The Centennial Newport Bermuda Race was a great success, with a record fleet, lots of fun, and good competition. The 2008 race will build on our past experience to maintain the Newport Bermuda Race as one of the preeminent ocean races in the world.

We will continue to promote a fair rating system that gives EVERY competitor a fair shake at winning. The divisional structure offers opportunities for professional programs, for more Corinthian sailors, and for short-handed sailors to race against similar competitors. Our commitment to safety remains a high priority, making the Newport Bermuda Race an ideal venue for those sailors who are new to offshore racing.

One of our highest priorities is to promote offshore sailing to a wide spectrum of participants. We have joined with two other offshore races to offer combined trophies for events that share similar philosophies and venues. There will be yearly trophies for the captain (not the yacht) with the best combined score in two successive races: the last Newport Bermuda Race, and either the Marion-Bermuda Race or the Marblehead to Halifax Race. These prizes will be scored under ORR.

In 2006, the first trophy was awarded in Bermuda for the best performance in the 2005 Marion-Bermuda race combined with performance in the cruising division of the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race. In 2007, there will be two prizes: one awarded in Bermuda for the skipper with the best combined performance in the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race and the 2007 Marion-Bermuda Race, and the other awarded in Halifax for the best combined performance in the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race and the 2007 Marblehead to Halifax Race.

These new prizes focus on performance in true offshore events, recognizing the skipper who has put together consistent winning efforts in similar blue water ocean racing venues. It has the added benefit of encouraging participants to maintain their yachts in offshore condition on a yearly basis.

Nick Nicholson, our 2008 Newport Bermuda Race chairman, is working hard at building on the success of 2006. The entry process will be more user-friendly, and the crunch for rating certificates is over, with no new rating rules on the horizon. That alone will take pressure off your preparations in the spring of 2008.

You were an important part of our record fleet in 2006, and we look forward to your joining us again in 2008. We are blessed with nature's unparalleled 635-mile North Atlantic challenge, from the navigator's puzzle of the Gulf Stream to the warm, friendly shores of Bermuda. We will do our best to make the 2008 Newport Bermuda race easy to enter, a fun and fairly rated event, and a great place to enjoy the post-race parties and celebrations!

Please contact me or Nick Nicholson with any questions or suggestions. We always appreciate your thoughts on how we can improve this great event.