J/Fleet Collects Silverware in Five Divisions at Safe Harbor Race Weekend
(Newport, RI)- During a New England heat wave, there was no better place to be than on the water, and for the 75 sailing teams competing in the 2026 Safe Harbor Race Weekend, it was the perfect setting for three days of keen competition across 10 classes. Light to moderate breezes of 8 to 14 knots prevailed on Narragansett Bay, where nine classes raced, while a sportier 14 to 17 knots filled Block Island Sound, where five Superyachts competed. Off the water, competitors and their families enjoyed lively social events at the end of each racing day, including Friday’s traditional New England clam bake, which served up a feast for 1,100 hungry sailors and their families.
With seventy-six boats participating, the 2026 edition of the Safe Harbor Race Weekend cemented its status as the most popular offshore keelboat regatta during the busy Newport sailing season. Sailors enjoyed world-class “apres sailing” events onshore at Safe Harbor’s world-class yacht harbor facilities. The great food, huge tent, and great bands on Friday and Saturday evenings proved universally popular, and the parties drew crews ranging from 30-footers to 100+ foot super yachts. Here is how it all went down for the various classes.
ORC B Division
Steve Losik’s J/121 HABIRU from United Yacht Club in Great Neck, NY enjoyed their weekend competing against some of the best offshore teams in New England. In the end, they smoked the fleet for a 1-2-3 on the last day to take home the bronze medal, missing the silver by a single point!
PHRF C Division
This ended up being a strange division in terms of fleet composition. Two 12 Meters (65 feet plus) with not exactly “fair” PHRF ratings were racing against a well-known, competitive fleet of modern 36- to 40-foot boats. With double windward-leeward race courses (70% of the time spent upwind), there was no doubt a 12 Meter is more than competitive upwind. In the end, Robin Team’s J/122 TEAMWORK sailed a strong six-race series to take the silver medal with 21 pts, while Ed Kaye’s J/111 PRAVDA 2 took the bronze medal with 29 pts.
PHRF D Division
This large fleet featured seven J/Teams, the majority of the division! Leading the charge to take the gold medal was Kevin Dakan’s J/110 MEMORY with 18.5 pts in six races. Mark McGivney’s J/99 SHAMBLES took the bronze medal with 25 pts. Then, the balance of the top five included two J/105s; Ned Joyce & Andy Reservitz’s DARK’N’STORMY in fourth with 25.5 pts and Chris Tate’s BLITZ in fifth place with 29 pts.
Coastal PHRF B Division
Winning this large fleet of eight boats in a highly competitive battle for the podium was Brian Nelson’s J/112E HONEY BADGER with four deuces for 8 pts. They were followed by Jim Phyfe’s J/44 DIGGER in third place with 11 pts.
Coastal PHRF C Division
Racing in this fleet was EC Helme’s J/92S SPIRIT from Coasters Harbor Navy Yacht Club in Newport, RI. They took home more silverware after four races, earning the bronze medal with 13 pts total.
Safe Harbor Race Weekend results
https://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative/50557
For more Safe Harbor Race Weekend sailing information
https://shmarinas.com/safe-harbor-race-weekend/