One hundred years of bragging rights
Published on August 22nd, 2021
One hundred years of sailing for the Sir Thomas Lipton Interclub Challenge Cup will be celebrated September 4-6 when club teams from all over the Gulf Coast gather at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans to race Viper 640s, the third generation of sailboats to compete for Sir Thomas’s trophy since 1920.
The Lipton Challenge was first raced in Fish Class sloops from 1920 to 1968, then in Flying Scots from 1969 until 2017, until the Viper became the Gulf Yachting Association interclub race boat in 2018.
This year’s Lipton Challenge will feature, among other events, a re-enactment of the first Lipton Challenge between Southern and Pensacola Yacht Clubs and will be sailed in the Fish Class sloop, a reunion of everyone who has sailed on a Lipton Challenge team, and a closing gala to celebrate the first hundred years of competition for Sir Thomas’s trophy.
Details: http://www.gyalipton100.org
UPDATE: In response to the devastation from Hurricane Ida, the Centennial Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge has been postponed until October 29-31, 2021.