Morgan Cup Team Race goes global

Morgan Cup Team Race © Stuart Streuli / New York Yacht Club

Premiere Keelboat Team Race looks to broaden horizons

The goal is simple to define, but exponentially more challenging to achieve. "We want the Morgan Cup to become the premiere team racing event in the world," says Peter Levesque, a former team race world champion and the co-chair of the New York Yacht Club Team Racing Subcommittee.

Fortunately, the New York Yacht Club is starting from a position of strength in this regard. The New York Yacht Club Invitational Team Race Regatta for the Morgan Cup, which was first sailed in 2003 and will next be sailed August 5 to 7, is already one of the most competitive events in the United States for post-collegiate team racers. It annually attracts teams from some of the country's top yacht clubs, and the roster of sailors includes America's Cup veterans, former Olympians and countless collegiate All-Americans.

But team racing isn't just an American passion. "From traveling to team racing events outside the United States, we know first-hand the quality of the top teams from England and the rest of Europe," says Levesque. "Getting top foreign teams to compete each year in the Morgan Cup will raise the bar and make winning the regatta that much more of an accomplishment."

Levesque also notes that while the regatta has traditionally featured teams representing yacht clubs there is nothing prohibiting a group of sailors not affiliated with one particular club from joining forces and submitting an application.

Of course, Levesque acknowledges with a smile, these changes will make it more challenging for the New York Yacht Club to defend the title it won last year for the eighth time. "The Club will assemble the best team we can," he says. "Hopefully that will keep us in the hunt for the overall title."

Applications for the 2016 Morgan Cup must be submitted by March 1. More on the event, and the rest of the Club's team racing schedule can be found here.