--- title: My First Bermuda Return Delivery description: Join junior sailor Maddie Ammatuna as she recounts her thrilling experience delivering Digger back from the Newport Bermuda Race, embracing challenges and camaraderie. image: https://nbya.org/hubfs/Copy%20of%20NBYA.org%20Featured%20Image%201200x630%20-%202026-10-08T094748.674.png --- [Skip to content](https://nbya.org/news/my-first-bermuda-return-delivery#main-content) [![Narragansett Bay Yachting Association](https://nbya.org/hubfs/2025-10-21_Burgee_and_NBYA.svg)Homepage](https://nbya.org) - [JUNIOR SAILING](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing) - [Register on Clubspot](https://narragansettbayyachtingassociation.theclubspot.com/) - [Junior Mission](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-mission) - [Perpetual Awards and Special Events](https://nbya.org/junior-perpetual-trophies) - [Mary Rose Marshall Regatta](https://nbya.org/mary-rose-marshall-regatta) - [Junior News](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-news) - [Junior Calendar](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-calendar) - [Volunteer](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-volunteer) - [FAQs](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-faqs) - [Zero Tolerance Policy](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-zero-tolerance-policy) - [Scholarships & Grants](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#scholarships-and-grants) - [Sammis Scholarship](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#scholarships-and-grants) - [CJ Buckley Scholarship](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-CJ-Buckley-Scholarship) - [RACING & CRUISING](https://nbya.org/racing-cruising) - [Boat of the Year](https://nbya.org/boty) - [Bay Challenge](https://nbya.org/challenge) - [Women's Sailing](https://nbya.org/womens-sailing) - [Model Boat Racing](https://nbya.org/model-boat-racing) - [NEWS](https://nbya.org/news) - [Share Your Stories](https://nbya.org/share-stories) - [ABOUT](https://nbya.org/about) - [Member Organizations](https://nbya.org/member-organizations) - [History](https://nbya.org/history) - [Official Documents](https://nbya.org/official-documents) - JOIN - [Junior Membership](https://narragansettbayyachtingassociation.theclubspot.com/join) - [Adult Membership](https://payments-na1.hubspot.com/payments/p49gQGtzMMbyJw?referrer=PAYMENT_LINK) [CALENDAR](https://nbya.org/calendar) - [JUNIOR SAILING](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing) - [Register on Clubspot](https://narragansettbayyachtingassociation.theclubspot.com/) - [Junior Mission](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-mission) - [Perpetual Awards and Special Events](https://nbya.org/junior-perpetual-trophies) - [Mary Rose Marshall Regatta](https://nbya.org/mary-rose-marshall-regatta) - [Junior News](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-news) - [Junior Calendar](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-calendar) - [Volunteer](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-volunteer) - [FAQs](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-faqs) - [Zero Tolerance Policy](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-zero-tolerance-policy) - [Scholarships & Grants](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#scholarships-and-grants) - [Sammis Scholarship](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#scholarships-and-grants) - [CJ Buckley Scholarship](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing#junior-CJ-Buckley-Scholarship) - [RACING & CRUISING](https://nbya.org/racing-cruising) - [Boat of the Year](https://nbya.org/boty) - [Bay Challenge](https://nbya.org/challenge) - [Women's Sailing](https://nbya.org/womens-sailing) - [Model Boat Racing](https://nbya.org/model-boat-racing) - [NEWS](https://nbya.org/news) - [Share Your Stories](https://nbya.org/share-stories) - [ABOUT](https://nbya.org/about) - [Member Organizations](https://nbya.org/member-organizations) - [History](https://nbya.org/history) - [Official Documents](https://nbya.org/official-documents) - JOIN - [Junior Membership](https://narragansettbayyachtingassociation.theclubspot.com/join) - [Adult Membership](https://payments-na1.hubspot.com/payments/p49gQGtzMMbyJw?referrer=PAYMENT_LINK) [CALENDAR](https://nbya.org/calendar) ![](https://nbya.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20NBYA.org%20Featured%20Image%201200x630%20-%202026-10-08T094748.674.png?width=1200&height=630&name=Copy%20of%20NBYA.org%20Featured%20Image%201200x630%20-%202026-10-08T094748.674.png) Junior PHRF In The News # My First Bermuda Return Delivery ![NBYA](https://nbya.org/hs-fs/hubfs/2026-01-03_NBYA_300x300.png?width=48&height=48&name=2026-01-03_NBYA_300x300.png) NBYA October 8, 2026 *Junior Sailor Author: Maddie "Tuna" Ammatuna, Editor: Chris Szepessy, republished with permission from WindCheck Magazine, October 2026* ### My first offshore sailing experience was the 2025 Ida Lewis Distance Race aboard *Digger* with my sister. Before the start I was nervous, but once we were racing those nerves disappeared. By the time we finished, I knew I wanted to do more offshore sailing. A few months later, I got the opportunity to do the delivery of *Digger* back from the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race. I completed Safety at Sea and got some new offshore gear to help get prepared.  *The Digger 2026 Bermuda Return crew prepares to depart from the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Left to right are Gaelen Adam, Carolyn Garth, Maia Adam, Matthew Whiteley, Sadie Phyfe, James Phyfe, and Elle Ammatuna.* ![](https://www.windcheckmagazine.com/app/uploads/2026/09/post-1_image0-19-1024x768.jpg) We went to Newport to watch the start of the race, and seeing the fleet head offshore brought back some nerves. I wondered whether I was truly ready for the return delivery. I flew down to Bermuda with my parents and greeted the *Digger* crew before spending a few days being a tourist. I didn’t find myself thinking about the return while we were enjoying Bermuda. When it was time for dock call, I was pretty confident it was going to be fun. The weather was supposed to be mostly fine, with it being downwind the entire way home to Rhode Island. The first two nights were challenging, with winds above 20 knots and 6- to 7-foot swells that made moving around the boat difficult. Putting on my foulies at 4am was not that easy. Thankfully the daytime was not terrible, just a little rain. The rest of the way, the weather was good and nothing to complain about. Once we got out of the Gulf Stream, the temperatures dropped a little bit but I had everything I needed to stay warm. During the trip back, we saw a large pod of dolphins and a couple jellyfish and flying fish. As we got closer to Block Island, we saw an increase in birds. One of my most memorable experiences was on either the second or third night around 2am and I was about to go down below within the next hour. I was sitting next to Matt in the port-side cockpit and a flying fish jumped out of the water and landed right in my lap. At first, I thought it was a piece of ice because it was so cold. Then Matt pointed out that it was actually a flying fish, grabbed it off my lap, and tossed it back into the ocean. It was definitely unexpected and made for a good laugh in the middle of the night.  ![](https://www.windcheckmagazine.com/app/uploads/2026/09/post-1_image1-1.jpg)  *The author at the helm, leaving Bermuda astern*   One of the best parts of the trip back was spending time with the other crew members, especially because before this, I only knew skipper James. His daughter Sadie and niece Maia, who are around my age, were on board and we became fast friends. You learn a lot about a person when you spend days together offshore, sharing watches, meals, and lots of stories!  In doing this return I felt like more opportunities opened for me this summer to include the Safe Harbor Race Weekend and another Ida Lewis Distance Race, where we won in both Youth Class and Division and won fasted corrected speed in PHRF. When the next Newport Bermuda Race happens in 2028, I hope to be part of the crew in the race down to Bermuda. This experience proved to me that I can handle multiple days offshore and continue taking on greater responsibility as my sailing experience grows. ■ *A student at The Prout School in Wakefield, RI, Elle Ammatuna is a member of the Prout Varsity Sailing Team and the Crusader Girls Wrestling Team.*     ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fnbya.org%2Fnews%2Fmy-first-bermuda-return-delivery](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fnbya.org%2Fnews%2Fmy-first-bermuda-return-delivery) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://nbya.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20NBYA.org%20Featured%20Image%201200x630%20-%202026-10-05T142727.046.png?width=1200&height=630&name=Copy%20of%20NBYA.org%20Featured%20Image%201200x630%20-%202026-10-05T142727.046.png) Junior PHRF In The News Chasing Five Knots](https://nbya.org/news/chasing-five-knots) ### [![](https://nbya.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20NBYA.org%20Featured%20Image%201200x630%20-%202026-10-05T142405.853.png?width=1200&height=630&name=Copy%20of%20NBYA.org%20Featured%20Image%201200x630%20-%202026-10-05T142405.853.png) Junior PHRF In The News Yellow Brick Road to BDA](https://nbya.org/news/yellow-brick-road-to-bda) - [Home](https://nbya.org) - [Junior Sailing](https://nbya.org/junior-sailing) - [Racing & Cruising](https://nbya.org/racing-cruising) - [News](https://nbya.org/news) - [About](https://nbya.org/about) - [Calendar](https://nbya.org/calendar) --- [![Narragansett Bay Yachting Association (NBYA)](https://nbya.org/hs-fs/hubfs/2025-10-21_Burgee_and_NBYA_white.png?width=300&height=92&name=2025-10-21_Burgee_and_NBYA_white.png "Narragansett Bay Yachting Association (NBYA)")](https://nbya.org) ###### Narragansett Bay Yachting Association (NBYA) works to support and grow sailing in Greater Rhode Island. 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