By Dave Hubbard
This past September, the Port Jefferson Yacht Club (PJYC) in Port Jefferson, NY held its 15th annual Village Cup Regatta, an event founded to support pancreatic cancer research through the Lustgarten Foundation, and the treatment of patients through Mather Hospital’s Palliative Care Unit in Port Jefferson. All funds raised are split 50-50 between these two organizations. Over its 15-year history, this event has now raised over a million dollars for the cause!
Our Celebrity Ambassador is Ralph Macchio, “The Karate Kid” (he’s also terrific in Crossroads! – Ed). Ralph’s wife works at Mather Hospital, and he often brings cool stuff to the post-race party to auctioned off for the cause!
Prior to the race, there is a Memorial Parade of Boats in Port Jeff Harbor in memory of those we’ve lost to PC and those fighting this terrible disease. All boats get fully decked out in dress flags and come down the harbor just outside of the federal channel, then turn in front of the town dock, where a bagpiper plays “Amazing Grace.”
Then it’s off to lunch, provided by the skippers, and the races! The regatta itself is a bit different from your typical race. PJYC members volunteer their boats, with minimal trained crew. Boats are crewed by donors who receive a crew slot in exchange for their support. Being crewed mostly by non-racers, and possibly non-sailors, the rules are more relaxed with a focus on fun!
We typically get about thirty boats, split into three or four divisions by handicap. Boats without a rating receive a provisional one from the club measurer. Each division is also split into two teams; a “Mather” team and a “Village” team. After the results are totaled, the trophy goes to the winning team. No physical awards are presented to boats, as we try and make every penny support the cause. Larger sponsors and companies get banners which are hung on the boats.
After the race, there is a big party for the donors, including auctions of donated items, artwork, and the like. There are also talks from folks close to PC research. Last year, we heard from Bruce Stillman, CEO of Cold Spring Harbor Labs, who reported on hopeful progress being made in the area of immunotherapy.
We hope you’ll join the fight this year as we sail to sink pancreatic cancer! For information on how to help, please go to portjeffersonyachtclub.com/community/village-cup/ ■
