FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
Game On: New York Yacht Club Takes the Lead
Phil Lotz and his team from the NYYC are in first place after five races.
Photo Mo Burns/RHKYC.
Newport, R.I., USA (Sept. 17, 2009) – With brisk breezes to propel them, the fleet of 19 teams from 14 nations competing at the inaugural New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup worked it hard in four shifty, somewhat unpredictable races on Narragansett Bay today. Irish eyes were smiling aboard the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s entry when skipper Anthony O’Leary won the first two races of the day, but it was the New York Yacht Club’s team led by skipper Phil Lotz (Newport, R.I./New Canaan, Conn.) that made the move to the top of the scoreboard (from second yesterday) when he played the averages for a score line that never left the single digits. (RCYC rounded out its scores today with a 14-7 to secure third place behind yesterday’s leader the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, skippered by Terry McLaughlin.)
Lotz gave credit to his team and tactician Ken Read (Newport, R.I.), known as one of the best sailors in the world, for a remarkable comeback in the second race that took them from sorry-at the-start to phenomenal-at-the-finish. Having jumped the start gun with three others, the team was called back to clear itself and begin again. “We had a clean lane at least,” said Lotz, “and were able to work a number of shifts to finish second.” In the last race of the day, when the wind had begged off slightly from its highs of 18-20 knots, Lotz was caught, along with the Canadian team, at the pin end of the start line when the wind went right. “A good jibe-set gained us some boats, and on the last beat we were able to gain some more,” said Lotz, who finished sixth while the Canadians took a 14th.
“It was a classic Newport northerly,” said the Canadian team’s trimmer Geoff Moore, who now lives in Toronto but used to call Newport home. “Everyone had at least one lucky break today; it’s like trading baskets.” Moore made the point that no one is winning all the races and he expects everyone to have a bad race or two, but there are no discard races, so staying on top of the game is key.
With a large spectator fleet at hand, the NYYC Swan 42 one-designs being used for the event sailed “up the Bay.” The windward/leeward courses (twice around), designed to last about an hour, proved perfect for keeping the fleet tight but with ample room for the cream to rise to the top.
“Two miles out in the ocean the fleet tends to separate more,” said Lotz, “but in flat water, the boats are very even, and we’re all going the same speed, so there are lots of opportunities to stay close to your opponents.”
The boat sailed by Royal St. George Yacht Club (IRL) suffered damage today after a collision in the last race. It is expected it will be repaired by tomorrow’s racing.
The Yacht Club Italiano and Nylandska Jaktklubben (FIN) teams both received average points for yesterday’s single race after being awarded redress for their failed jibs. The Italian team, skippered by Carlo Puri Negri currently sits in 12th place, while the Finnish team, skippered by Leonardo Ferragamo, is in sixth.
The regatta continues through Saturday (Sept. 19) when a Parade of Nations through Newport Harbor will precede the final races.
The complete list of competing clubs is as follows:
Rolex, Sperry Top-Sider and Nautor’s Swan are the official sponsors of the NYYC Invitational Cup. Compliments of Rolex, the most prestigious maker of timepieces in the world and a long-time supporter of sailing, video of each day’s racing will be produced by Emmy Award winner and Rolex Testimonee Gary Jobson. The daily shows will air online during the regatta at http://www.nyyc.org/eventnews and as part of a 30-minute television program on ESPN2. Sperry Top-Sider, the iconic American brand that invented the world's first boat shoe, hereby defining a new category of footwear, is the event’s exclusive footwear supplier. Sperry will preview its latest evolution in performance footwear, the Ventus (the Latin term for “wind”) and will provide this footwear to all competitors, prior to its retail launch in late October. The NYYC Swan 42, the result of a pioneering partnership between NYYC and Nautor’s Swan to develop a one-design for racing by predominantly Corinthian crews in local, regional and international events, is the exclusive sailing yacht of the regatta.
As supporting sponsors, Sailing World magazine is the official media partner for the event; Henri Lloyd is the exclusive performance apparel sponsor; and the NYYC Swan 42 Class is the official class organization.
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(Results Follow)
New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
September 15-19, 2009
Sept. 16: Day 2 of racing, 4 races completed (five total in the series)
19 teams competing
Preliminary results
NYYC Swan 42 Yacht Name, Yacht Club Representing (Country), Skipper, Race 1-R2-R3-R4-R5, Total points
1. Arethusa, New York Yacht Club (USA), Phil Lotz, 2-4-2-8-6, 22 points
2. Daring, Royal Canadian Yacht Club (CAN), Terry McLaughlin, 1-3-5-1-5, 25
3. Blazer, Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL), Anthony O'Leary, 3-1-1-14-7, 26
4. Interlodge, St. Francis Yacht Club (USA), Craig Healy, 12-11-11-2-2, 38
5. Downhill Express, Japan Sailing Federation (JPN), Makoto Uematsu, 4-16-3-6-11, 40
6. Better Than, Nylandska Jaktklubben (FIN), Leonardo Ferragamo, 8-14-10-5-4, 41
7. Tiburon, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (BER), Mark Watson, 5 -5-6-17-8, 41
8. Celeritas, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZL), John Melville, 11-18-15-5-1, 50
9. Mustang ,Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR), John Greenland, 8 -9-7-16-12, 52
10. Conspiracy, Royal Danish Yacht Club (DEN), Marie Klok Crump, 16-2-19-3-13, 53
11. The Cat Came Back, Royal Ocean Racing Club (GBR), David Aisher, 15-8-4-12-15, 54
12. Mutiny, Yacht Club Italiano (ITA), Carlo Alessandro Puri Negri, 11-15-17-9-3, 55
13. Quintessence, Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (ESP), Jordi Tarré, 9-6-13-11-16, 55
14. Impetuous, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (CHN), Jamie McWilliam, 17-12-16-7-5, 57
15. Hoss, Yacht Club de France (FRA), Bruno Trouble, 10-17-8-18-9, 62
16. Bandit, Royal St. George Yacht Club (IRL), Michael Cotter, 7-8-18-10-20, 63
17. Barleycorn, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (ITA), Vittorio Codecasa, 14-13-14-13-10, 64
18. Apparition, Royal Yacht Squadron (GBR), Oscar Strugstad, 13-10-14-15-17, 69
19. Orbit, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (GER), Achi |
