The Vineyard Race Preview 2024

ByStuart Johnstone

(Stamford, CT)- Hosted by Stamford Yacht Club, Labor Day weekend’s Vineyard Race is a classic American yachting event. The 238.0nm course stretches from Shippan Point to the Buzzards Bay Light tower at the entrance to Buzzard’s Bay, and then a return to the finish in Stamford Harbor.

Begun in 1932, it has attracted the finest sailors and fastest boats. Those who are successful nearly always credit local knowledge of these tricky waters, particularly at the notorious “The Race” and “Plum Gut”, and a good deal of luck. 

The Vineyard Race was described in Yachting Magazine as the following; “The greatest distance races of the world have several things in common – a challenging course, competitive fleets, and an interesting array of famous yachts. By those standards, the Stamford Yacht Club’s Vineyard Race rates close to the top. Like a miniature Fastnet, the Vineyard has a combination of coastal cruising, where currents play a big role, a stretch of ocean sailing, and a mark to round – the Buzzards Bay tower – before returning.”

The race has proven popular with J/sailors over time, with many returning yearly as part of their end-of-summer sailing ritual to complete their summer sailing season. The teams have a choice to sail the classic 238.0nm race or the shorter “Seaflower Reef” race which is all inside Long Island Sound. 

VINEYARD RACE

ORC 9 Division
This huge 26-boat fleet has a wide range of J/crews. Those teams include Trevor Roach’s J/121 TOUCH OF GREY, two J/133s (Steven Brownlie’s ASSARAIN IV & One Haxthausen’s RUMBA), Lennie Sitar’s J/160 COUGAR, June & Amanda Kendrick’s J/44 PALANTIR 5, Albrecht Goethe’s J/46 HAMBURG II, and NEKA Sailings J/105 SLEEPER. 

PHRF 7 Doublehanded
Sailing this fleet are Peter Becker & Adrien Blanc’s J/105 YOUNG AMERICAN and Todd Aven & Basia Karpinska’s J/99 THIN MAN. 

PHRF 8 Division
This huge 34-boat fleet is loaded with leading J/teams, nineteen to be exact! Some of the leading teams may be Bill Baxter’s J/111 FIREBALL, David Rosow’s J/122 LOKI, and John Greifzu’s J/109 GROWTH SPURT. All three boats have won various offshore races and events on Long Island Sound. With a possible 110.nm windward beat out of Long Island Sound to Buzzards Bay Tower in light 6 to 10 kt winds from the easterly quadrant, don’t be surprised to see these three boats in the top five overall!

SEAFLOWER REEF RACE

PHRF 4 Division
Racing in this half-dozen boat fleet is Chris Ercole’s J/109 SWEET CAROLINE and Bill Lewis’s J/e7 CALIENTE. For more Vineyard Race sailing information