With their gaff rigs and generous beam, a fleet of racing catboats dresses the stage every Tuesday evening during the summer on Narragansett Bay’s West Passage.
On Tuesday summer nights in Wickford, Rhode Island, the cats come out to play. The racing is spirited and lively, and the barbecue and camaraderie that follows at Pleasant Street Wharf, fleet headquarters, is all part of the evening. The racing fleet consists mostly of Mashall 18s and 22s, with occasional sightings of beetle cats and other designs reported.