2024 Around Aquidneck Island Race

One of the best days sailing, EVER!

Great crew: Buster Pike, Zeth Morgan, Dave Price, Al Gerard, Scott Dudley, Troy Rittenhouse & Ben Steinberg.

Weather conditions exceeded expectations - wind started with a Westerly 10-12, then built to some big whitecaps and ~20 knots from the southwest. Some reports were higher 25-30. High tide was about 10am, start was 10:36am off of Hog Island (Bristol Harbor).

The Bully Circus team could have had a better start, but broke free from J109 Vento Solare, in about 20 minutes. The crew agreed to sail closer to Prudence as it looked like bigger puffs (certainly intermittent) closer to the island. The strategy paid off with good current and good breeze. Oddly the boats on the Aquidneck Island side ended up more upright with less breeze. Bully Circus kept on the west side of the channel, getting closer to Gould Island than any other boats. Crossing Laura (R/P 60) confirmed the strategy. Huge header on starboard tack about 1/2 mile from the Newport bridge forced us and most boats to have to take a tack to get through the center span.

The header accompanied a huge boost in wind strength. 15-20+ from the SW had us thinking about switching from the J2 to the J3, but we persevered with the J2 out to R2 (Brenton Point). We held off on an immediate set at R2 as we got our bearings (literally) sorted for getting to Cormorant Reef. We hung with Caribbean Dreamin’ trimaran, then we set the A2 and took off. We saw pretty consistent 14 knots to 16 knots boatspeed until we jibed (probably a little too late) into the Sakonnet.

Sailing on port jibe into the Sakonnet, the waves aligned with our course, we lit up and took off. Top speed 18.8 knots. Vang off, main looking terrible and planing, trying to stay high to make it past Fogland. Wind dropped a little and shifted more southerly and we were able to carry the kite all the way to the finish.

Great barbeque and party at Tiverton Yacht Club.

Looks like a second place (to be confirmed) behind Mike Zani’s Vela (Graves Constellation … built in Marblehead). We needed to beat them by ~69 minutes. No luck. They topped out at 12.2 knots - awesome!