{"id":42,"date":"2018-09-11T21:12:55","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T21:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jyc.org\/wordpress\/?page_id=42"},"modified":"2026-02-10T13:45:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T13:45:03","slug":"fools-rules-regatta","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jyc.org\/wordpress\/fools-rules-regatta\/","title":{"rendered":"Fools Rules Regatta"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The 47th FOOLS\u2019 RULES REGATTA\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/em>
<\/span>Sponsored by the Jamestown Yacht Club
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The 47th\u00a0 Fools\u2019 Rules Regatta will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026 on the Town Beach, East Ferry in Jamestown, R.I. with the rain date the following day. The cannon will be fired at 9:00 AM to begin construction of the \u201cvessels.\u201d Entrants are allowed two hours to construct a sailing craft (course is down-wind) on the beach, which must be made of non-marine items only. The craft may be pre-constructed, but must be disassembled and built again on the beach. Races begin at 11:00 AM with the firing of a cannon marking the start of the Class 1 race.
Vessels compete for first, second, and third place in each class. Classes are determined by the number of participants on each vessel: Class One, Two, Three, Four, and and then five or more participants delineates the Unlimited Class. Coveted awards include The Karl Smith Most Ingenious Design (founder was Karl Smith), The Worst Example of Naval Architecture, and the Frank Newman Judges\u2019 Award (Frank, the former President of URI, was a long-time participant in the regatta). Although their are highlights in each class, the Unlimited Class with vessels ranging from fifteen to over forty feet in length, crewed by many hardy fools, and Class 1 participants, such as a child in a sandbox propelled by an umbrella, are ingenious and engaging.
The event has always attracted regional attention. Participants and spectators come from far and wide and plan vacations accordingly. Past regattas have been highlighted in Yankee Magazine and the National Geographic\u2019s World magazine. Mat Franco of America\u2019s Got Talent named the Fools\u2019 Rules Regatta as one of his \u201cfive favorite things about summer in RI.\u201d In the past, The Fools\u2019 Rules Regatta was named \u201cBest Regatta\u201d in Newport Life Magazine\u2019s \u201cBest of . . \u201c contest.
The event is open to anyone who likes to have fun and be foolish, and there is no entry fee. Life jackets are required for each participant and an anchoring device is needed for each vessel.<\/p>\n

Download and print or view the Rules<\/a> and Application<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Note: Entry forms should be brought to the registration table on East Ferry Beach Saturday morning<\/b><\/p>\n

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Fool’s Rules Results<\/h3>\n