Spirit of Bermuda raring to go

Belle Adventure’s Marion Bermuda Race bid may be washed up for this year at least — but the island’s other classic yacht, Spirit of Bermuda, is raring to go.

Last week, Belle’s captain Dave Thompson announced 94-foot Belle’s withdrawal from the 645-mile race due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ over the owners’ schedule.

That left the fleet with 37 boats in the Founders Division and just one – the Spirit of Bermuda — in the new Classic Yacht division.

Spirit may be the largest boat but Shindig, an Andrews 68 entered by Mass Maritime, at 44 feet shorter is faster in some conditions. This duel is now expected to be the battle for line honours at St David’s lighthouse.

Bermudian Preston Hutchings said in a press release: “Their [Belle Adventure} withdrawal is disappointing. Nevertheless, we will have a safe and fun time sailing Spirit to Bermuda and competing for the Blue Water Sailing Club Board of Governors’ Trophy.”

Back in 2012 Hutchings was participating in a Bermuda Sloop Foundation fundraiser, trying to raise money for Spirit of Bermuda and to save himself from walking the plank. He asked Alan Burland, co-founder of the foundation about the possibility of someone chartering Spirit for the next Marion Bermuda Race. The charter price was settled in a few days and Hutchings and his friend Patrick McGee of Dallas TX took the plunge.

 They took a joint charter for the 2013 race and are set to start at 12:10PM on June 14.

McGee had also once told Hutchings that he would like to race to Bermuda with his family. Going on a typical boat with McGee and his sons wasn’t really a possibility so the idea lay dormant for years. Now with Spirit, a boat that would need a crew of 21, the dream has been rekindled.

McGee will be joined by his son William. Hutchings will be joined by his two sons William and Alistair. They will also be joined by another family — navigator and executive director of Team Adventure Larry Rosenfeld, his wife Amy and their son Willie.

Hutchings and McGee have also endowed the division for American Sail Training Association (ASTA) rated boats and have dedicated the division winner’s trophy in the memory of Ed Williams, the former captain of Sir Bayard Dill’s yacht the Dutchess of Devonshire.

Alan Burland, co-founder of the Foundation, begun his eulogy at Williams’ funeral by saying “Captain Ed Williams was a loyal and steadfast supporter of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation.

“Capt. Ed wanted to help young Bermudians to learn real life long skills, to build character, to work together, to be resilient, and to excel – the very lessons he learnt so well.” Ed Williams Jr. will be aboard for the race.

This is the second “Bermuda” race for Spirit. In 2012 she sailed Newport Bermuda as the sole entry in the Traditional Division with a largely Bermuda youth crew, young people who had trained aboard her as part of their island educational program. Spirit is a sail training vessel manned by Bermuda schoolboys and schoolgirls, sailing masters and teachers. It is a seagoing classroom that teaches both an educational curriculum and life lessons.

The 2013 Marion Bermuda Race for Spirit will be quiet different. She will be pushed harder this time by a more experienced crew .

Hutchings, this year’s skipper, was first to finish in 2007 with his modern 42-foot Swan Morgan’s Ghost.

Hutchings is bringing aboard 20 other sailors this time to go for the goal. 14 have multiple Bermuda Race experience, 2 have extensive offshore experience in other venues and 4 are experienced inshore sailors. Co-charterer McGee and his son and a friend Dan Routman are all inshore sailors from Texas. Oliver Sarkozy, brother of the former French President, is an inshore sailor as well.

Keep tabs on the race tracker via the Marion Bermuda website — http://www.marionbermuda.com/

All in Bermuda are welcome to share in the post-race festivities and come down to the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club to walk the docks and see all of the yachts that have sailed from Marion in the classic ocean race. Celebrate the week of the solstice at RHSADC, Bermuda Style. Full a full list of social activities, log on to the race website.