Port of LA Harbor Cup announces lineup

The POLA Harbor Cup © Los Angles Yacht Club

The Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup - one of the preeminent intercollegiate sailing events in the nation - will return to Los Angeles waters March 6, 7 and 8, 2026. Ten teams from across North America will compete in this prestigious one-design keelboat regatta hosted by Los Angles Yacht Club (LAYC), the Port of Los Angeles (POLA), and California Polytechnic State University Maritime Academy (Cal Poly Maritime).

The Univ. of Southern California Trojans will return to defend their 2025 title. With several returning crew members, and having won seven of the 10 races last year, they promise challenging competition to the nine other contenders. They are: Cal Poly Maritime, Cal Poly SLO, College of Charleston, Univ. of Hawaii, Maine Maritime Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and Univ. of Victoria.

The POLA Harbor Cup is recognized as one of the most prestigious big boat intercollegiate regattas since its inception in 2008. Leading academies and colleges vie annually for an invitation to battle it out for the highly coveted perpetual trophy and bragging rights. The event is hosted at LAYC and there is no cost to participate: charters, meals and lodging are provided.

"Everyone at LAYC is so proud of the amazing athletes who participate in Harbor Cup: we love being a part of their inspiring sailing careers," announced Susannah Beven, Commodore of the Los Angeles Yacht Club. "Since 2008 Harbor Cup has hosted over 1,500 varsity athletes and coaches from across 166 sailing teams. It is truly inspiring to see the drive and commitment to the sport from all of the teams, and we love seeing the friendships they make with each other along the way. Harbor Cup is a highlight of the year at LAYC, bringing together the sailing community and friends from all over, and it is so special to have our members generously open up their boats to host the teams. A big thank you to everyone who is part of the Harbor Cup experience!"

The regatta begins Friday morning March 6 with registration, skippers' briefing and practice, with the first race scheduled to start at 1:30pm. The co-ed teams will enjoy a series of 10 thrilling races over three days in the challenging seas off Pt. Fermin, culminating with a prize-giving Sunday night at LAYC.

Additionally LAYC will also host a Saturday night dinner featuring keynote speaker Alli Bell. Bell was the winner of the King Kalakaua Trophy for First Overall Corrected Time in Transpac 2025, the first female to claim that title in the 119-year history of this legendary race from Los Angeles to Honolulu; she also was recently nominated for Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.

The POLA Harbor Cup was deeded to encourage young men and women to enjoy the benefits of competitive sailing. Many collegiate programs are sailed in small one- or two-person dinghies in protected waters. This regatta provides a rare opportunity for big boat offshore racing with large competitive co-ed teams. Sailed in the Long Beach Sailing Foundation fleet of 37-foot Catalina sailboats, the identically matched and maintained vessels guarantee the emphasis is on each crew's skills and strategies to win the title.

For more information on the POLA Harbor Cup go to www.layc.org/LAYC-harbor-cup For results visit scores.collegesailing.org/s26/harbor-cup.