The 2010 Newport Bermuda Race concluded on June 23 with a total of 183 yachts officially competing. Thirty percent of the fleet were first timers, a larger group than in the recent past when new competitors made up anywhere from 20 to 25 percent of the racers. Ten classes of yachts sailed in the St. David’s Lighthouse and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse divisions and were scored under IRC and/or ORR rules while 38 competed in the Cruiser Division, 26 in the Double-Handed Division and three in the Open-Division under ORR rules.
The St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy for best corrected time of 55:28:27 went to skipper Rives Potts and the custom 48-footer Carina USA 315. The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy honors for best corrected time, 52:48:32, were taken by Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy and the Swan 56 Noonmark VI GBR 5698. The St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy is for amateur crews while the Gibbs Hill Trophy goes to professional crews. While there is no official overall winner, the unofficial one is the St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy.
The Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy went to Neal Finnegan and Swan 56 Clover III USA 52056 for a best corrected time winner in the Cruiser Division of 72:04:49. Corrected time winner of the Double-Handed Division and the Philip S. Weld Prize was J-35 Paladin USA 32575 and skipper Jason A. Richter. Open-Division honors and the Royal Mail Cup went to Genuine Risk USA 8390, a Dubois 90 and skipper Mark E. Watson III for a corrected time of 54:43:32.
