The countdown is nearly over as the 54th Newport Bermuda Race starts today from Fort Adams in Rhode Island.

Thousands of sailing enthusiasts are set to see off the fleet with the first start scheduled for 2.10pm Bermuda time and rolling starts every ten minutes.

The race’s start will also be broadcast as part of the Starting Line Live Show Powered by Orsted, which will feature dramatic live shots of the fleet and expert commentary from Andy Green and Tucker Thompson.

For the first time in the race’s history, the Gulf Stream Show Powered by Palm Beach Motor Yachts will provide updates, analysis, and interviews with crew from the passage between Newport and Bermuda. The show will be broadcast daily and posted to BermudaRace.com, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

“We could not be more excited to put on our second Starting Line Festival at Fort Adams,” said race chair Andrew Kallfelz.

“For this year’s historic race, we wanted to make it easier than ever for fans in Rhode Island, Bermuda, and around the world to follow the fleet from start to finish. Between the Festival, Starting Line Live Show, and the Gulf Stream Show, all the action of the Thrash to the Onion Patch will be covered.”

There was palpable excitement among the sailors at Wednesday night’s Gosling’s Crew Party hosted by Newport Shipyard.

“It is an absolute honour for our team from the Naval Academy to be sailing in the Newport Bermuda Race,” said Midshipman Aden Newman, skipper of Wahoo.

“The academy’s team first did the race in 1936 and to be here 90 years later and be in contention to win the whole thing is the honour of a lifetime. The Nave is all about a challenge and we have a lot of young sailors who don’t get seasick, so we are ready to play the game hard.”

The 2026 fleet is made up of nearly 150 boats spread across multiple divisions competing for line honours and a host of trophies — including the legendary St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy. Teams and sailors from across the globe have arrived in Newport for the start, including Bermuda’s national tall ship Spirit of Bermuda.

Several legendary yachts are also lining up at the start. Gesture won the 1946 Bermuda Race and is back to take on the Thrash yet again. Carina and Hound will rehash their neck-and-neck race from 2024. The largest boat in the fleet, 100ft Black Jack 100 aims to break the race record set 10 years ago.

The Bermuda Race festivities will continue as the boats reach their destination, with parties and events on the docks of Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and around Bermuda from Sunday until June 27.

The prizegiving will take place at Government House.