Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is September 10 – 14

Amateur teams representing 20 of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world have gathered in Newport, Rhode Island for the 2019 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. This biennial regatta is one of the most prestigious Corinthian competitions in the sport of sailing. The winner receives a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date timepiece and the right to display the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup travel trophy in their clubhouse for the next two years.

The regatta runs from Tuesday, September 10, through Saturday, September 14. The first start is scheduled for 1100 each day. Racing is scheduled to take place on Narragansett Bay, north of Gould Island, or on Rhode Island Sound, south of Brenton Point Park. The racing location will be picked each morning. The regatta is hosted out of the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport.

The teams represent 14 countries from five continents. U.S. teams competing include defending champions Southern Yacht Club from New Orleans, San Diego Yacht Club, which earned its berth with a win in last September’s Resolute Cup, and the host New York Yacht Club. Other participating yacht clubs hail from Great Britain, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Sweden, France, Canada, Germany, Argentina, Spain and Ireland.

After five regattas using the Swan 42 class, the sixth edition of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will be the first to feature the IC37 raceboat. Designed by Mark Mills, built by Westerly Marine in California and FIBRE Mechanics in Great Britain, the boat was created specifically for this regatta. Rather than relying on private owners, the New York Yacht Club bought a fleet of 20 one-design boats. The sails and standing rigging tension are identical across the fleet. On-the-water judging eliminates the need for lengthy and contentious on-shore protest hearings. The result is perhaps the most level platform ever created for one-design big-boat competition. The skills and teamwork of the sailors will determine the final outcome.

Racing for the 2019 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will start on Tuesday, September 10, with a live broadcast of each race starting on Wednesday, September 11, via Facebook and YouTube. The regatta will run through Saturday, September 14.

The Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is a biennial competition between yacht clubs, with strict eligibility rules ensuring that each team is comprised almost exclusively of amateur sailors who are members of the club they represent. The competition, which was first run in 2009, has drawn entries from 43 clubs from 21 nations on all six inhabited continents. The New York Yacht Club won the inaugural event in 2009, with the Royal Canadian Yacht Club winning in 2011 and 2013 and England’s Royal Thames Yacht Club winning in 2015. Southern Yacht Club, from New Orleans, is the defending champion having won the trophy in 2017. In 2019, the regatta will utilize the New York Yacht Club’s fleet of IC37 sailors, which were designed and built for the competition.

The following yacht clubs will compete for the 2019 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup: Itchenor Sailing Club (GBR), Japan Sailing Federation, New York Yacht Club, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (GER), Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (ESP), Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL), Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (AUS), Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Royal Swedish Yacht Club, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (AUS), Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR), Royal Yacht Squadron (GBR), San Diego (Calif.) Yacht Club, Southern Yacht Club (New Orleans), Yacht Club Argentino, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (ITA), Yacht Club de France, Yacht Club Italiano. Team profiles can be found at https://nyyc.org/2019-rolex-nyyc-invitational-cup.

The 2019 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is sponsored by Rolex and Helly Hansen.

Media Contact:

Stuart Streuli

Communications Director, New York Yacht Club

m: 401-864-0511

o: 401-608-1128

e: streulis@nyyc.org