This morning, just five short days after sailing to overall victory in the double-handed division of the Newport Bermuda Race, Fearless began her 630+ nautical mile voyage back to Newport, Rhode Island. This time the fleet is much smaller and comprised only of solo or double-handed racers, a total of 14 boats instead of the nearly 170 that started the previous race.

The day started of with a discussion of the weather and routing between Phil and co-skipper Joe Cooper and continued with final preparations of the boat. Test out the storm jib, make sure there was enough water onboard, stow some last minute snacks – and of course Phil’s favorite, boiled eggs. The boats would first have to make the 3 hour voyage around the island to St. George’s Harbor, where the race would begin. One by one they left their slips and headed across the turquoise waters, finally underway again.

The fleet assembled, checked in with the race committee boat, milled around waiting to start – and then suddenly they were off! The breeze to start the race was light, all boats had full main and jib raised and reports were that soon after leaving sight of land the kites would begin flying in downwind conditions.

They are once again expecting the voyage to take 3 days and some amount of hours. The Gulf Stream will prove to be a key factor, typical of any crossing from the US to Bermuda. Unlike the race south, this time they will want to limit their time in the currents, as they will most likely hinder rather than help their progress. Early indications are that there may be a cold front (stormy conditions) layered on to the already unstable weather in the ‘Stream.

We’ll continue to post daily updates from Phil and Coop while they are underway, keep an eye on Facebook, Instagram, and our Ship’s Log. You can also track the race using YB Races, either through their app or using this link.