The 2023 Marion Bermuda Race was not for the faint of heart. The fleet saw conditions ranging from fast-moving squalls to completely still air; the mostly light winds tested both patience and skill for the 32 skippers and their crew that set sail on June 16th from Buzzards Bay in Marion, Massachusetts. In an unusually slow race, the final boat did not cross the finish line off of St. David's Lighthouse in Bermuda until 7:45 EDT on Friday morning — with more than 163 hours of elapsed sailing time under her keel.
What ended up being one of the slowest Marion Bermuda Races for the majority of the fleet was also the fastest for the very front of the pack. Richard Moody’s Boudicca crossed the Marion Bermuda Race finish line off of St David’s Lighthouse, having sailed a total of 705 miles in just 2 days, 17 hours, 16 minutes, 14 seconds. This incredible performance beats the previous record, set in 2011 by the 76-foot Briand sloop Lilla, owned by Simon and Nancy DiPietro, which was 2 days, 20 hours, 58 minutes, 45 seconds.
On Saturday evening, racers and their family and friends gathered at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda for a Gala and Awards Ceremony to honor not only the top finishers but also a number of special awards given to different categories of racers and boats, including the boat with the best-combined performances in consecutive Newport Bermuda and Marion Bermuda races, those navigated celestially, those raced short-handed, those raced by crew from the same family, and the crew with highest average age during the race.
Thirteen boats from the fleet retired during various points of the race due to either equipment issues or lack of wind. Some returned to Massachusetts, others continued under engine power to Bermuda. Among these was the Spirit of Bermuda, which was also the only boat in the Sail Training Class. Therefore, no awards were given in that class.
For full results, timing calculations, and penalties, visit https://marionbermuda.com/mb/status/results.php
For all the official photos of the race and on-shore events, visit http://www.spectrumphotofg.com/marionbermuda/index.html
The Marion Bermuda Race is a biennial event — the next race start is June 20th, 2025. Save the date!