2023 Lipton Cup at San Diego Yacht Club - Overall
by San Diego Yacht Club 30 Oct 2023 18:44 NZDT
October 27-29, 2023
San Diego Yacht Club has won the 108th Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup! The defending champs were determined to hold tight to the cup and they did just that in final moments of the regatta. Marking the sixth win for skipper Tyler Sinks and his crew including Adam Roberts, Jake La Dow, Brad Rodi, Lucy Wallace, Max Hutcheson, and Nick Kaschak.
Heading into the final day of racing Newport Harbor Yacht Club led by a narrow three point lead. Both SDYC and NHYC knew that all eyes were on them and they had moments of the day that felt like they were matchracing each other, not the rest of the fleet. And rightly so, after all, over the past nine years the Lipton Cup has traded hands between these two clubs four times. Their competitive rivalry at this event is unrivaled.
The day began with a near hour long postponement as we waited for the breeze to consistently hold above five knots. Race Committee made adjustments to the course and the start of race ten went off seamlessly at 1230. American Yacht Club and Eastern Yacht Club were able to get ahead and stay ahead, finishing first and second respectively.
Race eleven was more squirrelly with three teams over at the start and NHYC finding themselves in the bottom half of the fleet at the first windward mark. Meanwhile, SDYC and Southwestern Yacht Club had fantastic starts and found clear air, allowing them to chase each other through the course. NHYC doggedly fought their way to a third place finish after a jibe set at the weather mark and incredible boat speed on the downwind legs. At the end of the eleventh race of the regatta, SDYC had claimed the coveted first place position in the standings by just three points.
The fleet remained tight throughout the entire regatta, Sinks said it perfectly at the banquet dinner "I think it's a testament to the level of competition, that every year it seems like it comes down to the final day and there's multiple teams in it. Thats really what you want in a regatta. There are so many good teams here and so many great sailors."
Although it seemed evident that NHYC or SDYC would likely claim the championship, who would be number one and who would be number two remained unclear. We had seen upsets far greater than three points in days past. Could SDYC hold off NHYC? It all hinged on the last race of the day. While SDYC and NHYC dueled for first and second, Coronado Yacht Club and New York Yacht Club were embattled in their own fight for a place on the podium. CYC had a tough last start and NYYC didn't miss the opportunity to earn the five points they needed to claim third overall.
Ultimately, the defending champions, San Diego Yacht Club, finished first overall with just forty two points. Earning the home team their third consecutive win. Newport Harbor Yacht Club finished second with fifty two points, followed by New York Yacht Club with sixty four points.
Competitors from every team echoed the same sentiments about the level of professionalism displayed by the Race Committee and Regatta Chair, J.R. Young. They gave huge accolades to the dozens of volunteers and exceptional hospitality provided by the San Diego Yacht Club. We hope the pursuit of the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup continues to bring the best of the best out West for years to come.
Full results available here.