Three UK Teams to compete at New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup

by Dana Paxton on 11 Jul 2009
Three of the UK’s most prestigious yacht clubs – The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), The Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC), and The Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) – have confirmed their participation in the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, which will pit 19 teams from 14 countries against each other in Corinthian competition reminiscent of the early days of the America’s Cup.

The event, scheduled for September 15-19, 2009, will be hosted by the New York Yacht Club and held on the waters off the club’s Newport, R.I. clubhouse called Harbour Court. Sailing under their club burgees, each team will compete aboard a NYYC Swan 42, a unique one-design racer/cruiser created by the NYYC in partnership with Nautor’s Swan to promote increased competitiveness within an owner-driver and amateur sailing framework.

Royal Ocean Racing Club

Noted sailor David Aisher, the past commodore of the RORC, will skipper that club’s entrant with current Commodore Andrew McIrvine serving as trimmer. Other crew members are Chris Little, Admiral of the RORC (pit), Chris Fry (trimmer), Steve Thorpe (mast); Jonathan Goring (bow), and Eddie Warden-Owen (tactics).

'We have entered the NYYC Invitational Cup as the event promises to be both competitive and fun and will give us all the chance to meet members of other influential yacht clubs from around the world,' said Aisher. 'Sailing in Newport with the highly professional level of race management that the NYYC is known for, has the makings of being an event not to be missed. We are all very much looking forward to taking part and to representing the Club.'

Established originally as the ORC in 1925 at a dinner following the finish of the first Fastnet Race, the club’s founding members were adamant about what the club’s stated goals should be: 'to encourage long distance yacht racing and the design, building and navigation in which speed and seaworthiness are combined.' That is something that it has done with alacrity ever since.

The RORC, headquartered in London, has been a world leader in the sport, not only organizing and promoting offshore racing activities but also developing standards in excellence, particularly with safety issues, and also in race management and in the development and administration of handicap systems for the worlds’ fleet of racing yachts.

Royal Thames Yacht Club

Established in 1775, The RTYC is the oldest royal yacht club in the United Kingdom. The team it is fielding for the Invitational Cup is a natural outgrowth of the club’s major yacht racing, team and match racing programs that have spawned such events as the Cumberland Cup, the world’s oldest sporting trophy that is for team racing and to which leading yacht clubs from around the world are invited to compete.

'Since hearing about the Invitational Cup I’ve always imagined it to be a fantastic event providing the opportunity to compete against some of the best Corinthian sailors the world has to offer,' said John Greenland, who will skipper his club’s entry. 'Looking at the UK’s teams alone, it’s quite clear my expectations will be met – Eddie Warden-Owen calling the shots for RORC sets the bar pretty high, and there are another 18 teams for us to worry about.'

Other crew members are Andrew Collins (trimmer/team captain), Lizzie Vickers (tactician),
Doug Harckham (main sheet), Jon Blackburn (trimmer), Nick Hornby (trimmer), Rear Commodore John Dallimore (pit) Jamie Houston (mast and crew boss), Sammy Evans (mid-bow) and Simon Morris (bow).

'The RTYC, as one of the oldest clubs in the world, is looking forward to taking its place amongst other senior clubs in Rhode Island,' said crew Jamie Houston. 'NYYC is well known for its hospitality off the water and their competitiveness on it. This, combined with the chance to race against such a great collection of sailors from other leading clubs around the world, is an opportunity not to be missed. We can’t wait to get on the water and start racing.'

With the RTYC located in London, its on-water activities originally took place on the Thames, but the Solent became the club’s home waters in the 1850s when the steam train made access to the South Coast easy.

The Club has had many distinguished Flag Officers and traditionally the Commodore has been a member of the royal family. Earl Mountbatten was Commodore for 20 years, and today the Club's Commodore is HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.

Royal Yacht Squadron

The RYS has announced a full line-up of sailors they hope will carry home the silverware. Skippering will be Oscar Strugstad, an Etchells 22 World Champion (2007), while Mike Ewart-Smith, Geoffrey Stocker and Dries van der Laan will serve as tactician, main trimmer and trimmer, respectively. Other crew members are Graham Simpson, Oliver Stanley, Rupert Syme, Charlie Sichel, Laetitia Campbell, John Dare (team captain), and Tony Singer (shore manager).

RYS Commodore The Lord Iliffe, DL is extremely positive about the initiative. 'The Royal Yacht Squadron congratulates the New York Yacht Club on initiating this very special inter-club regatta and is delighted to be taking part along with many other yacht clubs from around the world,' he said. 'Here at the Cowes Castle (the RYS clubhouse on the Isle of Wight), we will be following the progress of our entry closely, and I would like to wish everyone taking part a most enjoyable time both on and off the water. The NYYC are legendary hosts, and the event promises to be a highlight of the 2009 racing calendar.'

As Team Manager for the RYS entry, John Dare is equally upbeat: 'We are most attracted by the Corinthian nature of the event, particularly as we do not have any Category 3 members!' Dare explained that by event rules, one crew member is allowed to be a 'Cat 3' or 'professional' from the boating industry while the rest must be amateurs, and all but two crew members must hold a passport for the country they represent. 'Nevertheless, we have put together a keen team of experienced amateurs and we all look forward to a great competition and the hospitality of the New York Yacht Club.'

There is a long and interesting history of collaboration between RYS and the NYYC, not least of which came to the fore in the America’s Cup Jubilee in August 2001. The week-long event, held in Cowes, celebrated the 150th anniversary of the regatta that came to be called the America's Cup. One of the many highlights was a race around the Isle of Wight, the course sailed by America in 1851, after the RYS Commodore issued a challenge to the NYYC for the Squadron’s £100 Cup for a race around the Island. The club was founded in 1815 in St. James, London. Member yachts are given the suffix RYS to their names, and permitted to fly the White Ensign of the Royal Navy rather than the merchant Red Ensign flown by the majority of other UK-registered vessels. The club's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and the club’s Admiral is Prince Philip who is also a former club Commodore.

The complete list of yacht clubs and sailing organizations competing in the NYYC Invitational Cup:

Japan Sailing Federation (Tokyo, Japan)
New York Yacht Club (New York, N.Y., USA)
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (Hamburg, Germany)
Nyländska Jaktklubben (Helsinki, Finland)
Real Club Nautico Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (Hamilton, Bermuda)
Royal Canadian Yacht Club (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Royal Cork Yacht Club (County Cork, Ireland)
Royal Danish Yacht Club (Hellerup, Denmark)
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (Hong Kong, China)
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (Auckland, New Zealand)
Royal Ocean Racing Club (London, England)
Royal St. George Yacht Club (County Dublin, Ireland);
Royal Thames Yacht Club (London, England)
Royal Yacht Squadron (Cowes, England