Day Two of NYYC Invitational Cup

On day two of racing at the NYYC Invitational Cup the Royal Cork Yacht team with Skipper Anthony O’Leary  has improved its position from 8th to 6th  after  six races have been completed.


The leaders after the first two days are the Royal Canadian Yacht Club who are maintaining a strong lead and are demonstrating that, having placed second in the inaugural event in 2009, they are back and playing to win. Eight of the ten crew sailing for Canada competed in 2009 including helm Terry McLaughlin, a silver medalist in the 1984 Olympic Games and skipper of Canada 1 in the 1983 America’s Cup Trials.  The current Defenders, New York Yacht Club, are lying second overall followed by Annapolis  in third and five remaining scheduled race s to be completed.

Weather forecast for the rest of the week is that tomorrow (Thurs) will be a day of change with two cold fronts arriving, a weak one in the morning followed by a stronger one in the late afternoon.  Winds much lighter from the south-southwest, but swinging around to the northwest with a vengeance (and some rain) as the second front moves through.

Friday should be cool and sunny with a gusty northwesterly breeze in the morning, lightening a bit in the afternoon.

On Saturday, still cool, winds around to the north-northeast, veering to east-southeast during the day and getting lighter and it may be difficult to get in a race later that day.

Day One

Day One of the Invitational Cup saw 15/20 knots of breeze.  Twenty two Swan 42s took to the start line for the first three races of the 11 race series that will not have a discard.

Japan won the first race and this allowed them to have the honour of carrying the  gold spinnaker for Race 2.  The Royal Cork Team under Skipper Anthony O’Leary, were a bit unfortunate with their first race and we believe from following the tracker they had to do a penalty turn. (At time of writing reports are not yet in from New York).  However, by Race 2 they had found their form and finished 4th in a very competitive fleet with Canada taking first place. Race 3 took place in 20 knots of breeze, again a very competitive race and this time Royal Cork placed third in their Swan 42 Barleycorn  putting them in 8th position overall no mean feat having to carry non discardable points from Race 1.

This looks like being a very exciting and fiercely fought competition  and makes for fascinating watching for anyone following the live tracker.