Big boat battle for ten college teams

California Maritime Academy will seek to defend its title at the 2018 Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup Regatta on March 9 to 11 in San Pedro, CA.

Cal Maritime’s Keelhaulers will face nemeses University of South Florida Bulls and College of Charleston Cougars, who tied for second, a mere three points astern, in last year’s foggy but fierce regatta. The Cougars are one of few teams who have toppled the Keelhaulers – ending Cal Maritime’s five-year winning streak in 2016.

Two-time winner (2008, 2009) Maine Maritime Academy also will compete, along with 2010 champion University of Southern California and teams from the University of Hawaii, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, US Naval Academy, University of California Santa Barbara, and Ireland’s Cork Institute of Technology.

The Harbor Cup was founded in 2008 by the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC) and is hosted by California Maritime Academy. The invitational event was deeded to encourage young men and women to enjoy the benefits of competitive big boat ocean sailing.

The co-ed teams will race aboard a fleet of matched Catalina 37 foot sailboats, maintained to identical standards by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation, to promote the fairest possible racing. Race orgainzers plan to run 10 windward-leeward races over the course of three days, in the open waters outside Los Angeles Harbor.

Students are hosted by LAYC, which also provides all meals and hospitality for the teams. In addition to nightly dinners and the Sunday evening prizegiving ceremony, competitors will be treated to a presentation by two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Terry Hutchinson on Saturday.

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

Source: Betsy Crowfoot