The format was the same — a Newport to Bristol feeder race, a day of racing on Saturday, followed by a Sunday lap of Hog Island and the return race to Newport — but the addition of a new kind of vessel was a welcome addition to the 2026 edition of the Herreshoff Classic.

According to Bill Lynn, the Herreshoff Marine Museum’s executive director, 16 boats showed up for the annual Newport-to-Bristol feeder race on Friday afternoon. The light southerly winds favored the S Class boats, and veteran Geoff Davis onboard Aquila – the boat he’s owned for 60 years – singlehandedly won the race, followed by Scott Walker and Dennis Ferreira in the S boat Surprise with Peter McClennen’s Gamecock rounding out the podium (and a clean sweep for boats built at the Herreshoff yard.)

Saturday’s early breeze quickly faded, leaving the fleet on shore with plenty of time to socialize. Competitors were treated to a “fly by” by the 12 boats participating in the Huckins Rendezvous out of Bristol Marine with horn and cannon salutes exchanged.

Huckins, a century-old power boat brand out of Jacksonville, Florida, was acquired by Bristol Marine about two years ago. “I first participated in the Herreshoff Rendezvous 33 years ago,” said Bristol Marine President Andy Tyska. “It’s great to continue to participate and for Bristol Marine to be a presenting sponsor, supporting both the museum and this event. Huckins is like Herreshoff in that both are legacy brands, both built PT boats during the war.

“We saw it as an opportunity to bring two longstanding traditions together.” Some 12 Huckins vessels gathered for the event, coming from as far as Jacksonville.

“It was a great opportunity to bridge that perceived rift between power and sail, said Tyska. We were united as vintage, classic yachts.”
Another new twist on this longstanding event was the addition of Wilco, Bristol Marine’s Art Boat. In collaboration with the Bristol Art Museum (BAM), a competitive daylong residency was offered for artists. It drew 40 applications from around the region, and a BAM panel selected 6 winners. Afterward, Tyska received a gratifying email from one of the artists, excited and inspired by the experience.

The fleet was finally able to squeeze in a Saturday sail. According to Lynn, three well-sailed boats took home the Vintage Division with Gamecock in first, Matt Brooks’ Dorade in second, and Shelia and Ted Graves’ Nor’easter in third. The Classic Division was won by Steve Antaya’s Mariner followed by the two Concordia yawls, Steve Lindo’s Skye and Barb Kranichfeld’s Katrina in second and third. The Modern Classic Division was won by Yarrow Thorne’s catboat Whirlwind II with Joe Schwartz’s Alerion Woodwinds in second and Will Hubbard’s Lively Lady in third.

The Spirit of Tradition Division saw Paul Koch’s Camden Class Knockabout Ponyo take first, followed by Doug Newhouse in his Spirit Yacht Yonder and Gardner Howe in his Morris 36 Winsome.

Back on shore, the sailors mingled with the power boaters as the Huckins owners and their guests joined sailors for the regatta dinner. Awards were presented to both groups, a good time was had by all, courtesy of Keane’s Wood-Fired Catering, Rumson’s Rum, O’Brien & Brough Distillery, Narragansett Brewing, and the Classic Yacht Owners Association.

Sunday’s wind was perfect for the “hot lap” around Hog Island and the race to Newport. The hot lap was won in convincing fashion by Lively Lady (Modern Classic) followed by two S boats, Sheldon Whitehouse’s Osprey (Vintage) and Adam Langerman’s Papoose (Vintage). Weatherly won the Classics Division, Yonder won the SOT Division, and Jax won the Contemporary Division. The race to Newport was upwind in 10-15 knots which is generally pretty good for 12 Metres, and sure enough, the winner was Courageous (Modern Classic) followed by Steve Eddleston’s Weatherly (Classic). The “podium plus” was rounded out by Jax (Contemporary), Yonder (SOT), and Dorade (Vintage) in 3rd, 4th, and 5th which, interestingly, put one boat from each of the five divisions in the top five in the race.

“I love this event,” said Steve Eddleston, owner of 12 metre Weatherly. “This is my 7th year and it gets better every year.

“The guardianship of something as precious as a Cup winner, and tying that into the this most historical town with the Herreshoff Marine Museum — to have them all together is a treat.

I’m honored to be a custodian, a guardian of this vessel,” said Eddleston. “She takes you back to a simpler time. She grounds you.”