Spirit leads off Newport Bermuda

The New York Yacht Club Race committee will sound the first warning signal for the 49th Newport Bermuda Race off the deck of the 125-foot ketch Axia today.

She anchors the starting line that will stretch west to east across the mouth of Narragansett Bay.

The sail-training vessel Spirit of Bermuda, owned by the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, will start first in Class 0, leading the fleet to her island home as the sole boat in the Spirit of Tradition Division. Spirit will be racing her second consecutive race, chartered this year by Bermuda businessman Jim Butterfield. 

Track the race at www.pantaenius.com/NBRtracking