2024 Lipton Cup at San Diego Yacht Club – Day 1
by San Diego Yacht Club 25 Oct 20:31 PDT
October 25-27, 2024
Lipton Cup Defending Champions, SDYC, take First Place on Day One of Racing. – 2024 Lipton Cup © Mark Albertazzi
The 109th Challenge for the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup, the signature fall regatta of the San Diego Yacht Club, commenced today.
Named after the legendary yachtsman and tea magnate, Sir Thomas Lipton, the Lipton Cup pits yacht club teams against each other to determine the elite among them. It has been the most prestigious trophy contested in Southern California and one of the most sought-after on the West Coast since 1903.
This year’s Lipton Cup features:
Balboa YC
California YC
Club de Yates de Acapulco
Corinthian Yacht Club Marblehead
Coronado YC
Long Beach YC
New York YC
Newport Harbor YC
Pensacola YC
San Diego YC
San Francisco YC
Southwestern YC
Day one of racing had out-of-town participants curious about the thick, eerie marine layer rarely associated with sunny San Diego and its ideal sailing conditions.
Before departing the docks, Mike Madigan, a newcomer from the West Coast helming the Pensacola Yacht Club team, expressed concern during his morning interview about the heavy fog. Fortunately, by the time competitors set off, the fog began to dissipate, revealing sunny skies in South San Diego Bay.
Winds were around 6-8 knots with aggressive left shifts to kick off the day. By mid-afternoon, warmer air from inland clashed with the marine layer enough to shift the winds back to the right.
Race One
The first race began with a postponement due to light winds at the top of the course, but once it got underway, the competition was fierce. The first three boats around the windward mark were California YC, followed by reigning champions San Diego YC and Newport Harbor YC. However, by the end of the first race, San Diego emerged victorious, with Corinthian and California finishing closely behind.
Competitors then moved to the floating docks to switch to their next boat, spending a few minutes familiarizing themselves with their new vessels before heading back to the course.
Race Two
Race two proved to be thrilling, as the intensity and competitiveness escalated with teams becoming more aggressive at the starting line and windward marks. San Diego took an early lead, rounding every mark in first place. Long Beach was close behind but incurred a foul, which set them back significantly after completing their penalty turns. Skipper Keith Ives from Long Beach described it as a rollercoaster ride and noted they were unsure of the foul but handled it appropriately. This situation left San Francisco, New York, and Newport Harbor battling for second and third places. Ultimately, San Diego, San Francisco, and Newport Harbor claimed the top three spots.
Races Three and Four
Races three and four saw a notable change in frontrunners. In the third race, the predominantly young Coronado team performed excellently, taking an early lead and retaining first place throughout, with New York closely trailing and a mix-up among Newport, Pensacola, and San Francisco. By the end of race three, Coronado, New York, and Newport secured the top three.
In race four, Long Beach maintained their lead throughout, facing a tight contest for the next three positions with California, Corinthian, and San Francisco. After tight roundings and plenty of spirited exchanges, Long Beach, California, and San Francisco finished in first to third, respectively.
Race Five – The Final Race of the Day
As the sun dipped lower in the horizon, the race committee was eager to fit in one more race in the series of twelve. The start went off perfectly, and the boats were away. This race appeared to be the fastest of the day, with competitors swiftly traversing the course ends. San Diego led the race with Pensacola, Acapulco, and New York trailing. Despite having a significant lead, San Diego maintained their focus and never eased up, finishing first not just in the race, but also overall for the day. Acapulco delivered their best performance, finishing second in the race, while New York took third and secured second overall for the day. San Francisco finished sixth in the last race but concluded the day in third place overall.
As racing wrapped up, competitors gathered at the Spinnaker Deck for a Welcome Social featuring tastings from beer sponsor Maui Brewing and delicious chips from Chipz Happen.
Spectators are invited to cheer for their favorite teams on the water! Join friends on your vessel or theirs to enjoy some thrilling racing. Follow along on our social media channels like Instagram or Facebook, or check the mark rounding tracker for live updates throughout the day.
A special thanks to our dedicated sponsors, who make events like this possible: Helly Hansen, Bay Club Hotel and Marina, Chipz Happen, SunBum, and Maui Brewing.
Full results are available here.
