Twenty amateur sailing teams from 12 countries will compete for one of Corinthian yachting’s most prestigious trophies when the ninth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup begins Tuesday morning on Rhode Island Sound.
Racing starts at 11 a.m. with the first of up to 12 races scheduled through Saturday. The biennial regatta, hosted by the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court, will feature teams sailing identical IC37 yachts designed by Mark Mills.
Despite Sunday’s rain-soaked practice session on Narragansett Bay, forecasters predict mostly sunny skies, seasonable temperatures and light to moderate winds for the competition week.
“You can sail your very best and still [have a few] small errors and you lose boatlengths,” said John Greenland, helmsman for the Royal Thames Yacht Club and seven-time Invitational Cup veteran. “Once you’re losing boatlengths and you’re in the middle of the fleet, it’s really hard to get out of the bubble.”
The fleet of nearly 200 sailors completed mandatory practice racing Monday, their second day of preparation. Sunday’s session provided a range of conditions, with northerly winds ranging from the upper teens to single digits as the tide switched from ebb to flood midway through practice.
“[Sunday’s practice] was really good for us,” said Johanna Sommarlund, helmswoman for the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. “We had a little bit of current and practiced in that to get the starts going in those conditions. I also think that it was really good to get some light winds.”
The one-design IC37 class ensures a level playing field, with each boat owned and maintained by the New York Yacht Club. Since the event began in 2009, it has attracted top amateur sailors from 52 of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs from 23 countries.
San Diego Yacht Club enters as the defending champion after winning in 2023. Previous winners include the New York Yacht Club (2009), Royal Canadian Yacht Club (2011, 2013), Royal Thames Yacht Club (2015), Southern Yacht Club (2017, 2021) and Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (2019).
Competition will take place on Rhode Island Sound south of Newport or in Upper Narragansett Bay north of Gould Island. A live broadcast on Facebook and YouTube will cover racing beginning Wednesday.
The regatta is sponsored by title sponsor Rolex, with additional support from Helly Hansen, Safe Harbor Marinas and Peters & May.
Competing clubs include teams from the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, Japan, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Argentina, Italy, Brazil and Uruguay.
Racing continues daily at 11 a.m. through Saturday, Sept. 13.