New York Yacht Club opens Queen's Cup to all qualified entries

The Queen's Cup © NYYC

The Queen's Cup was first contested in 1953 on Rhode Island Sound, just over a year after Queen Elizabeth II assumed the throne of England following the death of her father George VI. It was scheduled during the New York Yacht Club's Annual Cruise—as had been the case with the King's Cup—so only yachts skippered by members of the Club competed. Gilbert Verney's 67-foot yawl Sea Lion was the first boat to finish the 16.6-mile course, and the winner on handicap as well.

The Queen's Cup has remained a part of the Annual Cruise ever since. Only in 1966, when John B. Kilroy's Kialoa II, representing the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, was invited to compete for the Queen's Cup, has a non-member won the sturdy double-handed trophy.

This September 20, however, the race will be sailed as a stand-alone event off Newport, R.I.; and the Club is inviting to compete any boat that meets qualifications for entry, which include an IRC rating of 1.07 or greater and an ISAF Category 1 helmsman.

"The Queen's Cup is one of the Club's most coveted annual trophies," says Commodore A. Rives Potts Jr. "The winner's list includes many of the Club's top racing programs from the last half century. We're excited to see what other top IRC boats will come out to contest the race this September."

Unlike many modern regattas, the Queen's Cup is just one race; usually a lengthy windward-leeward affair. It also features a unique starting procedure. Provided a yacht starts within two minutes of the starting gun, her elapsed time starts the moment she crosses the line.

Winning the start, normally a crucial part of any sailboat race, isn't nearly as important. In 2008, Stuart Saffer put together a pick-up crew, borrowed Barry Gold's J/122 Sundari for the race and took full advantage of the "starting window".

"Being one of the slowest boats on handicap, we used the extra time to see what would be our first shift, and started almost two minutes later than the fleet," says Saffer. "We were doing OK, but the bigger boats were so far ahead we had no clue of our positioning. A squall came through while rounding the weather mark for the last time, and we broke the boom while jibing. We had no idea we won until we were back at the dock at Newport Yachting Center and got a call from a friend. We were shocked, amazed, elated and thrilled."

The result of the Queen's Cup is the subject of an annual correspondence between the Club and the British Monarchy, with the winner receiving a copy of the Queen's reply.

"I still have my copies of those letters framed on the wall in my home," says Saffer. "Having my name on the same trophy as the best big boat skippers at NYYC is certainly humbling."

The Queen's Cup start is scheduled for 1300 EST on September 20, with the racing to be held on Rhode Island Sound or inside Narragansett Bay. Full details, including entry requirements, are available here.