How to Watch the World's Oldest Annual Regatta This Weekend
Rhode Island hosts the New York Yacht Club's Annual Regatta beginning June 13th.
If you're anywhere near the northeast U.S. and looking for a distraction this weekend, cross off whatever you were planning and head to Rhode Island for a classic regatta in a classic vacation town.
Although the first New York Yacht Club regatta was held in 1845 in the Hudson River, but these days, the tradition continues out of Newport — where the NYYC owns a clubhouse on the water in prime yacht territory, just west of Newport Harbor. (The clubhouse grounds, it should be noted, are open only to members and their guests — though with something like 800 party attendees expected on Saturday, there may be some spillover.) Last year's event had better spectator numbers than ever, and the club hopes to double down this year, bringing the courses closer to the harbor. With four classes, 146 entries, and different courses on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there'll be plenty of opportunity to catch the action.
Watching from the island:
The yacht club's documents roughly delineate the race areas, shown here beside a map of the Newport-Jamestown race location:
On Friday, teams will be heading around Conanicut Island (center), which allows for plenty of great views. Racing begins at 11am. Taylor Point, on the island's east side, should have an excellent view of teams heading under the Newport Bridge, while the search for speed will likely take racers close to the southern tip of the island, at Beavertail State Park.
Left: a team skirting around the south shore at Beavertail Lighthouse; right: the view from Taylor Point on the east side of Conanicut Island.
Watching from the water:
Courses should be well-marked and there's no shortage of room to watch the races without causing traffic, but take care to watch for commercial ships and ferries, and note that just north of Newport, above Coasters Harbor Island, is a US Navy station that yachters should avoid.
What else to see:
Newport's regatta season is in full swing, so clambakes and events at Gilded Age mansions are everywhere — but a number of famed gardens and arboreta, in particular, are in full bloom. Rosecliff is preparing for the upcoming annual flower show and may be worth peeking in on; The Elms is well-known for its formal French gardens; and Green Animals Topiary Garden has seven acres of incredibly-maintained living art. And if you're wondering how much a yacht costs to enter yourself in subsequent years, you can always browse high-end speed sailing vessels on YachtWay.com
Left: Green Animals Topiary Garden; right: a view of the garden from inside The Elms. Images courtesy of Newport Mansions.
