San Diego takes over Lipton Cup lead

San Diego, CA (October 31, 2015) – Another delay to the start of racing for the second day of the Lipton Cup, as the light air forecast came through and the Race Committee started the day with the AP flag flying.

Race 6, first of the day, began at 1:00 PM in 6 knots of breeze. San Diego Yacht Club had a great start, winning the pin and sailing off into clear air. Annapolis and St. Francis followed SDYC to the left side hoping to get a current boost as the tide ebbed. Annapolis passed SDYC as the first boat to round, followed by SDYC, and Coronado who was close behind on the windward leg.

California Yacht Club, who port tacked the fleet to go right after the start, was able to lead his pack to the upwind mark. SDYC was able to take back their lead at the leeward mark and was first upwind again followed by Annapolis and California who ended up third, and teams were able to keep those positions as they crossed the finish line.

After Race 6, SDYC jumped into first place with 19 points, St Francis in second with 21 and Larchmont in third with 32 points.

Race 7 got underway around 2:30 PM, but was quickly abandoned as the wind died and the race fell apart. The teams headed back to San Diego Yacht Club with just one race completed today, and will reconvene at the Club for the formal Lipton Cup banquet this evening.

Commodore Sean Svendsen of St. Francis Yacht Club and Tactician of the StFYC Lipton Cup team is doing his part to help the defending champions retain the Lipton Cup for another year. “The StFYC considers the Lipton Cup regatta to be one of the premier club challenge events in the country. We went after the 100th last year with the hopes of an historic win for our club. Many said we’d won it 85 years prior but when we got that gorgeous trophy home and looked at the engraved plates, we couldn’t validate that. So when you only win something once every 100 years, you really want to defend it in the 101st year. John Laun (SDYC Commodore) told me once that there are only three things which matter to a San Diego YC Commodore: air to breathe, water to drink, and winning the Lipton Cup. John is a good friend, so I hope he gets 2 out of 3 and stays healthy. I’m not so choosy; I’d be happy with just the cup and die with it in my arms. Many thanks to San Diego YC for hosting such an exceptional event. May it carry on another century.”

While the team from San Francisco continues to show its skill, the hometown hosts led by skipper Tyler Sinks are holding their own. With a youthful team in 2015, several of the sailors are second generation Lipton Cup competitors. Tyler’s dad Chuck Sinks, recent SDYC Commodore and Lipton Cup sailor said prior to racing on Saturday, “It is so nerve-racking to watch them (Team SDYC) sail that I’m headed to Mission Bay to go sail Snipes myself. I can barely watch. But I’ll head out on Sunday and root for Team SDYC to the finish. It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do so far, but that have a lot more work to do.”

The Sunday forecast doesn’t look any better than today, so the Race Committee will try to find a place for the course in San Diego Bay and give the teams a chance to finish the regatta.

Day Two Standings

Event website – Entry list – Results – Facebook – Twitter

Background: The 101st Challenge for the Lipton Cup is on October 30 – November 1, with 12 teams from yacht clubs across the USA competing in a rotation of 12 J/105s in the stadium sailing of San Diego Bay. St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco, CA) returns to defend the title, facing clubs from California, Illinois, Maryland, and New York.

Report by SDYC