Since 2022, I’ve shared details about the boats and crews starting the Newport Bermuda Race with guests on the Coastal Queen—and even the homework is fun. This year, one listener snapped what might be my favorite photo of Paul and me in action!
In addition to cheering on Hound (who won her class, again), I was closely watching the start of another classic: Running Tide. I remember admiring her way back in 1973 as one of the “big guns” at Block Island Race Week, one of my first serious regattas on Katrina.
Now, fifty-plus years later, I’m excited to announce:
I’ve been entrusted with creating a book worthy of this legendary race boat.
Running Tide Timeline
It all started in 1968, when Jakob Isbrandtsen commissioned a Sparkman & Stephens design that was built at what’s now called Royal Huisman. In 1970, Tide won her class in her very first Bermuda Race. She also won the next two SORCs, a three-week series around Florida and the Bahamas that was the pinnacle of ocean racing.
Father and son Al and Beau Van Metre purchased Tide in 1972 and immediately painted her black. Together they won many more trophies—including the 1976 Bermuda Race and 1983 Annapolis to Newport Race. Once she was no longer able to keep up with newer, lighter designs, Beau sailed the boat to Europe and sold her there in 1988. She spent the next three decades baking in the Med—until 2018, when Beau brought her home again.
A much-needed refit included another coating of black paint. Which is why she looked so shiny-new, fifty years after that memorable Bermuda Race win, when she and Beau and the entire team returned to the island with a second in class.
Stepping Aboard
A few days before the start, I had my first chance to admire the boat and to interview most of the Tide team. I also joined their pre-race dinner (which felt a little like Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, shaking hands with people I’d only read about or seen in photos). It was a special night of camaraderie that brought together two generations of crew: something old, something new, all working together to get the best out of what Annapolis locals call “the big black boat.”
Getting to know Beau and his team has made me even more excited to dig into Tide’s rich history. Over the next several months, I’ll try not to bore you with too many of her stories—while keeping you posted on project progress.
Got a special memory of Running Tide? Share it in the comments below or send me an email. As I told several crew members, there’s no detail too small—and I read every response with gratitude.
Thanks for being here, and see you next Thursday.