America’s Cup return to New York brings a revitalization of sailing

by John Clarke, Washington Post
New York, NY (May 7, 2016) – New York City has 520 miles of shoreline, yet it has traditionally fallen behind the arguably superior U.S. sailing cities on the water, including Boston, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego. That may be changing.

New and ongoing waterfront projects, improved water access, better water quality and a sharp increase in high-profile events have sailing poised for a robust return to New York City.

America’s Cup racing returned Saturday and continues Sunday with the America’s Cup World Series, in which teams from six nations compete on foiling catamarans in the biggest sailing event on the Hudson River in nearly a century.

The six teams will race off lower Manhattan for points that go toward the America’s Cup final in Bermuda in 2017. U.S. Team Oracle is defending its 2013 America’s Cup win against challengers from Sweden, New Zealand, France, Japan and a British team led by Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie.

As part of the America’s Cup, the Endeavour Programme will teach area students sailing basics on catamarans, with boats resembling the city’s old yellow checker cabs.

Shortly after the America’s Cup, boats from the Transat, the oldest solo transatlantic race in the world, which began in Plymouth, England, on Monday, will start arriving in Brooklyn.

The finish will coincide with the formal opening of New York Harbor’s first new marina in 20 years, ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina , a sailing-oriented facility that offers a club and school to grow the sport and a community outreach program to make it more accessible to kids and new sailors.

Sailing, it seems, has gripped New York.

“The Hudson River is one of the most untapped stadiums in America,” Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill said. “It’s right up there with Wrigley and Yankee Stadium.”

Spithill also said New York, though it has less space for boats with fewer slips and marinas than other waterside cities, is an unparalleled place to sail.

“There’s a definitely a bit of resurgence in sailing in New York, and I hope the America’s Cup will be somewhat of a catalyst to get people to the water,” Spithill said.

“Other cities all have their special thing, but Manhattan’s atmosphere is like no other,” he said. “It’s a really fun place to sail with the backdrop and iconic landmarks. I mean, what an awesome place to get out there and feel like you’re not all crammed together.”

New York historically is a commercial port. By the 1970s, the city’s waterfront had deteriorated into a broken chain of derelict docks. The only activity was the Circle Line sightseeing cruises.

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