Floriana

Newport is an important maritime hub for sailing enthusiasts. Its strategic geographic position, featuring strong Atlantic winds and deep waters, has created a perfect setting for a diverse range of sailboats. From small day sailors to cruising yachts and performance racing yachts, Newport offers an ideal environment for various types of sailing experiences.

Visitors to the harbor can admire classic sailing yachts and former America’s Cup contenders, as Newport hosted the prestigious America’s Cup races from 1930 to 1983. This rich sailing history has firmly established Newport as the sailing capital of the world.

During our visit to Newport, we visited the newly established Sailing Museum at the armory. The museum delivers an enjoyable interactive experience, and allowed us to compete against each other and provided us with tons of laughter.

Here Claudio attempts to follow the quick movements of a crew member racing on a competition trimaran. I tried it and got a 62% success outcome….Claudio got a 92% success outcome…although I thought I delivered a more graceful performance!!

We strolled through Newport and made our way to the White Horse Tavern for lunch. It is said that the White Horse is the oldest tavern in America still serving. We had been here before and the interiors, especially at the bar area, are still very much as they were when (guess who stayed here?) George Washington visited!!! But alas, that day the White Horse Tavern was closed….bummer.

But even though we didn’t get the chance to lunch at the White Horse Tavern, there was an even bigger treat in store for us this evening.

Fellow SBCC club members and good friends, Bob and Jackie Forman, reserved a table for us at the prestigious New York Yacht Club as their guests.

The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) was founded in 1844, and is based both in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. Dedicated to the sport of yachting, its members have contributed to sailing as a competitive sport, yacht design and performance in sailing, and the America’s Cup races whose coveted trophy was held by NYYC from 1851 to 1983. Membership is by invitation only.

That evening the yacht club served a seafood buffet which included lobsters, clams, oysters, shrimp, scallops and tuna….each cooked in different ways. And there were pork and beef choices for the non-fish eaters. Needless to say, the food was excellent, accompanied by a wonderful wine selection.