On Location: Rhode Island Breakers Event in Newport
SFC Commissioner and CEO Mark Neifeld joins Breakers owner Paul Squarcia to announce SFC's newest angling club.
The Atlantic Division just got a little tougher. A new Angling Club has been unveiled at the Newport International Boat Show, flanked by sportfishing boats, banners waving in the New England wind and Gilded Age mansions set atop the cliffs: The Rhode Island Breakers.
Only the third professional team in the state of Rhode Island, the Breakers will debut in 2026, represented by owner/operator Paul Squarcia. His boat “El Bendido” is a 66’ Blackwell that recently finished an 18-month refit.
“I am tremendously excited to launch Rhode Island’s newest professional sports team with SFC,” Squarcia said. “Rhode Islanders have always supported their teams with passion, from the old Paw Sox and the Providence Friars to today’s Providence Bruins and Rhode Island FC. We look forward to earning that same support as we compete to bring championships back to our state.”
Inclement weather earlier in the week kept the boat from making its way up north to the show for the announcement. The finishing touches of the refit happening at the Blackwell facility in Wanchese, North Carolina near the Oregon Inlet. Squarcia has competed in SFC events before, including prior season stops at Block Island, roughly 37 miles to the southwest of today’s announcement.
The Rhode Island Breakers will compete in SFC’s Atlantic Division alongside clubs like 2025 division champions Lights Out New England, runners-up New Jersey Sea Birds, New York Granders and East Coast Remix. “El Bendido” will be the second Blackwell in the field, joining “Renegade,” a 61’ operated by Captain Stuart Lackey and South Carolina Outcast Angling Club.
“We are thrilled to be expanding the league’s reach to even more fans, particularly here in the Ocean State,” said Mark Neifield, CEO and Commissioner of the Sport Fishing Championship. “Rhode Island’s fishing heritage and strong support for the industry make it a natural home for our league as we continue to grow and introduce this exciting sport to new audiences throughout the country.”
As we get to know the club more, we will learn about their captain, John Bowen, and crew, as well as the story behind the club logo, iconography and colors.
We will be checking in plenty with the Rhode Island Breakers in the off-season once we crown the first champion of the Angling Club Era in Cabo on October 20.