An Q&A with Steve and Heidi Benjamin about the NYYC’s 2016 Queen’s Cup

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 19 Aug 2016 When it comes to Grand Prix sailing the East Coast of the USA, it’s almost impossible not to encounter the names of Steve and Heidi Benjamin. The two highly polished sailors have been successfully campaigning their series of yachts, named SPOOKIE, for several years, starting first with a Carkeek 40 and quickly progressing to their current ride, a well-equipped and impeccably maintained TP52. With these boats, as well as with their previous yachts (including a Tripp 41 called High Noon), the Benjamin’s have won an impressive number of trophies, including (and certainly not limited to) the 2015 Marblehead to Halifax Race (aboard their Carkeek 40), the 2016 Lauderdale to Key West Race, and the 2016 BVI Spring Regatta.

While Steve (AKA “Benj”) took home a Silver medal at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics in the 470 Class with teammate Chris Steinfield, has won multiple world championships, and was named US Sailing’s 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year (not to mention the fact that he works as a consultant for North Sails), Heidi maintains a lower media profile, even though her sailing skills are fully world-class, especially when it comes to driving high-performance keelboats.

Not surprisingly, Steve and Heidi both come from sailing families, and Heidi’s dad (William Ziegler III) won plenty of his own regatta silverware, however the New York Yacht Club’s famous Queens Cup always eluded his grasp.

This season, the SPOOKIE program turned their attention on righting this historic wrong, with Heidi taking over the skipper's role and leading the team to a proud win on Sunday, August 14. Once the RC’s finishing gun sounded, Heidi not only won a big race for her dad, but she also became the first female skipper to have captured this prestigious trophy, which was first contested in 1954 (for a point of reference, Bolero was the first yacht to win the Queen’s Cup).

I caught up with Steve and Heidi via email to learn more about Heidi’s historic win in this prestigious regatta.

What kinds of training and preparation did you and the SPOOKIE team put in, prior to the NYYC’s Queen’s Cup?
We had just completed a summer with many events including the NYYC Cruise. I had been practicing steering with the tiller for two days, and am used to tillers having grown up sailing small boats.

Going into the day, what was your mental strategy?
I was really excited about the Queens Cup because I knew I was steering one of the fastest boats and had an excellent crew with me.

I’ve read that the Queen’s Cup was one of those trophies that eluded your dad, Heidi—can you tell me about what it means to you and your family to now have your names engraved on this prestigious trophy?
I’m over the moon about it and feel wonderful as I’m sure my Dad (William Ziegler III) would be thrilled too.

The starting sequence that’s used at the Queen’s Cup sounds a bit unusual…can you tell me about how you and the SPOOKIE team approached this two-minute open window?
We wanted to start on time to insure clear air, at the favored right end. [We were] expecting a lot of starboard tack traffic with the 17-boat fleet, [so] we elected to use an early starboard approach and slow down once just below the layline to the Committee boat. It was not the perfect start however we did cross the line first only one second before the gun!

From a tactical perspective, was there a single place on the racecourse where the Queen’s Cup was won, or was your victory more a matter of smart sailing and doing a lot of little things exactly right?
It was more a matter of smart and fast sailing around the course and minimizing both maneuvers and mistakes.

What is your normal onboard role, when you’re not serving as skipper?
I handle the strategy and keep the time checks on other boats.

Is there anything else that you’d like to add, for the record, about this great win?
Just a huge thanks to the New York Yacht Club and its Race Committee and Sailing Office for organizing such an incredible competition, that has stood the test of time and only gets better every year (since 1953). It’s an incredible honor not only to win the Queens Cup but also to be the first female skipper [to have won this trophy].

Steve—what was it like to transition from the role of skipper to the role of onboard coach?
It was an easy transition from helmsman to coach. Heidi’s a natural steering talent; we had Peter Isler with us to handle the tactics, and Anderson Reggio for Navigation. The three made a great trio—Heidi, Pedro, and Anderson—so I could concentrate on coaching and serving as a liaison with the crew who were all hiking hard.

So Steve, are you getting worried about your job security as skipper?
You bet!

I understand that the SPOOKIE program really tries hard to nurture and developing young sailing talent—can you tell me about this and how the young guns play into your SPOOKIE campaign?
We encourage sailors of all ages to get on the water as much as possible, and improve their skills. The SPOOKIE team is always open to help train young sailors.