NYYC Invitational Cup 2011: Racing commences September 13
At the conclusion of the awards for the Swan 42 U.S. Nationals at the NYYC, a live lottery drawing was held to match Swan 42 U.S. hulls with competing teams from around the world at the 2011 NYYC Invitational Cup. The Royal Cork Team under Skipper Anthony O’Leary has been assigned yacht ‘Barleycorn’, a rather nice name for a team representing our agrarian economy.
The all Royal Cork Crew will consist of: Skipper Anthony O’Leary, Nicholas O’Leary, Eoin Leahy, David Kenefick, Clive O’Shea, Rosscoe Deasy, Tom Durcan, Rob O’Leary and Richie Watkin, a very strong team indeed and they carry the very best wishes from all at the Royal Cork Yacht Club.
The Invitational Cup presented by Rolex will be held September 10-17 in Newport and was last held in September 2009 at which event Royal Cork Yacht Club again under Skipper Anthony O’Leary achieved an excellent fifth placing and received an automatic return invitation for the Club to be represented in 2011. Sponsors for the event include Rolex, Sperry and Nautor’s Swan. 
The Keeper’s Trophy is a magnificent new trophy for the event and will remain with the winning club until the following competition. A Trophy of such beauty would surely grace any club’s trophy cabinet and would be a much prized asset for the duration of the period.
While some Swan 42 owners have engaged in private charters, others will be sailing their own boats representing their clubs. Gary Jobson and Norwood Davis’s “Mustang” will be sailed by Annapolis Yacht Club who recently used the NYYC 157th Annual Regatta and the U.S. Nationals as practice opportunities. Dod Fraser and Sandy Vietor’s “Orbit” has been chartered to Clube Naval de Cascais in Portugal. Austin Fragomen a very welcome visitor to Cork Week 2010 in his TP 52 Interlodge, has had his Swan 42 also Interlodge, chartered by the Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead helmed by Bill Lynn from the Club who made his first appearance as helmsman at the U.S. Nationals.
Shipped from overseas, Barry Sampson will sail his “Long Echo” representing Itchenor Sailing Club (GBR) and Leonardo Ferragamo will helm “Cuordileone” representing Nylandska Jaktklubben in Finland.
Jim Madden will compete with his “Stark Raving Mad VI”, John Hele will represent The Royal Canadian Yacht Club, and Mark Watson will represent Royal Bermuda Yacht Club; both of the latter teams for the second consecutive Invitational Cup. Ken Colburn, who won the rights to represent the New York Yacht Club with the highest score obtained from a combination of the results from the NYYC 157th Annual Regatta and the Swan 42 U.S. Nationals will sail his own “Apparition”.
When racing begins on Tuesday, September 13, at the 2011 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex, most of the 22 participating yacht club teams will be fresh from racing at the peak of the sailing season in the northern hemisphere. However, three teams from the Southern Hemisphere – the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Cape Yacht Club and Yacht Club Argentino who hail from below the equator, will be coming from winter to summer to race in Swan 42s for the championship title and will be coming all fired up to mount a spirited challenge. David Hudson of Royal Cape Yacht Club skippering Better Than… will be another familiar name from Cork Week 2008.
The NYYC Invitational Cup 2011 will certainly be an event to be watched and enjoyed.
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