Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup commits to Swan 42 through 2019

by NYYC on 2 Oct 2015 On the heels of the most dramatic and most competitive edition of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup—with the top four places decided on the final leg of the regatta—the New York Yacht Club has committed to use the Swan 42 yacht for sailing's preeminent Corinthian competition through 2019.

'The Swan 42 is the perfect platform for the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup,' said New York Yacht Club Vice Commodore Phil Lotz. 'It's a challenge to sail well and the proper size for a regatta of this magnitude. As proven by this year's competition, it's also a true one-design. With supplied sails and standardized rig tune, the performance of the boats in the 2015 Rolex Invitational Cup was extremely even, leaving each team's final result dependent upon the skill of the crew.'

The Swan 42 class was created in 2006 by a group of New York Yacht Club members; it's the eighth one-design class sponsored by the Club and was integral in the creation of the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup, which has been run every two years since 2009 out of the New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court clubhouse. The Swan 42 National Championship is held each July in the waters off Newport, R.I., and has seen as many as 20 boats contest for the title. The boat has also developed a strong following in Europe, with 12 boats racing in a one-design fleet at the 2104 Rolex Swan Cup.

'The Swan 42 Class is honored by the New York Yacht Club's continued commitment to utilize the boat for the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup,' says John Hele, Swan 42 Class President. 'With a dedicated group of owners in the United States and Europe, we expect the Swan 42 to provide unparalleled Corinthian one-design big-boat sailing for years to come. Additionally, the boat has more than proven its ability to win under a variety of handicap rules.'

In the United States, the Swan 42 has scored major handicap wins under IRC (2014 Key West Race Week, the 2015 Queen's Cup) and ORR (2014 Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac). In Europe, a Swan 42 won the 2014 Giraglia Rolex Cup under IRC and the 2014 European and 2015 World ORC Championships. These diverse performances in both buoy events and distance races are a testament to the versatility of Mani Frers' design and the quality inherent in every Swan. Of course, there's no place the boat is more at home than on the racecourse for the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup. Committing to the boat for two more cycles provides stability for competitors, sponsors and the organizers, and will allow the event to grow even further.

'The 2015 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup was a triumph on many levels,' says Vice Commodore Lotz. 'Each event the competition gets more intense; the sailors become more familiar with what it takes to succeed. As the organizing body for this event, we try to do the same thing. We received a lot of positive feedback on this year's regatta, but we have no intention of getting complacent. We are determined to make the fifth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, in 2017, the best yet. Having the Swan 42 continue as the boat for the next two editions goes a long way to ensuring that will happen.'