Beneath sunny skies and a light breeze, the 32-boat fleet in the 2023 Marion Bermuda Race set sail from just off Marion, Massachusetts.
While the breeze briefly filled in overnight with a low-pressure system coming up from the southwest, by morning the a pack of the fleet was averaging about two knots of boat speed. As the fleet approached the Gulf Stream, the forecast showed the breeze starting to build slightly, but models show that this race will be a true test of patience and skill.
Early in the race, the King Marine Reichel-Pugh 66 Boudicca, skippered by Richard Moody from Jamestown, Rhode Island, held a commanding lead for line honors for both the fleet and the performance class. Lyric, an X-Yachts X 49 skippered by Jay Hansen, also from Jamestown, sits in second — but approximately 97 miles off of the leader. The US Naval Academy Offshore Sailing Team's Navy 44, Defiance, is just a few miles behind. The Navy boat is skippered by Junior Phillip Pacheco, and is in race class B.
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