(San Diego, CA)- The International Masters Regatta will return to the
San Diego Yacht Club on October 19-21, 2018 for a regatta with some of
the greatest names in sailing. Legendary skippers from across the
country are invited to a round-robin battle in supplied J/105s and will
be vying for the title in the stadium of San Diego Bay.The International Masters Regatta is one of SDYC’s signature events, adopted seven years ago from St. Francis Yacht Club member Don Trask in honor of his father. For many years prior, the world’s greatest Master sailors raced in this international sailing competition in San Francisco Bay and after a several year gap, relocated to San Diego. Sailors with iconic names including Elvstrom, Buchan, Burnham, Tillman, Trask, Irish, Harken, North and Holland (just to name a few) have competed in this prestigious event.
The 2018 International Masters Regatta confirmed skippers include Jon Andron, Julian Bingham, Chuck Driscoll, Richard du Moulin, Tad Lacey, Bill Menninger, Ted Moore, Dave Perry, Bill Peterson, Andy Roy, and David Gould.
This regatta boasts high-level competition as well as high-level camaraderie. These skippers are old friends reunited for a fun weekend of intense racing. Five-time U.S. Match Racing Champion Dave Perry states, “I enjoy these kinds of events that are among my friends and counterparts in the sport. The Masters hosted by the SDYC is a class event, the racing is fun, and I get the chance to spend time with old friends while making some new ones as well.”
The
winner of the 2017 International Masters Regatta was SDYC’s Bill
Campbell, he offers his advice to this year’s competitors; “I think it
is important to be able to gather a good crew and let them do their jobs
on the boat. My job was to get good starts and steer. I had a tactician
to point me in what he thought was the right direction. The trimmers
and pit and bow guys didn't need any input from me except for timing at
starts and mark roundings. Too often, the skipper tries to do too many
jobs on the boat other than his own. As a result, the skipper's job
suffers and the results suffer as well. I was able to handle positioning
at the starts, steer fast, after which the crew got us around the
course.”International Masters Regatta Chair Alli Bell, who also Chairs the following week’s San Diego Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup, explains how crucial volunteers are to executing the event. “These two regattas are a huge undertaking that cannot be successful without the commitment of an army of volunteers and the thirteen J/105 owners who generously charter us their boats for almost three weeks. On behalf of the San Diego Yacht Club, I’d like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this event thrive and who will not stop working until long after the trophies have been awarded.”
Anyone interested in watching the races can find them in San Diego Bay. The schedule of events for the sailors begins on Friday with breakfast, followed with racing and a dockside social in the evening. After Saturday Night’s racing, there will be a regatta banquet for participants and after racing on Sunday, the awards will be presented.
In 2013, the perpetual trophy for the International Invitational Masters Regatta was gifted and dedicated by Malin and Roberta Burnham at the regatta banquet. The trophy is a beautiful original art piece created by Don Freedman of Nantucket Island and features a nautical inspired clock detailed with ships’ instruments.
SDYC Commodore Michael Dorgan voiced his excitement for the regatta. “As Commodore of SDYC, I can say we are extremely proud to be the host of such a prestigious sailing event. Brought here from San Francisco only seven years ago, we are very pleased to have many incredible sailors coming to our Club to race at a very high-level, yet friendly environment. One of the successful things we are able to offer is a very closely matched fleet of J/105s, with identical Club owned sail inventory and couple this with competitors rotating boats between every single race that creates a very level racing field. In the end, the best team will win, not the best boat!”
SDYC would like to thank our partners of the International Masters Regatta: Helly Hansen, YETI, Solid Sun Logistics and The Bay Club Hotel and Marina. For more J/105 Masters Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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