In conditions that would challenge sailors half their age, competitors 60 and older battled gusty winds and driving rain as Hurricane Erin passed offshore during the inaugural New York Yacht Club Great Grandmasters Team Race last week.
The New York Yacht Club team dominated the competition, going undefeated through seven round-robin races before defeating Noroton Yacht Club 2-0 in Friday’s finals to claim the title.
“It just tells you that the old guys still want to sail,” said George Hinman, skipper and co-captain of the winning New York Yacht Club team, after his crew competed in winds reaching 25 mph with higher gusts.
The new regatta requires skippers to be at least 70 years old and crew members 60 or older — the most restrictive age requirements among the club’s five annual team racing events. Despite the demanding conditions Thursday and Friday, organizers said the competition showcased the skill and determination of veteran sailors.
“I felt really proud of the sailors out there because they did a spectacular job,” said Hinman, whose team includes sailors with more than 20 years of team racing experience together.
The Great Grandmasters event joins an expanding lineup of age-specific competitions at the New York Yacht Club. The club launched adult team racing in 2000 with the Commodore George R. Hinman Masters Trophy for skippers 45 and older, followed by the all-ages Morgan Cup in 2003 and the Grandmasters regatta for skippers 60 and older in 2010.
All events use the club’s fleet of 22 Sonar keelboats and are held over consecutive August weekends at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court.
Former Commodore Phil Lotz, who served as main trimmer and tactician for the winning team, said the new event addresses the needs of sailors aging out of other competitions.
“They’re very capable sailors,” Lotz said. “This event gives people who are still interested in sailing and want to participate and have a lot of friends here an opportunity to get together and do some sailing.”
Event chair Scott MacLeod emphasized the social aspect of bringing together longtime competitors and friends.
“Getting all these people together that have known each other for all these years and being able to play this game out on the water but also come in and socialize and see people you haven’t seen in 20 years and reengage with them is fantastic,” MacLeod said.
In the silver division round-robin, Newport Harbor Yacht Club of California finished first at 4-0, followed by Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans at 3-1.
The regatta received support from sponsors including Helly Hansen, Peters & May and Safe Harbor Marinas.
