July 11–12, 2026 | Newport, Rhode Island
Nepean Sailing Club is celebrating a stellar performance at the 2026 Newport Regatta in Rhode Island this past July 11-12 weekend. NSC racers Luke Strickland and Christian Voyer traveled to Sail Newport for the prestigious Annual Newport Regatta, taking 1st place overall in the fiercely competitive 505 class!
Photo © Sail Newport
Sailing aboard “Mach 5” (CAN 8821), the duo fought off a tough fleet of 8 international competitors to claim the top step of the podium.
Tactical Battles on Narragansett Bay
The weekend tested every ounce of tactical patience and skill the fleet could muster, serving up wildly contrasting conditions across the two days:
Saturday: The opening day kicked off with a tricky, light northerly wind that gradually faded before the sea breeze finally filled in, delivering medium, tactical wind for the afternoon races. Early on, success came down to staying close to shore where the water was flatter. Once the sea breeze took over, the focus shifted to hunting down the strongest pressure across the course.
Sunday: Sunday brought extreme challenges, managing just a single race in ultra-light conditions before competing wind systems locked horns and stalled the breeze entirely. With no consistent pressure to salvage fair racing, the race committee ultimately called the day—cementing Luke and Christian’s commanding lead and locking in their overall victory.
Off the Water: Newport Hospitality
When the racing concluded, the Newport Regatta delivered classic social events, featuring lively post-race gatherings, great food, local live music from the event’s band, and plenty of celebration on the docks.
Huge congratulations to Luke and Christian for representing NSC on the international stage and bringing home the 505 class trophy!