Labor Day weekend's Vineyard Race is a classic American yachting event. This 238-mile course stretches from Shippan Point to the light tower at the entrance to Buzzard's Bay, and then a return to the finish in Stamford Harbor.
Begun in 1932, it has attracted the finest sailors and fastest boats. Those who are successful nearly always credit local knowledge of these tricky waters and a good deal of luck. No sailing resume is complete without Stamford Yacht Club's Vineyard Race. The saltiest sailors, who have completed ten or more Vineyard Races, have earned entrance into
The Buzzard Society.
The Vineyard Race was described in Yachting Magazine as, "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."

© Rick Bannerot

© Rick Bannerot

© Rick Bannerot

© Rick Bannerot

© Rick Bannerot