Light Day at Baldwin Cup

Newport Beach, CA (April 12, 2018) – The eleventh Baldwin Cup Team Race got underway for 12 yacht club teams from the U.S. and abroad. With racing off of Newport Harbor Club in Harbor 20s, the three-day regatta showcases the talent of international and national champions, America’s Cup crew members, and collegiate All-Americans. Sailors compete in team format with four vs. four boats. Competitors frequently sail less than 50 meters off the dock.

Last year, hole in the ground. This year? The Phoenix is definitely rising, with the new club scheduled to open this summer. Just “modus operandi” (Latin for standard operating procedure or MO for short) for the Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC) as it hosts its eleventh Baldwin Cup Team Race, the premier team racing regatta in the United States.

In addition to the U.S. and U.K, this is the first time an Italian team is joining the fleet (welcome Yacht Club Costa Smeralda). After a delay because of big breeze, 17 races were completed with NHYC Thunder, St. Francis Yacht Club and San Diego Yacht Club tied for first, Larchmont Yacht Club and NHYC Lightning tied for second. Team Lightning from Newport Harbor Yacht Club are defending their title.

With over seventy mooring balls cleared to create amazing views, stadium style sailing began in five knots from the south and paused with a postponement because of 18-20 knots sustained wind with gusts to 24 knots.

Newport Harbor Yacht Club never disappoints. “For the second and last time, we are operating out of temporary facilities, albeit great looking as our new building begins to take shape,” said Staff Commodore Jeff Gordon, event chairman. “Our operations team, volunteers and staff have done an amazing job preparing the boats and getting the Club ready for our U.S. and international visitors.”

With the insightful announcing (and often times colorful deserving of a protest flag) from the on-site team lead by Adam Deermont, and Keith Yonkers, Baldwin Cup captivates all spectators not quite knowing what to expect.

NHYC’s experienced pit crew’s skills were put to test when they had to wrangle a Harbor 20 that tried to escape from the dock when the wind came up. This veteran team works its hardest to keeping the boats in order despite the racers’ best efforts to make them otherwise.

Event details – Crew List – Scoreboard

This year’s teams include: Annapolis Yacht Club (Annapolis, MD), Balboa Yacht Club (Newport Beach, Calif.), YC Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo, Italy), Eastern Yacht Club (Marblehead, Mass.), Larchmont Yacht Club (Larchmont, N.Y.), New York Yacht Club (N.Y.), Royal Thames Yacht Club (London), St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco), San Diego Yacht Club (Calif.), Southern Yacht Club (New Orleans, L.A.), in addition to two teams from Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Team Lightning and Thunder.