160 “True.”
Finally, the Double-Handed Division is only getting stronger every Bermuda Race. This year we’ll see repeat Bermuda Race winners participating, like Jason Richter’s incredibly well-sailed J/35 “Paladin”. Like last time, Jason will have his hands full with two J/120s, Hewitt Gaynors’ “Mirielle” and Gardner Grant’s “Alibi” — both tough contenders. Plus, toss in Scott Miller’s J/122 “Resolute” and Nathan Owen’s J/46 “Seabiscuit” and you have a nearly “one-design” race amongst these five boats.
The classic 635-mile race across the Gulf Stream from Newsport, Rhode Island to St. David’s Lighthouse in Bermuda gets underway on June 15.
