This recap was provided by Bill Lynn. Photo by Sarah Seaman.

The 2025 HCYR presented by Bristol Marine started, as usual, with an informal feeder race from Newport to Bristol on Friday, August 22nd. Despite the Hurricane Erin-induced presence of a gusty northerly, 14 boats showed up for the upwind slog to Bristol, arriving just as the breeze was starting to die. The fleet was divided into two classes, big boats and smaller boats, which sailed slightly different courses. The big boat class was won by the Modern Classic 12 Metre Courageous, an upwind machine, followed by Øivind Lorentzen’s Jax and Joe Robillard’s 1938 S&S yawl Black Watch. The small boat class was won by Geoff Davis in his S Class boat Aquila, followed by Peter Johnstone’s Luders 16 Radiance and Peter McClennen’s 1925 Herreshoff R-boat Gamecock, celebrating her 100th birthday.

Saturday dawned with a southerly already filling in, and it only got better from there. On what developed into one of the best sailing days of the year, ERO Peter Gerard and PRO Diana Emmanuelli greeted the fleet from the deck of the signal boat, the spectacular classic Feadship Serena, kindly loaned by owner Matt Brooks. Under full sunshine with gusts topping 20 knots, the fleet sailed one shorter race which took them down to Melville and then up to Ohio Ledge followed by the classic longer Race 2 course up into Mt. Hope Bay then a downwind finish at the Herreshoff flagpole.

The 9-boat Vintage Division was an amazing showcase of the finest classic yacht in the northeast. Celebrating her centennial in style and reveling in her favorite conditions, Gamecock emerged victorious with a 1-2 closely followed by Black Watch and Matt Brooks’ 1930 S&S yawl Dorade. Honorable mention goes to Neith and Procyon in 4th and 5th, two Herreshoff sloops visiting their place of birth.

The Classic Division was won by Bristol local Steve Lindo’s Concordia yawl Skye followed by the Alden yawl Mariner and Steve Eddleston’s beautifully restored 12 Metre Weatherly.

In the 9-boat Modern Classic Division, Peter Johnstone’s silver bullet Radiance edged out Joe Schwartz’ Alerion Woodwinds for the title with Evan Ide’s Evelyn 24 Potion in 3rd, while the Paul Koch’s little Camden Class Knockabout Ponyo managed to hold off the speedster Jax for the Spirit of Tradition/Contemporary title followed by Bill Kahane’s W-37 Cavallino.

In the one-designs, two three-boat Herreshoff battles raged with Osprey winning the S Class followed by Aquila and Adam Langerman’s Papoose. The 15-foot Class was won by the father-son team of Jim and Jared Reineck in Flickamaroo followed by Steve Kloeblen’s Nibbet and Tim Blagden in the museum’s Buzzard’s Bay 15 Peacock.

The two Saturday races are the only one that officially count toward the Classic Yacht Challenge Series, and awards were presented at Saturday night’s regatta dinner with over 250 happy and tired sailors gathered under the museum waterfront tent. The folks from Keane’s Wood-Fired Catering outdid themselves once again, and a range of beverages provided by Narragansett Brewing and Rumson’s Rum kept the vibe loose and fun.

The southerly hung around for Sunday’s races, and the fleet arrived at the starting line for the annual “hot lap” around Hog Island to put on a show for the shore-based spectators at the Herreshoff Museum followed by a sprint back to Newport for the boats that needed to get back home. Black Watch won the “hot lap” followed by Gamecock and Mark Watson’s 1928 S&S 12 Metre Onawa in the Vintage Division with the 1962 Ted Hood 12 Metre Nefertiti winning the Classics Division. In the Modern Classics Division, Woodwinds came out on top followed by Courageous and Will Hubbard’s 1969 Carter-designed Lively Lady. Jax won the Spirit of Tradition/Contemporary Division and Osprey continued her streak with a win in the S Class.

To avoid downtime, and to get the boats headed for Newport away as quickly as possible, the finish of the “hot lap” is also the start of the race to Newport. 14 boats made the upwind trek with Newport-to-Bristol winner Courageous once again taking the win followed by Nefertiti and Onawa. Upon finishing the last boat, the Race Committee held a well-deserved “debrief” on the Harbour Court terrace.

While the regatta is open to any and all classics, this year’s regatta saw ten original Herreshoff Manufacturing Company-built yachts return to their birthplace. The 1899 15-footer Peacock is the oldest followed by MIT’s 1902 Buzzard’s Bay 30 Mashnee, which was sailed by what may have been the youngest crew, a team of MIT grad students. This special event was made possible through the support of presenting sponsor Bristol Marine and the museum’s annual sponsors American Cruise Lines, Safe Harbor Marinas, BankNewport, Bay Coast Bank, Project Blue Water Racing, and Risk Strategies.