2025 Philadelphia Cup Regatta presented by Sea Philly and the Independence Seaport Museum
by Carol Bareuther 30 Sep 03:14 AEST
September 27, 2025
Racing at the 2025 Philadelphia Cup Regatta © Rian Bareuther
Wind is everything in sailboat racing. So, it was knowing how to manage Mother Nature's whisper of breath on Saturday at the 2025 Philadelphia Cup Regatta, presented by Sea Philly and the Independence Seaport Museum, which proved the secret to success for the event's class winners.
Defiant, Collingswood, NJ's Jon Burnham's J/29, championed the PHRF handicap class, while it was Jawn, Riverton, NJ's Ryan Lippincott's J/22, which finished first in the One-Design J/22 class. The scenic 0.5-nautical-mile racecourse saw the PHRF and One-Design J/22 classes sail around the buoys just off Penn's Landing and the Independence Seaport Museum with the Ben Franklin Bridge in the background. Winds averaged 6 knots out of the north-northeast.
"Tactics were based on an enormous amount of patience and the invaluable input from our crew in such shifty conditions," says Burnham, who is a member of the Riverton Yacht Club and entered the regatta to support sailing in Philadelphia and support the host, Liberty Sailing Club. Burnham's crew on Defiant included Tori Burnham, Bob MacCausland, Liz Irwin, Max Pignetti, Andrew Coleman, and Chaz Burnham. The team won three of four races, finishing with three points after one throw-out.
The 9-boat PHRF Class featured seven of the Liberty Sailing Club's fleet of J/27s, in addition to Burnham's J/29.
Philadelphia's Caitlin Youngster finished second with seven points in the PHRF Spinnaker Class aboard the J/27, New Jersey. Audubon, NJ's Rich Sita rounded out third place with nine points on the J/27, Pennsylvania.
In the three-boat One-Design J/22 Class, Lippincott's Jawn won four of five races with a low-point winning score of 4.
"With the wind being light, we thought the current would play a large factor in the racing, and it was!" says Lippincott, whose crew was Townsend 'Tod' Wentz and Mike Wainwright. "My crew did a fantastic job on the water."
Interestingly, Lippincott's grandfather, Howard Lippincott, won the Philadelphia Cup in 1985, on a boat he built himself, a Lippincott 36 named Cirrus.
Lippincott says his love for sailing developed at an early age, growing up in a boat-building family in Riverton, where Lippincott Boat Works is located. Today, like generations in his family before him, he raced under the burgee of the Riverton Yacht Club.
Swarthmore, PA's Chris Debruyn's J/22, Swivet, a member of the Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia, finished second with seven points, while Carversville, PA's Michele Mottini's J/22, Group Therapy, sailing for the Riverton Yacht Club, ended third with ten points.
Complete results can be found here.
Sailing Fun Onshore
Spectators lined the waterfront at Penn's Landing, which offered a splendid view of the racing. The onlookers also enjoyed several educational and entertaining exhibits at Penn's Landing as part of the Delaware River Festival. The festival was organized by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), the Center for Aquatic Sciences, the Philadelphia Water Department, and the Independence Seaport Museum.
An Awards Ceremony followed during a reception on the historic Tall Ship, Gazela. Each class champion, Burnham and Lippincott, will have their name engraved on The Philadelphia Cup.
Mark Your Calendar for 2026
The next Philadelphia Cup Regatta will be held in the Fall of 2026.
"Liberty Sailing Club is incredibly grateful to the community on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey sides of the Delaware River for helping to make this regatta happen. We were fortunate to be supported by this robust community, as well as sailors and clubs up and down the river and beyond. The wind might not have been ideal, but the enthusiasm and excitement for sailing on the Delaware River, especially with the beautiful backdrop of Center City Philadelphia, was palpable. Thank you to all who made the 2025 Philadelphia Cup possible, and we're looking forward to next year," says Laura Ness, regatta director.
Strong Volunteer & Sponsor Support!
The Philadelphia Cup Regatta is presented by Sea Philly and the Independence Seaport Museum. Liberty Sailing Club thanks Con Murphy's, Porco's & Small Oven Pastry Shop, and Breezy's Deli and Market, for support of meals.
For more information, visit libertysailing.clubexpress.com