The 47th "thrash to the Onion Patch" will start at Newport, R.I., on Friday, June 18, 2010.  It's not too soon to begin planning your race and picking your crew (or, if you're crew, finding a berth), arranging for upgrades to your yacht and making your Newport and Bermuda marina and hotel reservations to ensure a safe and successful race.  The race website www.bermudarace.com provides a great deal of useful information to assist you.

To start, click on "Interested in 2010?" here on the website. Complete and submit the Contact Us form you find there.  That will enable us to keep you up to date as plans for the race develop. There you'll also find the popular Crew Finder feature to help you match up skippers with sailors for the race and the return trip.

Soon the website will be running news, advisories, and documents to help your preparations and race go smoothly and safely. The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee is now hard at work establishing the Newport headquarters and drafting the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, entry forms, inspection checklists, and so on. 

Here are the key dates*:

• Early October: Announcement of size limits (there are a few
• Late Fall 2009:  Notice of Race posted on the website
• January 18, 2010:  Entry process opens on the website
• March 13 & 14, 2010:  Newport Bermuda Race Safety at Sea Seminar, Newport Hyatt Regency Hotel.  The safety seminar will be held on Saturday the 13th.   On Sunday the 14th, a certificate-granting First Aid/CPR course and other optional hands-on training will be offered. NOTE: A minimum of 30% of all crew members including at least two of the following (captain, navigator, port and starboard watch captains) must attend a sanctioned Safety-at-Sea Seminar within five years prior to the start of the race. For Double-Handed Division yachts, both crewmembers shall meet this requirement. IN ADDITION, two members of each crew must hold a First Aid/CPR certificate. Other qualifying safety seminars are listed on the US Sailing website. 
• March 30, 2010, 1700 hours:  Application for entry deadline
• May 13, 2010, 1700 hours:  All supporting documentation for entry is due
• June 2, 2010:  Pre-inspection documentation deadline
• June 6, 2010:  On-board inspection must be complete
• June 16, 2010, 1600 hours:  Newport check-in deadline
• June 18, 2010:  Bermuda Race starts at Newport
• 18 hours after finishing: Bermuda check-in deadline
• June 26, 2010:  Prizegiving at Government House, Bermuda

*Changes to this schedule are possible.  The Notice of Race will have the official schedule. 

The first Bermuda Race was held more than a century ago in 1906, making this race the world's oldest regularly scheduled ocean race. The Bermuda Race fleet grew to a record of 263 boats in the centennial year of 2006, with 198 boats in 2008.  Monohulls of all kinds participate: cruiser-racers, family cruisers, and state-of-the-art racers.  As always, the main prize (the classic St. David's Lighthouse Trophy) will go to the top cruiser-racer with an amateur crew.