The Vineyard Race is an annual

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

race hosted by the Stamford Yacht Club in

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...

. It is held every

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

weekend with the first start scheduled for Friday afternoon. A trophy award party is held on the Stamford Yacht Club lawn on Sunday afternoon. The 238 nautical mile race was started in 1932 and takes racers from Stamford east to

Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since ...

and back. The first race had 23 starters with five finishers. The race has been held every year since its founding, except for three years during World War II. It is also the final race of the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy series, the New England Lighthouse Series and the Doublehanded Ocean Racing Trophy. In 1982, the race was described by Bob Bavier in ''Yachting'' as one of the "yachting classics." and: :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. =Course & Records= In recent years the event expanded to three courses. The course selection depends on the size and rating of the boat. There are divisions for double-handed boats as well as fully crewed boats. *Vineyard Course - 238 nm *Seaflower Reef Course - 143 nm *Cornfield Point Course - 116 nm {{convert, 116, nmi, mi km The Vinyard course records stand: *Overall: 14 hours, 53 minutes, and 55 seconds in 2020 - Argo MOD 70 Trimaran owned by Jason Carroll *Monohull: 17 hours, 42 minutes and 9 seconds in 2017 - WARRIOR Volvo 70 owned by the

US Merchant Marine Academy The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serve as officers in the United States Merchant ...

Skippered by Stephen Murray, Jr. The Vineyard Race Course is several races in one. Competitors must navigate

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

before passing into

Block Island Sound Block Island Sound is a strait in the open Atlantic Ocean, approximately wide, separating Block Island from the coast of mainland Rhode Island. On the west, it extends to Montauk Point on the eastern tip of Long Island, as well as Plum Isl ...

through one of several narrow passages where there are tough tidal currents. After rounding the Buzzards Bay Entrance Light, they must leave

Block Island Block Island is an island in the U.S. state of Rhode Island located in Block Island Sound approximately south of the mainland and east of Montauk Point, Long Island, New York, named after Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. It is part of Washingt ...

to starboard before heading back into the Sound. A typical race involves a variety of conditions. In 2022 the Stamford Yacht Club is scheduled to hold the 88th running of The Vineyard Race.

External links

Stamford Yacht Club websiteRace Registration Page
Sailing competitions in the United States Recurring events established in 1932 Yachting races Sailing in Connecticut