By Barry Ault
Fire, Fire, Fire!
If you haven’t watched the Lipton Cup competition in recent years, your first reaction might be to yell “Fire!” because it can only be described as a fire drill. Hectic, close, boat on boat action on the race course separated by crazy musical chair flurries between races by the crews. And, all of this within shouting distance of the Broadway Pier and the San Diego waterfront. Some of you may have experience with this chaos if you raced for the club championship, but for most of us it is totally different and confusing. I thought it would be worthwhile to describe the event and along the way, give spectators, locals and visitors, an idea of how to enjoy the event to its fullest. So here we go:
Each morning, the crews will be found on the dock inspecting their boats or eating breakfast in the clubhouse. Sailing is unique in many ways and being able to get very close to the greats of our sport is one of the best things. We at SDYC are accustomed to seeing World and Olympic champions strolling around our club and we usually give them their “space”. This event is different, so come early and bug the superstars for autographs and give your favorite team encouragement or criticism as seems appropriate. Enjoy breakfast and try to catch a great strategy being hatched at the next table. Or, you might overhear some tuning or rigging tips if you hang out on the dock while the crews prepare to get underway. The fleet will be tied up at the guest dock and pit passes are not required. Plan on seeing the boats off the dock between 1000 and 1100. You will still have enough time to get to the racecourse either by car or boat.
On Sunday there will be a special opportunity not to be missed. As soon as the racing boats are off the guest dock, the yacht America will come alongside and the lucky few will board and head to the racecourse to watch the racing from a rare vantage point. Passage on America will be very limited and tickets will be available online on a first come first goes basis. SDYC will cater aboard America and there will be a nominal charge.
The Race Committee will publish the intended location of the racing each day and that will help you determine where to go to watch. The most likely possibilities will be the end of the Broadway Pier or Harbor Island. Check before you leave the club. Transportation and parking could be challenging so plan ahead to avoid wasting time on race day. Remember, racing will start with or without you. If you are going to watch from your boat, the Race Committee will publish information to help you get as close as possible without getting caught OCS at the gun. If they ask you to move, please thank them for volunteering and get your butt and your boat in gear in the direction they indicate.
The first horn will be at 1200 each day. Expect to see some of the closest fleet racing action you have ever seen. Cheering and horn blowing is encouraged. The courses are short and there will be lots of races each day depending on conditions. Bear in mind that the boats are randomly assigned to the teams at the start of the day. The end of each race starts the real chaos of the modern Lipton Cup. Close to the start/finish line, there will be a floating dock where the teams will tie up between races to change boats. That’s right! After every race, the teams will grab their spinnakers and sunblock and scramble/stumble to another boat which (they hope) will be alongside the floating dock. (Doesn’t it seem like they should also have to down a ration of rum?) If it hasn’t already occurred to you, it will be hard to figure out which boat your favorite team is sailing without a program, so be sure to get one at the club before you depart. To help in identification, the teams will have their club name in large letters on their mainsail.
You will be able to tell when racing is over each day because the racers will head directly to the bar rather than to the floating dock. That is your signal to do the same and if you are quick, you will be able to cheer their return ashore at SDYC. There are great social events planned for each night. They are all open to everyone and are another excellent opportunity to rub elbows with the teams. You may purchase tickets for the Saturday night dinner online. All 3 days will be similar except for the afternoon of Sunday, November 2nd when racing will end a bit earlier and culminate with the dispensing of large amounts of adult beverages and more important, the awarding of the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup to the winner. It is an honor for SDYC to be able to host this regatta and we hope you will take the opportunity to enjoy it with us.
