Today's lone race favored the teams who were in the right place to strike and who were proficient in sailing in light air. Genoa, Italy, where the Yacht Club Italiano is based, is known for light breeze and, with Leonardo Ferragamo at the helm, the team parlayed that experience to win the race.

Second across the line was the Irish team representing Royal Cork Yacht Club. Skipper Anthony O'Leary, who has raced every edition of this event, credited finding a hole in the starting line with their performance in the race.

After two days, Seattle Yacht Club has taken over the top spot in the overall standings although it is tied on points (22) with Royal Thames Yacht Club. Royal Cork is third overall with 24 points, and Itchenor Sailing Club is fourth with 27 points. Three points back, tied at 30 points apiece, are Marblehead's Eastern Yacht Club and Toronto's Royal Canadian Yacht Club which is the two-time defending champion.

Racing resumes this morning with the winning team determined at the conclusion of racing on Saturday, September 19.

 

#royalcork – Ireland's Royal Cork Yacht Club is among returning Invitational Cup competitors to Newport, Rhode Island taking aim at two-time Champs from The Royal Canadian Yacht Club.

Of the 19 yacht clubs, from 11 countries, that will gather September 12 to 19 at the New York Yacht Club at Harbour Court for the fourth New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex, only one is making its debut appearance. A third of the clubs will be competing in the premiere Corinthian big boat competition for the fourth time including Ireland under the captaincy of Commodore's Cup winning skipper Anthony O'Leary from Crosshaven.

"The number of clubs asking to return is the best indication that the New York Yacht Club's initial vision of a global yacht club championship for amateur sailors has come to fruition, in spades, with this event. " says NYYC Commodore Rives Potts. "It also means the fourth edition of the Invitational Cup will be the most competitive ever, as all but one of the teams competing have seen first-hand what it takes to succeed."

With a second in the inaugural event in 2009 and then wins in 2011 and 2013, the team from the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto, Canada, led by former America's Cup helmsman and Olympic medalist Terry McLaughlin, has set the standard for success in this event. But the Canadian crew was pushed to the wire in 2013 by teams from Larchmont (N.Y.) Yacht Club and England's Royal Thames Yacht Club.

"In 2013, we almost sailed ourselves out of the regatta on the first day," says McLaughlin. "More and more teams are taking time to practice in the Swan 42. I have heard about some teams taking their preparation to a higher level for 2015.

"The NYYC Invitational Cup is a very unique event," he continues. "The regatta is run extremely well both on and off the water. It gives us a great opportunity to see sailing friends from many different countries that we haven't seen in many years and also to meet new international friends."

One of the reasons the Invitational Cup is such an popular competition is that it is one of the truest one-design regattas for large boats. The New York Yacht Club Swan 42s used for the regatta are identical, all built by the Nautor boatyard in Finland. But the Invitational Cup goes further than a traditional one-design event. The sails and running rigging are provided, ensuring no team has an equipment edge. Additionally the boats are identically equipped and the rigging tension is standardized throughout the fleet.

As a result, the racing is extremely close; it's not unusual to see the entire fleet round the first mark tip to tail. Mistakes, especially during the start, on the first leg or while rounding a mark, can be extremely costly. And few teams are ever truly out of a race.

As tense as the competition can be on the water, ashore it's a celebration of a shared passion for yachting. The New York Yacht Club, along with presenting sponsor Rolex and other regatta partners, aims to provide the sailors and their friends and family, with a unique, first-class social experience. Each day after racing, competitors gather on the lawn of Harbour Court to renew old acquaintances, make new ones and relive the day's action.

The regatta also prides itself on its comprehensive media plan. In 2015, this will include daily videos, live regatta coverage and an active social media presence. "We're always pleasantly surprised at the number of people from each participating club that follow this event in real time, no matter what hour it is at home," says event chairperson Patti Young. "This year we plan to give them—and any sailing fan interested in top amateur competition—even more reason to tune in."

Competing Teams, 2015 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex: Eastern Yacht Club (Marblehead, Mass.), Itchenor Sailing Club (GBR), Japan Sailing Federation, Middle Harbour Yacht Club* (AUS), New York Yacht Club, Newport Harbor (Calif.) Yacht Club, Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (ESP), The Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL), Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (CHN), The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (AUS), Royal Southern Yacht Club (GBR), Royal Swedish Yacht Club, Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR), Royal Yacht Squadron (GBR), Seattle Yacht Club, Yacht Club Argentino (ARG), Yacht Club Capri (ITA) and Yacht Club Italiano (ITA).
*First-time Invitational Cup Competitor

#nyyc – Royal Cork Yacht Club will get the chance to fight for the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup again in 2015, the American club confirmed today.

The Munster club's Anthony O'Leary was aiming to make it third time lucky last September in the 2013 edition but although an overall win eluded him and his 12 man crew, the skipper of the Royal Cork entry did post his best result so far, a fourth overall. It remains to be seen if any other Irish Yacht Clubs will take up the gauntlet for what the New Yorkers are now claiming is 'the world's premiere international Corinthian sailing competition'.

The only other Irish club to send an entry to the competition in its five year history is a Royal sister to the Crosshaven club, the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire but that was in the very early days of the event.

Certainly, competitors from around the globe were effusive and unanimous in their praise of the third running of this event, in Newport, R.I. last September. "There is nothing similar which has this very close class racing of identical boats," said Nick Burns of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. "Every time I come here I think it's the most fantastic event."

"On or off the water, no one does it like the New York Yacht Club," said Terry McLaughlin, the skipper of the two-time champion team from the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.

The fourth edition of the Invitational Cup presented by Rolex will take place Sept. 12 to 19, 2015.

"We look forward to welcoming the world's best Corinthian sailors back to Harbour Court, the New York Yacht Club's on-the-water club house and the former home of our 36th commodore, John Nicholas Brown," said New York Yacht Club Commodore Thomas J. Harrington. "The Invitational Cup is the latest chapter in the Club's century-long commitment to one-design racing. Competing in identical boats, with the final outcome depending solely on each crew's collective skill, teamwork and preparation, is one of the most elemental and satisfying aspects in all of sailing."

The Invitational Cup is a regatta for amateur sailors representing both their yacht clubs and home nations. It is a one-design regatta, utilizing the New York Yacht Club Swan 42. However, this regatta raises big-boat one-design competition to a new level. Most competitors charter boats from the regatta organizers, matched sails are provided for all competitors, and the rig tension is equalized and locked-in across the fleet. These steps collectively serve to negate many of the factors that separate the best from the rest in a traditional one-design keelboat regatta.

Winning the Invitational Cup takes pure sailing skill: the ability to start cleanly, shift gears swiftly, correctly adapt to the shifting winds and manage the rest of the fleet. With the boats so even in speed, it's not unusual for the fleet to round the first mark stacked up, bow to stern.

The goal of every team preparing for the 2015 Invitational Cup presented by Rolex will be to match the level of talent and preparation showcased by the Royal Canadian team, which has never finished worse than second in the regatta. The most recent win was anything but easy for the Canadian crew (at right). They struggled out of the gate with three sub-par races. But a string of five straight first-place finishes lifted them back into contention. McLauglin's team didn't assume the overall lead until the final race of the regatta, beating a tenacious team from Larchmont Yacht Club by 6.1 points in the overall standings. England's Royal Thames YC finished third.

#NYYC – Royal Cork Yact Club skippered by Anthony O'Leary has moved up to fourth overall going into today's final day of racing at the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup wirtes Louay Habib.

The breeze on Day 4 of the 2013 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex may not have given a full on foam up, but there was some red-hot racing on the fourth day of the regatta. Racing today took place on the wide-open water of Rhode Island Sound and there were some surprising results.

With two races remaining, the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and Larchmont (N.Y.) YC look set for a final showdown on Saturday. But the star performer of the Day 4 was the Yacht Club Argentino, which scored three podium finishes today, including a bullet in the last race, propelling the team into the top 10. Royal Thames Yacht Club scored consistently to consolidate third position. With an impressive comeback in Race 10, the Canadian squad has opened up a six-point lead over Larchmont YC for the title, which will be decided tomorrow.

The Yacht Club Argentino [in photo above] is the oldest yacht club in Latin America and is lead by Soling sailor Paulo Cosentino.

"Today we really enjoyed the race area because it is very similar to our home sailing grounds near Buenos Aires in Argentina," said Cosentino. "We also invested in a very good weather forecast and although all the signs were to go to the right of the course to hook into the potential lift, the forecast had said that the left would pay and we trusted it. We felt far more confident today and that really helped a lot and once we could see how well we were doing, the confidence just grew and grew. We made a few mistakes in the first two races of the day but we sailed very well in the last race and to finish with a win was just fantastic, we are absolutely delighted."

Larchmont YC started the day well scoring a second and a first, but a 14th in the last race has put the team from New York six points behind Royal Canadian.

"We started at the pin because that was where the Canadians were," said Larchmont YC skipper Danny Pletsch of the second race of the day. "They started to engage us yesterday because it looks like the winner is between the two of us. They started to come at us yesterday, so we kind of returned that today.

"We started to windward of them, but they bailed out early and because we had reached over the top we actually lost our lane, We tacked onto Port and found a hole to get across in the middle. The Canadians got rolled out, but it didn't hurt them too much, so we tacked on them again and we went boat-for-boat around the top mark, it's hard to put points on them, they are fast real fast.

"We got stuck behind Yacht Club Argentino at the first top mark, when they had a bad hoist, so we jibed off. To avoid soaking really low and getting rolled by the Canadians, we sent it really high. We could sail in our own mode and we got into clear air and it worked out for us.

"It is great to finally win one because we have been second four times and in all those races, we were leading at one point.

"We hurt ourselves in our last race, giving up seven points and we definitely need to beat those guys tomorrow and put some points on them. They are the fastest boat in the fleet, but we will see how it goes."

#nyyc – The Royal Cork Yacht Club, skippered by Anthony O'Leary have yet to score a better result than fifth at New York's Yacht Club's (NYYC) Invitational Cup but their consistency has propelled the Irish team into second place. Anthony is sailing with two of his sons, Nicholas and Robert.

It was a long hard day on the water for the 20 Yacht Clubs competing for the Cup. The start was delayed by several hours waiting for the breeze to fill but when it came, three spectacular races were completed with some of the best racing imaginable. The 200 competing didn't reach the dock until after 5 p.m. and the NYYC apres sailing hospitality was very much appreciated.

During the day, the wind speed ranged from just 5 knots to a feisty 18 knots and with bright sunshine bathing the racing area, between Gould Island and Prudence Island, the second day of racing at the NYYC Invitational Cup was a joy to behold. Mark roundings were not for the faint hearted, as a multitude of boats came barrelling in, often overlapped at virtually every corner.

Race 3 of the series belonged to the Australian team from the Prince Alfred Yacht Club, consolidating their 1-5 scoreline on the first day and putting pressure on the overnight leader, Larchmont (N.Y.) YC. However, Prince Alfred Yacht Club scorecard faltered in the last two races of the day, as costly errors pushed the team down to sixth overall.

Meanwhile Larchmont YC continued the charge taking another second place to consolidate their position at the top of the leader board. However in Race 4, Larchmont YC was shut out at a top mark in a ball of traffic and didn't recover, scoring 16th for the race. The Royal Yacht Squadron started the day strongly, taking third in Race 3 but fell away in the following two races. wrapping their spinnaker around their bow on the last bottom mark.

After five races, Larchmont YC still lead the regatta, but two teams are just a few points behind, one of these is Royal Cork.

The RCYC's Nicholas O'Leary is enjoying the experience of sailing a new boat design.

"We just concentrate on getting away clean from the line." said Nicholas O'Leary, the team's tactician. "We don't sail a Swan 42 at home, but the whole team races in one-design 1720s in Cork and that has been a real bonus, especially downwind, as we have a lot of experience with asymmetric kites. I have to say that we had a real battle on today. Fighting with the other boats in the pack behind the race leaders, is hard work, you have to scrap for every place."

The reigning NYYC Invitational Cup winners, Royal Canadian Yacht Club have moved up to third place having won two of today's races. " The day didn't start so well, we actually had a good start in Race 3 and then we tried to tack inside the New York Yacht Club and we didn't make it." said RCYC skipper, Terry McLaughlin. "I should have called to duck them and that was a mistake and we did our turns. However we got our act together in the last two races, as we know we can. We got the shift right in Race 4 and we won the favoured side in the last race, so the last race turned into an easy win, we had a big long debrief after today, as we like to sort out our problems. After the way we sailed yesterday, we feel very fortunate to be in third place. We will see how we go tomorrow, but this is a long series."

Spare a thought for the kind generosity of the Swan 42 owners who have kindly chartered their yachts for this regatta. Chuck Kenehan is the owner of Mahalo, which has been chartered to the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. "I was itching to get out there and race today." admitted Kenehan, whilst watching from a spectator boat. "That was just fantastic racing and I am so glad to see so many yacht clubs from overseas enjoying the wonderful sailing grounds that Newport has to offer." -- Louay Habib

Racing is scheduled to continue at 1100 local time tomorrow. Full detailed results.

Standings after 5 races:

1. Larchmont YC, USA, 25 points
2. Royal Cork YC, IRL, 31.3
3. Royal Canadian YC, CAN, 32
4. Japan Sailing Federation, JPN, 35
5. New York Yacht Club, USA, 36
6. Royal Prince Alfred YC, AUS, 36
7. Royal Thames YC, GBR, 40
8. The San Francisco YC, USA, 45
9. Royal Southern YC, GBR, 47
10. Royal Freshwater YC, AUS, 50
11. Royal Yacht Squadron, GBR, 51
12. Seattle Yacht Club, USA, 54
13. Royal Belgian Sailing Club, BEL, 56
14. Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, AUS, 59
15. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, HKG, 61
16. Yacht Club Italiano, ITA, 62
17. YC Argentino, ARG, 70
18. Real Club Nautico de Barcelona, ESP, 79
19. Royal Swedish YC, SWE, 88
20. Nylandska Jaktklubben, FIN, 88.8

When its Invitational Cup comes around again in 2011, the New York Yacht Club will proudly fly the Irish tricolour among country flags of yacht clubs from around the world and the trademark green and gold colors of presenting sponsor Rolex.  The club has determined its official list of invited yacht clubs for the biennial event, scheduled for September 10-17, 2011, and plans to build on the success of the inaugural NYYC Invitational Cup, which was held in September 2009 and hosted 19 teams from 14 nations. Among those teams are a returning squad from Royal Cork

 

“The essence of the regatta is to bring together Corinthian (amateur) yacht club teams in a competition that not only is tough and demanding but also levels the playing field.” said NYYC Commodore David K. Elwell Jr., explaining that the five-day regatta is sailed in chartered NYYC Swan 42s.  Sails are supplied and rigs are equally tuned, allowing each club to demonstrate the skills of its top sailors.

 

"The response to and the outcome of the 2009 event were greater than we could ever have expected,” added Elwell.  “Those yacht clubs returning have vowed to do so with a vengeance and many new clubs are joining the mix.”

 

The top finishers in 2009 offered automatic entry to the 2011 event are New York Yacht Club, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Japan Sailing Federation, Nyländska Jaktklubben of Finland; Royal Cork Yacht Club of Ireland and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.  In addition, Real Club Nautico Barcelona (Spain) and Royal Yacht Squadron (London, England) have been invited to return, while new yacht clubs Clube Naval de Cascais (Portugal), Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, late Clube do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Royal Cape Yacht Club (Cape Town, South Africa), Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (Australia), Société Nautique de Saint Tropez (France), Yacht Club Argentino, and Yacht Club Punta Ala (Italy) are expected to accept first-time invitations.

 

Rounding out the fleet of 16 will be three additional U.S. teams that will be determined by the outcome of this year’s 24-club U.S. Qualifying Series (scheduled for September 7-11 at the NYYC in Newport), and up to twelve additional international yacht clubs on the condition that they bring their own boats for competition.

 

The worldwide fleet of NYYC Swan 42s currently consists of 46 boats, 23 of which are owned by New York Yacht Club members. The NYYC Swan 42s are unique one-design racer/cruisers created by the NYYC in partnership with Nautor’s Swan to boost Corinthian sailing and promote increased competitiveness within an owner-driver and amateur sailing framework.

 

“The event promises to showcase the finest amateur sailors in the world,” said returning Event Chair John Mendez, noting that, as evidenced by the teams formed in 2009, there are plenty of big names in sailing who do not or no longer sail as professionals.  “The opportunity to race at such a high level of competition has encouraged many clubs to seek an invitation, for where else can they take their best club racers and compete against national and international champions, even America’s Cup legends, on an equal basis?  For many, the chance to race in Newport alone is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and to socialize in such an electric atmosphere after a day of hard racing is simply icing added to the cake.”

 

Racing in the NYYC Invitational Cup presented by Rolex will take place on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, the same waters where the New York Yacht Club hosted the America’s Cup – a trophy it first won in 1851 – from 1930-1983.  Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams, and the winning yacht club's name will be engraved on the NYYC Invitational Cup that is permanently displayed at NYYC’s 44th Street Clubhouse in Manhattan.

 

In addition to Rolex, Sperry Top-Sider is also a sponsor of the 2011 event.

Two Irish Clubs are entered in to New York's newest sailing competition that sets sail next week. It will be reminiscent of Newport’s America’s Cup days when 19 yacht club teams from 14 nations descend on this “City by the Sea” next week. Like in 1983, when Newport last hosted the Cup races here,* the patriotic teams will be sailing on Rhode Island Sound for a trophy kept by the New York Yacht Club , but this time it isn’t the “Auld Mug.” Both Royal St. George in Dun Laoghaire and Royal Cork in Crosshaven are entered for the event. It’s the Invitational Cup, which the New York Yacht Club has recently put into circulation for the purpose of reviving amateur racing on these shores and around the world.

"While the current America’s Cup competition is embroiled in legal contretemps, the New York Yacht Club is running an international event that features teams from as far away as China, Finland, Germany and New Zealand,” said Event Chair John Mendez.  “The event will showcase the finest amateur sailors in the world and will be the most significant event that the New York Yacht Club has hosted in recent memory.”

Spectators with their own boats can watch the racing each day from Wednesday, Sept. 16 through Saturday, Sept. 19, after checking for an update for course location on the New York Yacht Club website (www.nyyc.org ). Racing starts at 11 a.m. and is expected to take place mostly on the America’s Cup waters approximately one mile beyond R2 buoy, or on Narragansett Bay north of the bridge.

Another option is to follow the racing online, where Kattack will be providing “Live Race Tracking” (http://tinyurl.com/oyue8a). Visitors can perform operations such as selecting their favorite boats from a drop down list and following it throughout the series.  Race viewing is free but requires a sign-up with username and password.  A direct link to the tracking, along with blogs, daily video and results will be available at http://www.nyyc.org/eventnews once the regatta begins.  On October 25th at 5 p.m. a one-hour ESPN2 show about the event will air.

Parade of Nations

On the morning of Saturday, Sept. 19, spectators can watch a Parade of Nations from key vantage points around the harbor, similar to watching Newport’s nautical Christmas parade in December. But instead of Christmas lights, the 19 vessels will fly their battle flags, display team names on their mainsails and fly their National Flags from stern staffs. “So come out and cheer for your favorite team or maybe your country of origin,” said Mendez.

The parade starts at 9 a.m. and will be led by the Race Committee vessel and the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club.  It will travel counter-clockwise around the inner harbor, past Bowen’s and Bannister’s Wharf, Perotti Park, Newport Yacht Club, and Goat Island, before proceeding out of the harbor, past Fort Adams and Castle Hill toward the race course, where racing will begin at 11 a.m.

And while the competition at sea will be fierce, the revelry ashore is expected to be friendly as the New York Yacht Club hosts the teams, their families, and friends at Opening Ceremonies and various social functions. “The crews will no doubt be availing themselves of the social scene downtown throughout the week, and anyone who is interested can keep close tabs on racing developments,” said Mendez.

The NYYC Swan 42s that will be used by the teams are one-design, which means they are nearly identical (with only one suit of NYYC-provided sails allowed), putting performance emphasis on teamwork rather than equipment.  It also means that – unlike handicap racing – when a boat finishes first in a race, it’s first, not second or third because of rating mathematics.

“Root, Root, Root for the Home Team”

Sure to have plenty of fans will be the New York Yacht Club’s own entry of Arethusa, with accomplished skipper Phil Lotz (Newport, R.I./New Canaan, Conn.) steering. He will have as his navigator Wendy Lotz, his wife, and as mast man and spinnaker trimmer, respectively, his sons Chris and Doug Lotz. Another local sailor aboard, well-known in Newport as well as around the world, will be Ken Read, who recently skippered Puma to second place in the Volvo Ocean Race and will serve as tactician for Arethusa. 

Arethusa snagged the NYYC’s berth at the Invitational Cup after emerging as top boat in an elimination series that included the NYYC 155th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex and the 2009 Swan 42 National Championship, which it won.

“We are very pleased and proud to be representing New York Yacht Club,” said Phil Lotz.  “The core team has been sailing together since January, and this was a stated objective of the program.” Looking at the line-up for the Invitational Cup, Lotz added, “We have sailed against several of the skippers and crews, mostly the teams closer to the U.S., such as Bermuda and Canada. We have certainly heard of and know the reputations of many of the other skippers and teams, and we very much look forward to sailing against them.  I think every team will be very competitive and tough to beat.” 

Another U.S. team, skippered by Soling World Champion Craig Healy, will represent San Francisco’s St. Francis Yacht Club. Alongside him on the chartered NYYC Swan 42 Interlodge will be noted tactician Russ Silvestri, a U.S. Olympian in the Finn class.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams, and the winning yacht club's name will be engraved on the NYYC Invitational Cup that will be permanently displayed at NYYC’s Clubhouse.

The complete list of competing clubs is as follows:

Japan Sailing Federation (Tokyo, Japan)

New York Yacht Club (New York, N.Y., USA)

Norddeutscher Regatta Verein  (Hamburg, Germany)

Nyländska Jaktklubben  (Helsinki, Finland)

Real Club Nautico Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (Hamilton, Bermuda)

Royal Canadian Yacht Club (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Royal Cork Yacht Club (County Cork, Ireland)

Royal Danish Yacht Club (Hellerup, Denmark)

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (Hong Kong, China)

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (Auckland, New Zealand)

Royal Ocean Racing Club  (London, England)

Royal St. George (County Dublin, Ireland)

Royal Thames Yacht Club (London, England)

Royal Yacht Squadron (London, England)

St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco, Calif., USA)

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)

Yacht Club de France (Paris, France)

Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa, Italy)