2019 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup at San Diego Yacht Club - Preview
by Casey Allocco 26 Sep 2019 13:59 PDT
25-27 October 2019
2018 Lipton Cup © Joysailing
One of the San Diego Yacht Club's most coveted trophies is back up for grabs, going home with the winning team of the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup on October 25-27, 2019. Eleven yacht clubs that battled for the title in 2018 return to South San Diego Bay for a rematch. In the running are: San Diego Yacht Club (2018 winners), Balboa Yacht Club, California Yacht Club, Chicago Yacht Club, Coronado Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club, St. Francis Yacht Club, and Southwestern Yacht Club.
The Lipton Cup is sailed in a fleet of J/105s, graciously loaned from local J/105 owners, with rotating boats between each race allowing for fair, even racing. The first warning signal is scheduled for 1125 each day.
The San Diego Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup dates back to the early days of yachting on the Pacific Ocean, circa 1900. Sir Thomas Lipton, the famous yachtsman and tea baron, requested that a trophy be created in his name for West Coast yacht racing excellence. This exchange soon ushered in a new, prestigious yachting event - the San Diego Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup. Read more about the history of the Lipton Cup.
San Diego Yacht Club has been the winning team for the past two years, keeping the trophy in their home court since 2017, thanks to Skipper Tyler Sinks and crew. "I've competed in the Lipton Cup four times. Our crew has been pretty consistent these past four years. We have the same team as last year except Erik Shampain is on board in place of Nevin Snow. We're looking forward to another great year of competitive sailing," expressed Sinks.
Last year, the participating Southern California teams came ready to battle. Back for another shot at first is Allie Blecher of California Yacht Club. "We have been practicing at home in Marina del Rey on a local J. It's been lots of hours spent perfecting our boat handling and racing tactics," started Blecher. "One of the biggest lessons learned when you field a team of the best from one yacht club is to leave your ego at the door. So many teams clash because of grueling egos, but we've made it a point to leave those items on the dock and give it our best for the team."
After the racing on Friday, sailors can enjoy a post-racing social, followed by a Saturday night banquet and Sunday evening awards. The Lipton Cup's Saturday night dinner is known as a don't-miss roast-like event with good natured ribbing between the clubs.
According to Lipton Cup Chair Tim Fuller, the key word associated with the event is "intensity." SDYC Commodore Jerelyn Biehl agrees, also commenting on the competitiveness between teams. "The best part about the Lipton Cup weekend is the incredible competitiveness on the water. Many of these sailors have known each other and competed against each other for decades, and they're back at it for one weekend. Cheering for SDYC both at the Club, when they return, and on the water gives our team great pride and a huge boost of confidence!"
To follow the races, visit www.sdyc.org/liptoncup.
Thank you to our local J/105 owners who are lending the boats and sponsors who are allowing this event to happen.