Santa Maria Cup making comeback

Published on November 20th, 2022

The Santa Maria Cup, a premier match racing event for women for over 20 years but stopped in 2012, is making a comeback in 2023. The regatta will be May 1-4 in J/22s on the Severn River in Annapolis, MD.

Ten teams will be invited, housing and most meals will be provided for the competitors. Additionally, Eastport Yacht Club is coordinating with St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco, CA) to schedule two events in the USA so that teams from Europe and Asia can get more racing in for one set of international airline flights. The St. Francis Yacht Club event will be contested April 25-28 in J/22s as well.

Arguably the premiere women’s event in the US, the Santa Maria Cup had drawn some of the top match and fleet racing skippers and teams over the years. Names like Dawn Riley (USA), Betsy Alison (USA), Marie Bjorling (SWE), Paula Lewin (BER), Claire Leroy (FRA) and Katie Spithill (AUS) adorn the Santa Maria Cup trophy.

An attempt to revitalize the event in 2022 with a special alumnae edition did not gain sufficient interest, but now with the invigoration of women’s match racing brought on by the Women’s World Match Racing Tour, Eastport Yacht Club has made the decision to bring back the Santa Maria Cup as a World Sailing Grade 2 event.