On Saturday, June 25, more than 50 boats were presented with prizes during the Newport Bermuda Race awards ceremony. His excellency, the Governor of Bermuda, George Fergusson took the podium in front of the Government House, presenting awards and posing for 114 photos with skippers and crews throughout the night. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Honorary Secretary Andy Burnett-Herkes was Master of Ceremonies for the event, and the Governor was joined in the sharing of awards by Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Commodore Leatrice Oatley, Cruising Club of America Commodore Jim Binch, and the RBYC Vice-Commodore Jon Corless.
Warrior Won, an Xp44 skippered by Christopher Sheehan of the Larchmont Yacht Club, was awarded the main prize of the race, the St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy. The St. David’s Lighthouse Division was the largest in the race with 110 entries. Warrior Won recorded the best corrected time in the division to win the trophy.
The Cruiser Division’s Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy was won by Shearwater, a Mason 43, for first place on corrected time. Shearwater was sailed by Daniel Biemesderfer from Stonington Harbor Yacht Club.
Spirit of Bermuda was awarded the War Baby Trophy for winning the Spirit of Tradition Division against three other competitors. Friends joined Spirit’s crew of 32 in accepting the trophy from the Governor.
Yankee Girl, a Morris 36, was first out of 16 entries in the Double Handed Division. Zachary Lee of Pelham, New York and Gust Stringos of Skowhegan, Maine shared the helm. Lee won the Phillip S. Weld Prize as the designated skipper and Stringos won the Moxi Prize as crew.
Comanche, owned by Jim and Kristy Hinze Clark, won the Open Division, the newly established Race Record Trophy, and the Royal Mail Trophy for first in Division. With Skipper Ken Read, Comanche set a new Open Division elapsed time record of 34 hours, 42 minutes, and 33 seconds and was first to finish the race, taking line honors.
The Young American Junior Big Boat Sailing Team from the American Yacht Club took line honors for traditional boats sailing High Noon and won the new Stephens Brothers Youth Trophy. The Tripp 41 was crewed by seven 15 to 18 year-olds, two parents, and a coach and came second overall across the line finishing with a time of 72 hours, 44 minutes, and 11 seconds.
High Noon was also the top individual boat in the Onion Patch Series. The boat won the Catherine Hollis Memorial Trophy for best performance in the Newport Bermuda Race by an Onion Patch series entry as well as the Henry B. duPont Memorial Trophy as top boat in the three-event series, the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta, the Newport Bermuda Race, and the RBYC Anniversary Regatta.
Finally, the Class 2 double-hander Whisper took home the Galley Slave Trophy for its last place elapsed time finish. The Hinckley 48 yawl sailed by Thomas Vander Salm and John Browning finished the course in 132 hours, 27 minutes, and 47 seconds, almost 100 hours later than Comanche.
Below, Thomas Vander Salm and John Browning from the double hander Whisper, awarded the Galley Slave trophy for last to finish by His Excellency, The Governor of Bermuda, Geroge Fergusson. Photo Barry Pickthall/PPL
