Celebrating Shields history at Nationals

The Shields Class celebrated its 60th National Championship with the 2024 edition held September 19-21 in Larchmont, NY. Hosted by Larchmont Yacht Club, 22 teams came from local fleets and Narragansett Bay to Monterey, CA, and Edgartown, MA.

Over three days, conditions ranged from light and shifty breezes on the opening day to a clocking easterly with wind speeds in the high teens for the series’ final race. In the end, it was co-skippers Reed Baer and John Burnham (Newport, RI), winning their fourth class title (2002, 2011, 2016).

Baer and Burnham, with Rachel Balaban, Matt Buechner, and Pete Schott, dominated the 8-race series, winning by ten points without needing to compete in the final race. Finishing in second was Matt Hirsch/ Tim Dawson with brothers Ward and Andrew Young in third. The Young’s boat originally was raced by Cornelius Shields, the originator of the Class.

Holding the 60th class title was clearly a celebration for the host club as member Cornelius Shields had the boat designed in the early 1960s and worked tirelessly to create fleets around the country. He provided boats to the various maritime academies who would then charter them to local sailors during the summers.

Shields Fleet #1 is located at Larchmont Yacht Club and continues to be one of the strongest fleets in the nation. It is the Club’s most active one-design fleet.

Adding to the nostalgia at the awards ceremony, Carol Shields – Corny Shields daughter-in-law – was on-hand as was her son Corny IV who flew in from Montana for the event with his four-year-old son Corny V.

“It is in our Club’s Mission Statement, and our membership’s DNA, that we host world-class regattas,” said LYC Commodore Steve Leicht. “That’s what we’re here for and why we do it so well! As such, it should come as no surprise that the Shields Class held its National Championship in our waters for the fifteenth time.

“Larchmont Yacht Club looks forward to 2030 when we will again host the Shields National Championship as we celebrate our Club’s 150th Anniversary.”

Event information – Race details – Results

Shields 2024 National Champions with Cornelius Shields IV in center. Photo: Kate Millar.