 We’re thrilled to announce that New England Yacht Rigging has stepped up to help get Kenia to the starting line of this year’s Newport–Bermuda Race!
Thanks to their support, Emmett and Cat are one step closer to the starting line of the 636-mile double-handed Newport Bermuda Race New England Yacht Rigging is a full-service rigging company based in Rhode Island, known for certified splicers and deep expertise in nitronic rod, wire, rope, and custom rigging solutions tailored to offshore and racing boats. Whether it’s precision splices or advice on standing rigging and on-site service, their team understands what it takes to keep a performance sailboat seaworthy and ready for long passages. Find out more about them here: New England Yacht Rigging
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 Captain Emmett Dickheiser and Catherine Chimney to Campaign J/44 in 636-mile Offshore Classic The J/44 Kenai will take on one of offshore sailing’s most iconic challenges this June as she lines up for the Newport Bermuda Race in the highly competitive Doublehanded Division. At the helm will be Captain Emmett Dickheiser alongside offshore veteran Catherine Chimney, pairing technical precision with miles-deep offshore experience for the 636-nautical-mile passage from Newport, Rhode Island to St. George’s, Bermuda. The Kenai Story – Three Decades of Family and Performance Owned by Chris and Karen Lewis for more than 30 years, Kenai has been far more than a race boat. The Lewis’ raised their children aboard her, building a culture rooted in seamanship, safety, and competitive excellence. Emmett first sailed with the Lewis’ in 2012 during the Harvest Moon Regatta from Galveston to Port Aransas, serving as genoa trimmer. That race marked the beginning of a relationship that would grow into a professional and personal bond. Over the years, the Lewis’ have become like family to Emmett, entrusting him not only with the boat’s performance program but with her long-term stewardship. More recently, Catherine has become part of that extended family, embracing the same standard of preparation and safety the Lewis’ have always demanded onboard. Together, the team continues to uphold the culture that has defined Kenai for decades. Kenai’s race pedigree is extensive. She has claimed victories and podium finishes across major events including North American Championships, the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) Series, and multiple Harvest Moon Regattas. She has competed in nearly every major East Coast distance race, building a reputation as a consistently optimized and meticulously prepared offshore platform. When Chris and Karen Lewis decided not to compete in the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race, they offered Kenai to Emmett and Catherine to campaign in the Doublehanded Division—an endorsement of trust built over years of shared miles and mutual respect. Kenai Race Highlights J/44 NA Championships 2017, 2018, 2025 1st, 1st SORC Islands in the Stream Series 2021, 2022, 2024 1st, 1st, 2nd Block Island Race J/44 week 2019, 2023, 2025 1st, 1st, 1st J/44 Rolex Cup NYYC 2016, 2018 1st, 1st Emmett Dickheiser – A Decade of Optimization Emmett began his career with UK Sailmakers in 2012. Shortly after, he was introduced to the Lewis family through Houston UK loft owner Pedro. While completing college, Emmett worked closely with the Lewis’ and the UK loft refining sail inventories and performance systems before eventually stepping into the full-time role of captain. Under his direction, Kenai has undergone multiple system refits and retrofits. Through hands-on experimentation and collaboration with industry mentors, Emmett has continually pushed the boat toward peak efficiency, while maintaining safety as an overarching priority Career Highlights
Catherine Chimney – Proven Offshore Competitor Catherine Chimney has been racing since infancy—rarely seen without a life jacket, and more recently, without her offshore Dubarry boots. She shifted her focus to doublehanded offshore racing in 2018 and has since built an impressive offshore résumé. The Bermuda course is familiar territory. She has competed twice in the Bermuda One-Two and Newport Bermuda Race. In 2023 her and co-skipper Cole Brauer won the Bermuda 1:2 followed by 2024 winning the St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy–as part of team Carina. Recent Achievements
A Trusted Boat, A Proven Team Doublehanded racing strips offshore competition to its essentials: preparation, resilience, and trust. With decades of institutional knowledge embedded in Kenai, a meticulously refined sail program, and two sailors deeply experienced on the Bermuda course, the campaign represents both continuity and evolution. When the fleet departs Newport bound for Bermuda, Kenai will carry more than sails and provisions—she will carry a 30-year legacy of family, craftsmanship, and competitive ambition. And in 2026, that legacy continues—doublehanded. Support them by Donating here https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=STBH4RRDFTMQE On September 2027 Tim Kent, a Long Island, NY based offshore sailor, will start the Global Solo Challenge in Vigo, Spain. The race is solo, non-stop around the world, finishing where it started in Vigo after over four and half months alone at sea. Between the start and finish, Tim will sail down the Atlantic, across the Equator into the trade winds that will deliver him into the legendary Southern Ocean. In “The South” there is no impediment to the wind that blows from the east coast of South America to the west coast of that same long peninsula. Low pressure systems march across that expanse of ocean and sailors who dare to go there engage in a high stakes dance to catch each storm on its most favorable side to drive them at
breakneck speeds toward Cape Horn. Tim will be linked to the anchored world with StarLink and will be sending photos and videos from the boat daily, keeping supporters, sponsors and followers up to date on the absorbing beauty and unending challenges of racing solo around the world. Tim has done this before, having competed in the 2002/2003 Around Alone Race, another solo race around the world. Tim was 50 at the start of that race and was its oldest finisher by many years. Prior to that race, Tim had a long career in educational publishing while pursuing his passion for sailing on the Great Lakes where he got his first taste of solo offshore racing. Tim self-funded his first race around the world, where he finished second in his class – a result unimaginable when he started. When the Global Solo Challenge begins, Tim will be 75. When he finishes, he will be the oldest sailor to have raced solo, nonstop around the world. The support of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and the American Sailboat Racing Foundation is pivotal for Tim’s effort to get to the starting line of the Global Solo Challenge. Tim Kent [email protected] +1 772-485-6737 Read Tim’s book about the Around Alone Race “A Boat Shaped Mind”  Riptide Racing: Charting a Course Toward the America’s CupRiptide Racing, the professional sailing team representing Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay, NY, is embarking on its most ambitious chapter yet. After more than a decade competing at the highest levels of the World Match Racing Tour—including historic performances and a legacy of consistency—the team is taking its next bold step: pursuing a challenge for the America’s Cup.
The road ahead is immense, but the dream of competing for the Cup has been at the heart of Riptide Racing since its earliest days. With the current set of Cup rules and design regulations, the team believes the 2025–2028 cycle presents the best opportunity yet to make that dream a reality. A crucial partner in this endeavor is The American Sailboat Racing Foundation, whose support is helping Riptide move from vision to execution as they pursue this historic challenge. At the helm is Chris Poole, the world’s #1-ranked skipper for the past four consecutive years. Raised on the rugged coast of Maine, Chris grew up with sailing in his blood and quickly gravitated toward competitive racing. Since 2019, he has led Riptide Racing to consistent podium finishes and breakthrough victories—including a landmark win at the U.S. Congressional Cup in 2023 and another at Match Cup Sweden in 2024. With a decade of success, world-class leadership, strong institutional support, and a renewed vision, Riptide Racing is poised to take on the sport’s greatest challenge. The journey ahead promises excitement, determination, and the pursuit of a lifelong dream.
Women of the 2025 Six Metre World Championships The 2025 Six Metre World Championships brought together 29 teams from ten nations, filling the Open and Classic Divisions with some of the strongest and most diverse competition the class has seen in recent years. Among the 17 Open and 12 Classic boats, 11 women competed, representing a growing and powerful presence within the class — including three ASRF Affiliates: Karen Martin, Catherine Chimney, and Tina Blaise. Their impact was unmistakable.
Twenty-six-year-old skipper Ed Lebens and his teammates on the J/70 Reggae Shark arrived at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club marina on Sunday morning with a clear plan for the final day of the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series: to cover their rivals while carefully defending their lead in the ultra-competitive and pro-laden class. Cole Brauer and Cat Chimney are the premier female Class 40 skippers in America. Having completed over 20,000 nm in the Class40 with Cole winning the Bermuda 1:2 in 2021.
Introduced by the Magenta Project in 2023 Cole and Cat joined forces for the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) Winning the Doublehanded Division in both the Key West Race and the Port Canaveral race.  Circumnavigator and Magenta Project mentor Tim Kent recognized by Seahorse Magazine for his advocacy of women in sailing which started at home with his two daughters.
 Riptide Racing will be competing at the 2022 World Match Race Championship in Sydney, Australia this December, where the winner will be crowned 2022 World Match Racing Tour Champion. To be crowned Champions of the WMRT has been our #1 goal since we began this journey. We now have a great shot at the Championship with a single event winner take all format in Sydney.
We can use all the support we can get for this World Championship as it is a long way to go to the other side of the planet. Event: 2022 WMRT Championship Club: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Dates: December 13th-18th Venue: Sydney, Australia Boat: Elliott 7 Crew: 4 Persons Weight Limit: 350kgs or 770lbs |
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