Please read the changes to NOR, SI, and starting order below...2

5/15/2026 - Update to class flags in change 3 below.  

The 2026 BBSA Cape Henry Cup will be held on Saturday May 16, 2026, with a 0930 scheduled first start. This is a long-distance race in the lower Chesapeake Bay. The race officers select from multiple course options prior to the race depending on the weather. The racecourse length may be over 20 nautical miles for the faster divisions.

Entry fee is WAIVED for all BBSA members!

Key race documents can be accessed below:  

• RESULTS
• Notice of Race 
• Notice of Race - Change 1
• Sailing Instructions (SI) 
• Sailing Instructions - Change 1
• Sailing Instructions - Change 2 - please note this includes starting order!!
• Sailing Instructions - Change 3 - note changes to class flags
• Scratch Sheet

Also check out the Cape Henry Cup webpage for more information including course charts. 

The Cape Henry Cup Race was established in 1974. As one of the most popular races on the southern Chesapeake, the course originally passed out through the Maryland Channel opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and returning through the Thimble Shoal Channel opening. This year we will continue this tradition, with two of the three courses passing through both the northern and southern openings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, including the Thimble Shoal Channel entrance.