Defending champion San Diego Yacht Club overcame an early setback to grab the lead after the first day of racing at the ninth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup on Tuesday.
Despite being called over the starting line early in the opening race, the San Diego crew rallied with a 7-1-1 scoreline to accumulate 9 points and take a two-point lead over Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in the three-day regatta featuring 20 amateur crews from 12 countries.
Racing in challenging conditions with 15-knot easterly winds and 6-foot seas off Newport proved demanding for many teams competing for one of amateur sailing’s most prestigious trophies.
“I was pretty frustrated with myself for that one,” said Jake La Dow, San Diego’s skipper, referring to the premature start in Race 1. “There was a big right shift in the last probably 30 seconds to the start. It got us a little too close to the line and we didn’t have enough room to kill any speed.”
The San Diego team demonstrated resilience, methodically working through the fleet during the remainder of the first race before posting victories in races two and three.
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club sits in second place with 11 points after posting the day’s most consistent results with finishes of 3-4-4. The eight-time Invitational Cup competitor is seeking to improve on its best-ever fifth-place finish from 2023.
Two-time Invitational Cup champions Royal Canadian Yacht Club recovered from their own over-early penalty in Race 1 to finish third with 15 points. After grinding back to 10th place in the opener, the Canadian crew posted a third and second in the subsequent races.
“Just that first race nerves,” said Greg Douglas, Royal Canadian’s tactician. “We got a little trigger happy on the start and had to go back. But I’m really proud of the crew.”
Royal Swedish Yacht Club also rebounded strongly after an 11th-place finish in Race 1, scoring a second and fifth to sit in sixth place with 18 points.
The regatta, sailed in the New York Yacht Club’s fleet of identical IC37 yachts designed by Mark Mills, continues through Saturday with up to nine more races scheduled. Live coverage begins Wednesday on YouTube and Facebook.
The event marks the fourth edition sailed in the IC37 class after five previous competitions in Swan 42s. The strict one-design format ensures equal equipment for all competitors in the biennial amateur championship that has attracted sailors from 52 yacht clubs across 23 countries since its 2009 inception.
Racing resumes Wednesday at 11 a.m., weather permitting.
