College keelboat racing comes west

Ten college teams from across the nation and Europe will battle for three days in the 2018 Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup, held March 9 to 11 in San Pedro, CA.

College level regattas are typically sailed in small one or two-person dinghies, but Los Angeles Yacht Club and the Port of Los Angeles introduced in 2008 this high-level offshore keelboat event for co-ed teams.

Invitations are highly coveted and this year’s field includes: defending champions California Maritime Academy, College of Charleston, University of Hawaii, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, US Naval Academy, University of California Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, University of South Florida, and Ireland’s Cork Institute of Technology.

Teams of eight, including at least two female crew, will race on Catalina 37s – a one-design fleet of sailboats utilized in the prestigious Congressional Cup regatta. The series will consist of 10 windward-leeward races on the Pacific Ocean course outside Angels’ Gate.

Racers will enjoy the hospitality of LAYC: lodging, meals, and special events – including a Saturday night crew and alumni dinner with guest speaker Terry Hutchinson A champion sailor since his own college years, Hutchinson is a two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year.

Event details: http://layc.org/events/event/harbor-cup

Source: Betsy Crowfoot