Please select your home edition
Edition
J Composites 2022 - J99 LEADERBOARD

Women's 2v2 Team Race at New York Yacht Club

by New York Yacht Club 5 Jun 16:45 PDT June 3-4, 2023
New York Yacht Club's third annual Women's 2v2 Team Race © Stuart Streuli

Strong winds prove no match for competitors

After 45 races in conditions that ranged from very windy to very, very windy, four of the 10 teams competing in the New York Yacht Club's third annual Women's 2v2 Team Race were tied for first place with 7 points apiece. And perhaps that's appropriate. Given the dire forecast heading into the weekend, the fact that any races were held at all is a victory for the 86 sailors and two dozen race officials and umpires involved in the regatta. The racing was competitive, and without any major breakdowns, collisions or injuries, a testament to the skill of the sailors and the faith of the race officials that the competitors would be able to handle conditions that approached gale force and kept multiple other fleets off the water.

"We thought that if we were going to get in any racing [on Saturday], we should just go out right away," says Claire Harrington, Rear Commodore of the New York Yacht Club and the Principal Race Officer for the regatta. "My thought was we'll just see how it's going, how they're handling the boats. Remarkably, there were virtually no calls to the bosun, and the teams did a remarkable job of handling the boats. I was very impressed with the skills of the sailors. It was very tight, competitive racing.

"It was only when I started to see steady state wind in the 30s and gusts over 40 that I said let's call it off before something serious happens."

Sunday was windy, though more reasonably so, enabling Harrington and her all-female race committee to finish one full round-robin. With that completed, race officials found themselves with another challenging task, how to break a four-way logjam for first. After a deep dive into the Racing Rules of Sailing's Team Racing Appendix, Bristol (R.I.) Yacht Club, which finished second last year, came out on top, with Team Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association in second, Larchmont (N.Y.) Yacht Club in third and Newport Harbor Yacht Club (Newport Beach, Calif.) in fourth.

Complete results for Women's 2v2 Team Race can be found here.

While the racing was physically demanding all weekend, Abigayle Konys, team captain for the Bristol Yacht Club squad, said the key to surviving Saturday, in particular, was all between the ears.

"You have to go into it with a good attitude, or it's just not going to be your day," said Konys. "No. 1 is making sure we're communicating and keeping up that energy. That's the only way you can approach a day like that and if you can do that and keep your boats moving in the right direction that's going to be the best thing you can do."

Bristol was one of the smallest yacht clubs competing in the regatta. But the venerable club, based just a short daysail from Newport on Narragansett Bay, has been steadily building its team racing program over the past few years.

"We love [this event]," says Konys. "Anytime you get a group of women together, having this much fun and great competition, that's going to be a highlight for the summer."

Winning never hurts either.

Overall Results:

1. Bristol (R.I.) Yacht Club, 7 wins - 2 losses
2. Team Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, Annapolis, Md., 7-2
3. Larchmont (N.Y.) Yacht Club, 7-2
4. Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Newport Beach, Calif. 7-2
5. Chicago Yacht Club, 5-4; 6. New York Yacht Club, 4-5
7. Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead, Mass., 4-5
8, Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead, Mass. 3-6
9. Annapolis (Md.) Yacht Club, 1-8
10. American Yacht Club, Rye, N.Y., 0-9

Related Articles

NYYC American Magic triumph in Vilanova
The team arrived with clear determination on the final day In the picturesque coastal town of Vilanova i La Geltrú, Spain, the second day of the 37th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta witnessed a resurgence by New York Yacht Club American Magic as they secured victory. Posted on 18 Sep
Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup overall
Third time is truly the charm for San Diego Yacht Club Needing simply to not shoot themselves in the foot to ensure victory in the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup, the San Diego Yacht Club dominated the windy final race to stamp their authority on the eighth edition of the world's premiere Corinthian regatta. Posted on 16 Sep
Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup Day 3
Steady and never slow, San Diego Yacht Club assumes the lead On a taxing day where the wind shifts were as much as 40 degrees with lanes of pressure next to little-to-no wind, the San Diego Yacht Club, led by helmsman Tyler Sinks, moved into the overall lead on the penultimate day of the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup Posted on 15 Sep
Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup Day 2
Youth serves up a win for Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club The underdogs continue to give the established teams a run for their money at the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the premiere international regatta for Corinthian sailors. Posted on 13 Sep
Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup Day 1
Yacht Club Argentino crew post a dominant scoreline On a day when Rhode Island Sound served up some very shifty conditions, helmsman Cristian Frers and the Yacht Club Argentino crew posted a dominant scoreline of 2-1-2 to take the early lead at the eighth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup Posted on 13 Sep
SDYC set at the 2023 Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup
Skipper Tyler Sinks and his team are ready to race in Newport, R.I The true beauty of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup lies in the seamless daily transition from spirited competition to genuine camaraderie. Posted on 12 Sep
Dual defending champs prepare
For 8th Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup Of the many illustrious clubs from around the world that have competed in the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the premiere fleet regatta for Corinthian crews, two have most consistently demonstrated the slick boatspeed. Posted on 11 Sep
Invitational Cup family prepares for competition
Reunited after four years for competition and camaraderie at the New York Yacht Club The true beauty of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup lies in the seamless daily transition from spirited competition to genuine camaraderie. Posted on 8 Sep
Youth Movement Leads Royal Vancouver YC return
To the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup There was no worm waiting for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club team when they arrived at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court promptly at 9 am on Wednesday morning. Posted on 7 Sep
Respect and aspiration power new entries
Into September's Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup The enduring allure of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is most evident in the teams and sailors from around the globe that return to this seaside city every two years to compete in sailing's premiere Corinthian big-boat regatta. Posted on 24 Aug
Marine Resources 2022 - FOOTERNorth Sails Performance 2023 - FOOTERArmstrong-A-Wing-728x90 gif BOTTOM