Third Annual Rhody Regatta Will Start “Up the Bay” in 2025
RI Community Food Bank to Benefit
NEWPORT, R.I. (March 16, 2025) –The third annual Rhody Regatta, hosted by the International Yacht and Athletic Club (IYAC) based in Newport, R.I. and benefiting the Rhode Island Community Food Bank headquartered in Providence, takes place Saturday, May 31, helping to kick off the 2025 sailing season on Narragansett Bay with a single mid-distance race, approximately 18 miles in length, around Jamestown (Conanicut Island). In changes to the format, the start and finish area will be in the vicinity of Gould Island rather than the previous start/finish near Fort Adams, and the Awards Party will be held on Sunday, June 1 at the Bristol Yacht Club.
“These changes give boats from the upper Bay easier access to the race,” said Pat Kennedy, who co-chairs the event with his IYAC partner Mick Harvey, “and having the Awards Party a day later gives everyone a bit of breathing room, so they don’t have to be rushed after getting their boats back home and put away. They can simply rally the next evening to join in the camaraderie and merrymaking at Bristol Yacht Club, and we can all remember why we are sailing: to enjoy the sport that has given us so much and to give back to those less fortunate through the Rhode Island Food Bank.”
Harvey said that the Rhody Regatta fills a void in the first weekend of June left by the (discontinued) Leukemia Cup. “It’s all about spreading the word, so boat owners know to get their boats in early. We are gaining momentum, coordinating outreach with The Twenty Hundred Club and working with entities such as the Bristol Yacht Club to make this a fun, meaningful regatta.” Harvey added that all crew members are welcome to the Sunday Awards Party at no charge, and on the Saturday after racing, the IYAC will host a competitor’s gathering (also free) to celebrate the day of racing.
Funds raised during the 2025 Rhody Regatta will be donated to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, which provides food to over 84,000 Rhode Islanders a month through its statewide network of 147 member agencies. This year, in response to an unprecedented need for food assistance, the Food Bank will distribute over 16 million pounds of nutritious, fresh and culturally relevant foods to our neighbors in need.
“We’re so grateful to be named the beneficiary of the Third Annual Rhody Regatta fundraiser,” said Food Bank chief philanthropy officer Lisa Roth Blackman. “These funds come at a critical time of increased need, when too many of our neighbors are unable to afford adequate food. We’re grateful to the members of this community coming together to help.”
Fundraising
Skippers are encouraged to make a minimum $250 donation to the Food Bank at a direct link posted on the IYAC’s and Food Bank’s websites. (To be credited to a certain team, the team name should appear in the reference line.)
Prizes will be awarded to the best three boats on corrected time in each class, Best Overall corrected time, and the team raising the most funds for the RI Community Food Bank.
The Rhody Regatta is open to all Cruising/Racing Yachts with or without a 2025 PHRF of Narragansett Bay Handicap. The Fleet will be divided into handicap and one-design classes according to rating and other factors at the discretion of the IYAC Race Management.
More About IYAC
The IYAC serves as a favorite sailors’ bar in the heart of Newport and is an official US SAILING affiliated club, with registered members. The IYAC Race Committee runs several area regattas for everything from sport boats to Maxi yachts.
Registration: https://bit.ly/3DBJHpV. “Just Giving” fund raising link: https://bit.ly/RhodyGiving.
For more information: https://iyacnewport.com/ or email IYACNPT@gmail.com or mick@mickharveyyachting.com.