Siblings Alan and Sarah Frith have been officially declared champions of the 2026 Edward Cross Long Distance Race following a dramatic double disqualification that completely turned the podium upside down.
The annual National Heroes Day holiday spectacle, which takes the one-design Comet fleet on a grueling trans-island voyage from St. George’s to the West End, was thrown into chaos immediately following Monday's finish. A formal protest was launched regarding a high-stakes collision near the narrow entrance of the Town Cut in St. George’s Harbour during the opening stages of the race.
The structural dispute involved the two-time defending champions Benn Smith and Christian Ebbin—who sailed Sommer across the line first by a landslide—and Maxwell Curtis Jr. and Wesley Tucker, who crossed third in Pole Position.
Following an intensive committee hearing at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, international race officials delivered a bombshell verdict. The protest committee ruled that both Smith and Curtis had committed infractions during the early channel squeeze, resulting in the disqualification of both vessels. The decision completely shattered Smith’s hopes of securing a third consecutive Edward Cross Cup title.
The sensational judicial fallout automatically elevated the chasing pack, handing a default victory to the Frith siblings sailing Orion. The duo had locked themselves into a relentless, exhausting tacking duel along the North Shore to originally cross the line in second place, which has now officially been converted into a historic family triumph.
The adjustments also brought major podium upgrades further down the fleet. Veteran skipper Quinton Simmons and crew Zane Hendrickson—sailing Stir De Pot in honor of late commodore Zaniko Hendrickson—have been promoted to an incredible second-place finish.
Meanwhile, the American father-and-son duo of Joe and Ian Lauver, piloting Nymph, have been officially elevated to third overall to round out a highly controversial and memorable chapter in the race's 80-year legacy.
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