171st NYYC Annual Regatta Preview - America's oldest, and best, regatta is getting even better
by New York Yacht Club 12 Mar 09:24 PDT
June 13-15, 2025
170th NYYC Annual Regatta © NYYC / Daniel Forster
For more than four decades, Ken Read has been turning good boats into national and world champions.
So when the New York Yacht Club wanted to take a fresh look at its regattas, including North America's oldest annual sailing competition, it knew where to turn. As with optimizing a sailboat, Read's answer is equal parts innovation and refinement.
"While sailing is my job, I approached this challenge from the perspective of someone who loves the sport and is a proud member of the New York Yacht Club," says Read, the president of North Sails. "The Annual Regatta had a near-record turnout last year, but in this sport, resting on your laurels is a fast track to the middle of the pack. We looked at all aspects of the competitor experience and identified a few areas where we thought we could make some enhancements."
The 171st edition of the New York Yacht Club's Annual Regatta is scheduled for June 13 to 15 and will be sailed out of the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I. The Annual Regatta was first sailed on the Hudson River on July 16 and 18, 1846. A similar competition the previous year was called a Trial of Speed. With a few exceptions for world wars and other global crises, the event has been held every year since. For the majority of its existence, the Annual Regatta was raced on waters close to New York City. Since 1988, however, the event has been sailed out of the Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, R.I. The Annual Regatta is sponsored by Peters & May.
The basic format for the 171st edition remains as it has for the past three decades: Around-the-island racing on Friday, June 13, and buoy and navigator-course racing on Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15. There will be awards parties on Friday and Sunday and the highly anticipated Annual Regatta Banquet on Saturday night. Racing will take place under PHRF, ORC and CRF rating rules and for select one-design classes.
New features include:
- Utilizing advanced weather-prediction technology, the race committee will announce the time of first signals and circle assignments by 1900 on the prior evening. If the forecast indicates the breeze will be slow to fill, competitors can sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. If the best breeze is in the morning, be ready for an early start and maybe an afternoon off to head to the beach or stroll historic Newport.
- To minimize transit time on the water, racing circles closer to Newport Harbor will be prioritized.
- Racing from the course to the harbor mouth at the end of the day will maximize race time and introduce some new course configurations that will test crew work and adaptability. Racing to circles in the morning is also a possibility.
- Race committees will prioritize starting on time. Perfect conditions and course alignment remain the goal, but the quest to achieve that ideal won't stand in the way of racing.
- This year's Annual Regatta will offer two styles of handicap-rule racing: Navigator-course racing under PHRF and CRF and Mixed Windward/Leeward & Navigator-course racing under PHRF and ORC. In the latter, the section breaks will be designed to allow boats of similar hull types to race together. The ORC/PHRF classes will be dual-scored under both rules, with trophies awarded for each.
- Expect some fun and fresh ideas for the awards parties on Friday and Sunday. Details to be announced in the near future.
"The New York Yacht Club never takes for granted the effort required from skippers and crew to compete in one of our regattas," says event chair Patricia Young. "We also understand that being a leader in the sport occasionally requires breaking the paradigm and trying something new. Thanks to our superb volunteer race committee and the unparalleled facilities at Harbour Court, we're confident the 171st edition of this regatta will be the best one yet."
Registration is now open for the 171st edition of the Annual Regatta. Visit here for the NOR and entry portal.