Non-Mariners Race

Bermuda’s annual Non-Mariners Race will take place at Mangrove Bay in Sandys Parish on Sunday August 5 from 1.15 pm onwards.

The object of this boat ‘race’ is to lose in the most astonishing fashion. In fact the organisers, the Society of Non-Mariners, prefer to refer to it as a non-race.

The starting line up sees a ragtag mob of inebriated non-mariners massed onboard a clutter of unseaworthy vessels. Each shabby construction typically has a theme that reflects some local political scandal that tourists will be blissfully unaware of.

The event, which started over 3 decades ago, has a rich historical legacy. A drunken bunch of men discussing the possibility of sailing baby buggies attempted to bring their blurred vision into reality in Hamilton Harbour. Thus the Society of Non-Mariners was born. The ‘race’ grew in popularity and became an annual event in Hamilton Harbour. After an abandoned British Royal Navy entry almost collided with an incoming cruise ship, the ‘organisers’ were forced to find an alternative venue. Since then, the Non-Mariners race has been hosted by Sandys Boat Club in the quieter surroundings of Mangrove Bay.

After the event the ‘competitors’ and spectators usually retire to the Somerset Country Squire to celebrate their loss.