There’s something special about San Diego Yacht Club’s Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup. Some may claim it’s the competition - the best sailing teams that yacht clubs all over the country put together. Others claim it’s the one-design format - each team rotates between the fleet of eleven equalized J/105s after each race, giving each team a fair chance in every boat. Competitors might anticipate thriving post-race socials after a tough day on the water, and locals might boast about their quality San Diego Bay venue and top-notch race management. The truth of the matter is that each one of these aspects makes the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup, better known as the Lipton Cup, a highly sought-after trophy around the country.

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.

The coveted Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup trophy is leaving San Diego Yacht Club and heading north to the home of this year’s winners: Newport Harbor Yacht Club! After three days of intense, close racing, skipper Justin Law and his seasoned crew earned their bragging rights by winning four of eleven races and staying in the top half of the fleet for almost every other race this weekend.

"It was super stressful. We just really played ball that last race. We had to stay five boats within Chicago and the team just did enough. Winning the first race made the tension go away and it was a great way to start the day. It set us up for a successful final two races," commented Law.

‘Stay out of the pack… and preferably in the front’ was the goal of today’s current first place skipper Will Holz of Chicago Yacht Club. On day two of the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup, Holz and his crew were able to do just that, showing their competitors just how skilled they are in their home-town like winds.

The breeze was stronger than typical San Diego conditions today, seeing southerly winds with speeds in the range of 16-18 knots for the majority of the races. Teams were thrilled to be sailing faster and harder than on day one, especially Chicago Yacht Club, St. Francis Yacht Club and San Francisco Yacht Club who all came to Southern California from the some of the breeziest cities in the country. Holz (CYC) was able to use the breeze to his advantage and make his way from third place to first place in four races.

The 2019 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup began today (Friday) at the San Diego Yacht Club, and it seems to be picking up right where it left off last year in 2018. All eleven participating yacht club teams are returning from last year, many of them being skippered by the same men and women at the helm. Shane Young and his Long Beach Yacht Club team were one team that really came back ready for a rematch.

Racing began around 1225 while the race committee waited for the breeze to fill in. This gave the teams time to get accustomed to the J/105s and the South San Diego Bay venue. In four races, competitors saw shifty breezes averaging 8 knots through the day. Temperatures hit the high 80’s and as usual, the Bay was covered with bright, sunny skies.

Currently standing in first place is Shane Young (Long Beach Yacht Club) with 15 points, tied with Tyler Sinks (San Diego Yacht Club) in second, also with 15 points. In third place stands Will Holz (Chicago Yacht Club) with 20 points.