America’s Cup: What is an annual regatta?

The clause within the America’s Cup Deed of Gift, which requires each competing club to have an annual regatta, was the basis for the legal action taken by Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) in August following the 2007 America’s Cup.

Defender Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) had selected Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) as the Challenger of Record for the next edition, but as CNEV had just been formed for the purpose of assisting SNG, they both thought that hosting an annual regatta could be done in the future. However, the New York Supreme Court determined that the clause was meant for this annual regatta to already be occurring at the time of entry.

The courts deemed CNEV was not eligible to enter, and since GGYC was the next club to have entered, they then became the Challenger of Record. But this was not the end of litigation … just one chapter.

This ugly period of America’s Cup history was finally resolved by a Deed of Match race between SNG and GGYC… with the American club as the winner. To relive the court drama of the 33rd America’s Cup, CLICK HERE

So what is GGYC’s annual regatta? It is the Manuel Fagundes Seaweed Soup regatta, named after the club’s singing bartender. Here are photos from the racing in December on San Francisco Bay by Erik Simonson….