FEATURED REGATTAS: June 21, 2008

New boats, new rigs, new sail inventories, modified blades, complicated logistics and many months of planning have gone into the Newport Bermuda Race 2008 whether you are a boat owner, crew, support or regatta organizer.  When the gun goes off, the crews settle into offshore racing mode.  Everyone has their job.  They’ll maximize their efforts during their watches and they’ll cherish their few hours of sleep every time that they are off watch.  As the thrash through the Gulf Stream becomes but a memory and the boat streams through Sargasso seaweed en route to St. David’s Lighthouse, crews will begin to look forward to everything that Bermuda has to offer.

This year, as in years past, the calendar is loaded with activities once boats arrive in Hamilton.  Royal Bermuda Yacht Club is opening its doors for sailors and non-sailors alike to enjoy the club’s facilities and to join in on the festivities.  Sunday evening’s Finish Line and Inspection Committee reception at the St. David’s Lighthouse kicks off the week.  From Monday, June 23^rd through Sunday, June 28^th, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club will offer a buffet breakfast and a buffet lunch.  The club’s snack bar will be open during the late afternoon into the early evening throughout the week.  Every night the colours will be lowered at sunset to the accompaniment of a bagpiper or bugler.

 Daily highlights include: a DJ on the terrace on Wednesday night; the Tucker’s Point Golf Tournament on Thursday; a live band playing at Barr’s Bay Park on Thursday night; and the RBYC Anniversary Regatta, Prize giving and Official Post-Race Celebration hosted by Gosling’s Rums on Friday. Private parties and receptions will be taking place throughout the week and skippers, navigators, their guests and a limited number of crew will covet the tickets to the infamous Prize giving Reception at Government House on Saturday Evening.  Don’t forget to see the island.  Bermuda is breathtaking.

After carefully navigating through the reefs that surround Bermuda, sailors’ first glimpse of Bermuda will be the St. David’s Lighthouse on the eastern end of the island chain.  Regardless of which trophy you are competing for, you should make it a point to visit the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and climb the stairs to the top for a panoramic view of Bermuda.  The other special treat at the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is the Tea Room, which serves breakfast and brunch on the weekends and sumptuous meals on certain nights of the week. 

If you want to play golf with your sailing buddies, consider signing up for the Tucker’s Point Golf Tournament and attending the reception later that evening.  Travel & Leisure Golf readers voted Tucker’s Point Club’s golf course and restaurant among the top three in the Caribbean in 2005 (the readers were wrong about one thing, Bermuda is not in the Caribbean).  Find out for yourself if they were right about the rest.  While you are there, spend some time at the club’s beach club, hotel, spa and residences.

 Transportation options are plentiful in Bermuda.  Your first inclination may be to rent a scooter.  Be careful.  The roads are narrow.  There are no shoulders between the side of the road and the razor sharp coral stone walls.  The roads are slick in the rain and you will be driving on the left side of the road.  The central ferry terminal is right next to Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.  Ferries run on time and can take you to nearby destinations and to distant scenic spots such as Dockyard at the west end of the island and St. George’s on the east end of Bermuda.  You’ll find plenty of shops, restaurants, art galleries, museums and breathtaking landscapes and seascapes in Hamilton, St. Georges and Dockyard.

 No sooner will the sailboat fleet clear out than all of the offshore fishing boats will swarm to Bermuda for a month of tournaments.  The waters are warm now, so consider fishing for yellowtail or even marlin off Bermuda or its nearby banks.  Viewing marine life is easy in Bermuda.  There are plenty of dive boats.  The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) is situated between the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the Royal Hamilton Dinghy Club and for a quick thrill you can always head over to XL  Capital’s headquarters on Bermudiana Road and gawk at the fish tank in the lobby. 

As Bermuda’s Bureau of Tourism says, Bermuda feel the love.