USA wins Global Team Racing Regatta

The second edition of the Global Team Racing Regatta was hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron and held September 26-28 in Cowes, UK. The 2-on-2 keelboat format featured 12 teams in J/70s, with each team having a minimum of three males and three females among its 8-person squad.

After the Royal Thames Yacht Club (London, UK) claimed the inaugural event hosted by the New York Yacht Club in 2018, St Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco, USA) won the 2019 edition in what can only be described as extreme conditions.

Each day saw a similar pattern of fresh breeze mounting to gale force by early afternoon resulting in racing being abandoned. Despite this the race management team delivered a full round robin.

With each race key, early losses for Newport Harbor Yacht Club and the New York Yacht Club saw their winning chances slip away, while the Royal Thames and St Francis moved into the final day with unbeaten records.

Then New York getting the measure of the event hands St Francis a bitter defeat. So now all is down to the match between St Francis and the Thames. If the Thames win then with 2 more matches they are still vulnerable, but if they lose then the title is handed to the Americans.

In possibly the tightest of races the winning combinations change again and again…. then with only meters to the finish the second Thames boat is penalized, all now rests with the lead Thames boat.. in a too desperate move another penalty for the Thames… and that is it.

St Francis having sailed all their races sail home knowing that their reward is Gold.

The Global Team Racing Regatta will now move in 2020 to Italy where it will be hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Event details: click here.

Final Results:
1. St. Francis Yacht Club (USA)
2. Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR)
3. New York Yacht Club (USA)
4. Newport Harbor Yacht Club (USA)
5. Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL)
6. Dutch Match and Team Race Association
7. Royal Yacht Squadron (GBR)
8. Bayerischer Yacht Club (GER)
9. Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club (AUS)
10. Yacht Club Argentino (ARG)
11. Japanese Sailing Federation (JAP)
12. Royal Bombay Yacht Club (IND)

Source: RYS