Update on the scoring error investigation in the Newport Bermuda Race 2026

2026 Newport Bermuda Race © Daniel Forster

This is also an opportune time to provide an update on the investigation into the scoring situation that required re-issuing Forecast Time Correction Factors after the start of the race and correcting the scoring for the fleet.

The BROC, its technical committee, and related service providers are committed to determining the root causes of the scoring anomaly and taking steps to prevent future issues. This work began when the problem was first discovered, continued through the final days of the race, and will continue until we are confident that all contributing factors are well understood. Our team shares in the frustration that the scoring issue has caused and greatly appreciates the patience the race community has extended while we work towards getting a full picture of what happened.

At this time, the committee can share the following:

Verified Race Results: The results of the 2026 race (published per the International Jury's direction on June 26) indeed scored the race with forecast time corrected factors (FTCFs) that are correct and reproducible. This has been confirmed by comparing the output of multiple independent runs conducted by different individuals using different installations of the routing software that was used to calculate the FTCFs for the fleet.

Pre-Race FTCF Calculations: The anomaly that resulted in incorrect FTCF values published on Friday morning (June 19) was the result of unexpected and undetected behavior within the instance of Expedition while executing the routines to generate optimal route elapsed times for each competitor. There is no evidence that there were defects in any vessel ORR files or the selected weather model files.

Ongoing Investigation and Transparency: The ongoing investigation intends to determine with confidence—to be proven through reliable re-production of the anomaly—all of the factors that caused the anomaly. We intend to transparently share what we learn. After that investigation is complete, we will determine what corrective actions, new process guidelines, and other recommendations are needed.

Commitment to Forecast-Based Scoring: BROC and its Technical Committee remain fully committed to forecast based scoring. Post race analysis objectively proves a significant improvement in fairness compared to Performance Curve Scoring (PCS). We intend to continue to leverage the full expertise of our members, domain experts, and partners, and use the best available technology (forecasts, VPPs, and route optimization software) and enhanced processing protocols, to reliably enable forecast scoring.

Our committee members, competitors, and the broader racing community hold BROC to the highest expectations for fairness, accuracy, and transparency. We look forward to completing and reporting on our investigation and are confident that the clarity gained from this incident will help all race organizers prevent similar issues in the future.

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