ISLANDS RACE NEWS

The 2021 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup is once again in the hands of the home team! San Diego Yacht Club came out this weekend determined to repeat history and get the Cup back in their name. After sailing only nine of twelve planned races due to light winds in South San Diego Bay, SDYC finished with 4 bullets, 4 seconds, and a fifth. The battle was won today after Race 8 when the team finished first, giving them a 23 point lead over their competitors with only one race left to sail.

Sailing is a sport that requires a whole lot of patience. As good a sailor as you may be or as experienced as you are, there’s nothing you can do about Mother Nature on the racecourse. San Diego is well-known for being a venue with moderate wind. As frustrating as light wind can be (like today), it takes a truly skilled sailor to navigate in those conditions.

Some teams come out for the competition, and some teams are the competition. The San Diego Yacht Club team came for the Cup, which is no surprise considering the team’s history with the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup. Skipper Tyler Sinks alone has won three of the past five Lipton Cups for San Diego Yacht Club and isn’t letting up after a year off. 

The battle is back on for the coveted Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup trophy. Twelve yacht club teams from all around the country come to San Diego Yacht Club on October 28-30, 2021 to participate in a highly competitive series while rotating through a matched fleet of J/105s. From New York to Chicago to California, each team always arrives ready to put up a fight in San Diego Bay.

The trophy, which remains housed at SDYC, was most recently won by Newport Harbor Yacht Club from the 2019 running of the event where skipper Justin Law earned the win. Law is skippering for Newport Harbor Yacht Club again this year. “The talent across all of the teams that participate in the Lipton Cup is off the charts. SDYC does a great job hosting this first-class event,” he said.