Hinman Masters Invitational Trophy

The August schedule of team racing for New York Yacht Club continued with the 2023 Hinman Masters Trophy on August 11-13 in Newport, RI. With skippers at least 45 years of age and crews at least 40, the 8-team field in Sonars rolled through the qualifiers in which New York Yacht Club – McDowell team topped Southern Yacht Club for the title.

After three full round-robins among the eight teams, Southern, with 17 wins, and New York McDowell, with 16 wins, had separated from the remaining teams. A best-of-five championship series would determine the winner. New York only needed three races to seal the win for the second year in a row. Eastport Yacht Club, Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, and Noroton Yacht Club rounded out the top five.

The first race of the finals turned in favor of New York late in the race. The second one was a more dominating performance that was rarely in doubt. In the third, Southern Yacht Club seemed to be in a very strong position on the third of five legs.

“The significant change was at mark three,” says Chris McDowell, team captain for the New York Yacht Club squad. “[The New York boat skippered by Zack Leonard] was trying to hold onto first place. They were able to do it down most of the run and then they were able to do a pick on two of their boats, which put us in a position where my boat was able to slide from last place into I think third, or maybe second. But it enabled our team to really mash it up and get back into the mix. That was the pivotal moment.”

While the New York boats skippered by Leonard and Brian Doyle battled for control on the right side of the final beat, McDowell locked into a drag race out to the left corner. Initially it looked like the Southern Yacht Club boat, positioned to windward, had control. But gradually McDowell edged ahead.

“Our crew hiked hard,” he says, “and the jib trim interacting together with the main trim was great. It was a long enough leg that we could edge out in front and put them in a situation where they needed to bail out. That was good fortune. We got lucky.”

McDowell earned the right to captain the team representing the host club during an internal New York Yacht Club Team Racing Championship held in May. He knew exactly where to turn for the other two skippers.

“This is the team that we’ve sailed with in other Hinman Masters, and they’re guys I’ve known since we were all teenagers,” says McDowell. “We trust each other, we enjoy being together, we work well with our crews. The fact that the Club is able to put on that event in May really allows us to compete against even better sailors. We know what we can do together.”

McDowell was also quick to credit the other three sailors on his boat—Libby Toppa, Sam September, and Brett Davis—and the chemistry that comes with the long-standing partnerships on the other boats, Leonard sailed with his wife Alice and along with Barry and Susie Parkin. Doyle’s team included Hannah Sweet, a college teammate at Brown University 30+ years ago, along with Steve Kirkpatrick and Shane Wells.

Details: https://nyyc.org/2023-hinman-masters

The New York Yacht Club’s team racing schedule concludes this coming weekend with the New York Yacht Club Grandmasters Team Race, August 18 to 20; skippers must be at least 60 years of age and crew at least 50.