(San Diego, CA) – The 102nd Challenge for the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup, San
Diego Yacht Club’s signature fall regatta, will be sailed over the
Halloween weekend on October 28-30, 2016. Named for the historic
yachtsman and tea baron, Sir Thomas Lipton, the Lipton Cup will host
twelve yacht club teams from across the USA.Teams will compete in a round robin format using equalized J/105s provided by owners of local Southern California boats. With the course within San Diego Bay, the tight confines keep the racing close and the action within sight of shoreside spectators.
Competing in 2016 will be Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club (San Pedro, CA), California Yacht Club (Marina del Rey, CA), Coronado Yacht Club (Coronado, CA), Eastern Yacht Club (Marblehead, MA), Larchmont Yacht Club (Larchmont, NY), Long Beach Yacht Club (Long Beach, CA), New York Yacht Club (New York, NY), Newport Harbor Yacht Club (Newport Beach, CA), San Diego Yacht Club (San Diego, CA), San Francisco Yacht Club (San Francisco, CA), Southwestern Yacht Club (San Diego, CA), and St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco, CA).
Host San Diego Yacht Club won last year’s Lipton Cup, but will be pressed by recent winners St. Francis Yacht Club (2014) and California Yacht Club (2012). Eastern Yacht Club, Larchmont Yacht Club and New York Yacht Club will be vying for their first win of the trophy, while San Francisco Yacht Club’s last win was back in 1916.
SDYC skipper Tyler Sinks likes their chances. “Sailing well is the only thing we can control and if we can do that, we’ll put ourselves in a position to win.”
Event co-chair, Joanne O’Dea, explains the spirit of the weekend, “Lipton Cup is a fun event because its three days of intense competition on the water — matched with equal enthusiasm for the camaraderie off the water. San Diego Yacht Club is proud to host this event every year and is excited to welcome the visiting teams to our bay.”
Sinks is also looking forward to the event. “The Club does such a great job with the regatta and so many club members come out to watch the sailing, hopefully the weather will cooperate and we’ll be able to give them some exciting racing.” For more J/105 Lipton Cup sailing information
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