The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club has unveiled plans for a new major trophy for the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race.  It’s called The North Rock Beacon Trophy.  The trophy is a scale replica of the 1960-1990 North Rock Light Tower that once warned mariners by marking the rocky approach to Bermuda from the North.  It will be awarded to the first IRC boat on corrected time for the first time in 2008.

“We wanted to give the boats that choose to race under IRC in the Newport Bermuda Race something worthy of this classic event to race for,” said Andrew Cox, Commodore of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, as he announced a new keeper trophy for boats choosing to race under IRC in the 2008 race.  “The yacht club is donating the new trophy modeled after the 1960-1990 North Rock Light Tower.“

“The same silversmiths who make the coveted Lighthouse Trophies have been commissioned to design and craft the silver tower and bronze ‘rock’ base, so we know it will be elegant,” Cox noted. “All conventional boats in the Newport Bermuda Race with endorsed IRC certificates will be eligible to race for it.”

The Newport Bermuda Race starts June 20, 2008 and Cruising Club of America and the RBYC, co-organizers of the biennial event since 1926, hope to make this race that marks the second century of racing to Bermuda something special. The centennial fleet had a record 264 starters. Hopes are high for a fleet that approaches that record.

In the 2008 race, all boats must have a ‘fully measured” ORR (Offshore Rating Rule) certificate and meet the requirements for the race based on the ORR rule. Boats may also choose to race under IRC.  Originally, IRC was restricted to the two Lighthouse Divisions to accommodate the Onion Patch Series that is scored under that system, but the RBYC wanted to encourage participation and elected to award the new trophy to a broader group.

"We don’t expect to break the record numbers we had for the Centennial, “Commodore Cox concluded. “However we do expect that this new trophy will attract high interest. The competition for the ‘first edition’ North Rock Beacon Trophy will be keen.  We want this fleet award to become equal to other great fleet prizes like the Fastnet Trophy.”

Contact RBYC 2008/2009 Commodore Ralph Richardson ralph.richardson@ace.bm
Media Contact Talbot Wilson talbot@bermudarace.com