2025 Challenge for the Lipton Cup at San Diego Yacht Club - Day 1
by Jared Wohlgemuth, SDYC 25 Oct 03:32 BST
October 24-26, 2025
2025 Challenge for the Lipton Cup © Mark Albertazzi
Friday October 24th kicked off the 2025 Challenge for the Lipton Cup with 12 yacht clubs bringing their competitive teams to race in South San Diego Bay in a fleet of J/105s. Each team will race once in each of the 12 J/105s borrowed from SDYC members, that have been well prepared by volunteers over the last few weeks. After the morning skippers meeting and transit across the bay and under the Coronado bridge, the stage was set for the first 5 of 12 scheduled races to take place Friday through Sunday.
Day 1 served up perfect conditions with clear skies, 9-13 knots of breeze coming out of the south-west, and calm waters. The Race Committee set 4-leg windward/leeward courses approximately 0.7 - 1 miles per leg, targeting 40-45 minutes races, followed by a quick boat swap on the floating docks.
The keys to Day 1 turned out to be quick off the start line, and staying in clean air as long as possible. The competitive racing is evidenced by the statistic that each race was won by the first boat to the first leeward mark. Overall the fleet was pretty tight all around the course. Breaking free made it easier to keep the fleet behind and sail in clean air. Those in the mix at the marks ended up stepping on each other's momentum and made it difficult to make up ground.
Race wins went to New York Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club and Bayview Yacht Club, each as wire to wire leaders around every mark. Newport Harbor and San Diego ended the day in a tie for first with 17 points. These clubs have won every Lipton Cup in the last decade, and look to be squared up to keep that streak and battle each other to the end. The overall standings are SoCal heavy with the Newport and two San Diego teams. The long distance travelers will have some work to do over the weekend to get back in the game.
Coronado Yacht Club's skipper Scott Harris led his team to third overall on Day 1. Harris just finished racing in the same format event on the same venue in last weekend's Don Trask International Masters Regatta. The venue being in his home club's backyard was an added benefit. "We kept our starts clean and focused on staying bow out and in the pressure. Our local knowledge kept telling us the wind was going to go left which never really happened. Just had to focus on the boats around us and try our best to be fast."
Results after Day 1: (top three)
1st: Newport Harbor Yacht Club, 17pts
2nd: San Diego Yacht Club, 17pts
3rd: Coronado Yacht Club, 23pts
Full results available here.
Thank you to our dedicated sponsors, who make events like this one possible: Helly Hansen, Bay Club Hotel and Marina, Chipz Happen, Bella Luna Wines, North Sails and Quantum Sails.