14 countries competing at New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup

8:39 PM Wed 15 Jul 2009 GMT

'Swan 42 Start' &copy Rolex/Dan Nerney

The New York Yacht Club today announced that Nautor's Swan has become an official sponsor of the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup.

The regatta, scheduled for September 15-19, will feature world-class, Corinthian sailing among 19 yacht club teams from 14 countries aboard one-design NYYC Swan 42s.

Nautor's Swan, recognized as a manufacturer of luxury sailing yachts of unrivalled quality, joins previously announced official sponsors Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Sperry Top-Sider in supporting the regatta.

"The agreement is a natural extension of a pioneering partnership between NYYC and Nautor's Swan to develop a one-design for racing," said Event Chair John Mendez explaining that in 2005 the NYYC joined with Nautor's Swan and yacht designers German and "Mani" Frers to produce the NYYC Swan 42 - the 8th one-design class created by the NYYC since 1900. "It is the perfect boat for this competition as it allows the emphasis to be placed on tactics and boat handling by each team."

Nautor Group Marketing Director Enrico Chieffi echoed Mendez's comments. "For us at Nautor's Swan it is a great honor to build the Swan 42 as the NYYC One Design of the 21st Century," he said. "The Invitational Cup enhances the spirit of the partnership between NYYC and Nautor's Swan. To have the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world competing aboard Swan 42s reflects the Corinthian spirit of both the Swan 42 Class and the event, as well as Nautor's Swan philosophy of sailing and racing."

Initially, 25 NYYC Swan 42s were sold to NYYC members and since then a total of 53 have been built. The first NYYC 42 Conspiracy went to the Cahoots Syndicate, a longtime partnership of NYYC Commodore David K. Elwell Jr., past Commodore George R. Hinman Jr., Richard Werdiger and Donald Elliman. (Conspiracy is currently vying for the opportunity to represent the NYYC at this event.)

"The Invitational Cup would not have been possible without the support of the Swan 42 Class and its owners who made their yachts available for charter," said Mendez. "The regatta reflects perfectly the philosophy of the NYYC Swan 42 Class: to foster high level sailing competition between predominantly amateur yachtsmen."

Racing in the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will take place on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, the same waters where the New York Yacht Club hosted the America's Cup - a trophy it first won in 1851 - from 1930-1983, or from its 14th Defense in 1930 to the 25th Defense in 1983. (Prior to that, it had been hosted in New York Harbor.) The sailing is expected to be tough and demanding, while the on-land activities will celebrate the camaraderie so revered in the sport.

The following clubs will be competing:

Japan Sailing Federation (Tokyo, Japan)

New York Yacht Club (New York, N.Y., USA)

Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (Hamburg, Germany)

Nyl?ndska Jaktklubben (Helsinki, Finland)

Real Club Nautico Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (Hamilton, Bermuda)

Royal Canadian Yacht Club (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Royal Cork Yacht Club (County Cork, Ireland)

Royal Danish Yacht Club (Hellerup, Denmark)

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (Hong Kong, China)

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (Auckland, New Zealand)

Royal Ocean Racing Club (London, England)

Royal St. George Yacht Club (County Dublin, Ireland)

Royal Thames Yacht Club (London, England)

Royal Yacht Squadron (London, England)

St.Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco, Calif., USA)

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)

Yacht Club de France (Paris, France)

Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa, Italy)

by Barby MacGowan

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing

14 countries competing at New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup

Sports/News

Weather Forecasts & Live Reports

Buy & Sell/Classifieds