Navigator’s Log #3
June 16, 2026
There comes a point in every Newport to Bermuda campaign when the preparations finally begin to give way to anticipation.
In my world The charts and PC's are spread across the table (Yes, we still use both). The weather models are refreshed more often than they probably should be. GRIB files arrive, currents shift, and every update offers another piece of the puzzle that stretches from Newport to St. David's Head. After one more call to the meteorologist & weather routers.
As navigator, I have the privilege of living in that puzzle, with a lot of help from the crew!
For all of the technology we now have at our fingertips—satellite weather, Expedition routing, ECMWF, GFS, HRRR forecasts, and detailed Gulf Stream analysis—the essence of this race remains unchanged from the first fleet that sailed south in 1906. Success still comes down to judgment, preparation, teamwork, and the ability to make the right decision when the ocean inevitably asks difficult questions.
But enough about my job - Before there is a start line, there is the organized chaos that every offshore crew knows so well.
Our Captain and engineers are deep into the final preparations, checking and rechecking every system aboard Running Tide. From engines and charging systems to communications gear and safety equipment, they're making sure the boat is ready for whatever the Atlantic decides to throw our way.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew is wrapping up their everyday lives and switching gears into race mode. Regular jobs are being handed off to coworkers, families are being hugged goodbye, sea bags are being packed and repacked. Several crew members are already in the air or on the road making their way to Newport. And if history is any indication, there's probably at least one person frantically searching the house for a passport they swore they put somewhere safe.
Wednesday starts early for many of us. Provisions will come start to come aboard, gear will be stowed, inspections completed, and countless small details checked off the list. The boat transforms from a collection of equipment and supplies into a race-ready team preparing to head offshore together.
Running Tide has her own history in this race, a history written by the crews who have crossed this stretch of water before us and earned their place among the stories told back at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. To serve as navigator aboard a boat with that legacy is both an honor and a responsibility that I do not take lightly.
The models will continue to evolve over the coming days. The optimal route on today's chart may not be the one we sail -that's just offshore racing. We study, prepare, adapt, and trust the crew around us.
Soon enough, the shoreline of Newport will disappear astern, Red Bell "2A" near Seal Ledge will have been let behind and the only things that matter will be the wind, the sea, and eighteen pairs of hands working toward the same horizon.
Until the next entry...
— Mike "Jonesy" Jones
Navigator, Running Tide
2026 Newport to Bermuda Race