Fully subscribed for NYYC Women’s Championship

The second edition of the New York Yacht Club Women’s Championship will feature 20 teams of four or five women from across the United States sailing in provided one-design Sonar keelboats. The 2024 event is scheduled for June 28-30, and will be sailed out of the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, RI.

Held biennially, eight of the top 10 finishers from the inaugural edition in 2022 will compete, including defending champion Alie Toppa and her College of Charleston-based crew.

“Of the various sailing disciplines I’ve gotten into over the past couple of years, there’s nothing like the pure simplicity of fleet racing in one-design boats,” says Toppa (above, far left). “The enjoyment of tough competition in a 20-boat fleet being run by a top-tier race committee is pretty hard to beat. The Women’s Championship is exactly that for me, so coming back to defend my title felt inevitable.”

Also returning is 2022 runner-up Erin Maxwell and her team. The former 470 world champion built quite a resume through collegiate sailing and multiple Olympic campaigns, but sailing has taken a back seat to professional and family responsibilities of late. The team’s name in 2022, 11 Less Distractions, referenced the four sailors’ combined number of children.

“We really enjoyed the event, and Newport is a great venue for racing,” says Maxwell. “It was great to see so many competitive sailors at the event last time. Looking at the list for this year’s event, it might be an even stronger group.”

Maxwell’s team remains the same as in 2022 and she’s hoping that with a little more familiarity and practice, they can move up one step on the final podium.

“The event last time was the first time sailing together as a team, and we have done another event since then, and are enjoying sailing together and building our teamwork,” she says. “Similar to last time, the key will be consistency. Having a deep race in the last race was hard to recover from without a throw out, and that cost us winning the event.”

Like with Maxwell’s crew, Hannah Swett’s team, which finished third in 2022, remains unchanged.

“We had the most fun reconnecting with sailing friends from the past; my whole team is committed again for this year,” says Swett. “I think the fleet looks even more competitive, if that’s even possible. We are very excited to go sailing!”

The winning team will receive the Joan H. Towse Trophy, named for the passionate sailor, race committee member and late wife of former New York Yacht Club Commodore Robert C. Towse Jr.

Event information – Entry list – Facebook

Source: NYYC