Itchenor Sailing Club takes the East Coast of America by storm
by Rebecca Oldfield 19 Oct 2017 21:46 BST
19 October 2017
Itchenor at the NYYC Invitational Cup © Dan Nerney / Rolex
Itchenor Sailing Club has spread its sails to gain international recognition on the East Coast of America. 2017 has seen Itchenor invited to two prestigious events in the US including the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup that took place from 9-16 September and the upcoming US Team Racing Championship for the coveted George R. Hinman Trophy.
Hosted by the New York Yacht Club in Newport, the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup saw a young Itchenor team led by Barry Sampson, compete in difficult conditions for a total of five days and 12 races. In an event seen as the pinnacle of amateur one design yacht racing, the team held their own amongst some of the world's top sailors including Olympians, coming top four in several races and eventually taking the 9th spot, just 8 points away from 4th place.
Following their strong performance at NYYC, Itchenor will compete in the US Team Racing Championship from the 20-22 October at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, New York. Itchenor team Birdham Bandits which is formed of members George Yeoman, Tim Saxton, Sam Littlejohn, Rosie Sibthorp, Sophie Ormsby and Holly Scott, was approached directly by the Event Chairman due to their current status as UK National Champions and recent success winning the Wilson Trophy where they beat the current US National Champions. Only 12 teams from around the world have been selected to compete in the renowned regatta.
"It is a huge honour to have been personally approached to take part in this event," comments George Yeoman of the Birdham Bandits. "We believe this will be a great opportunity for us to represent the Club and further raise Itchenor's profile in the sailing world."
Itchenor Sailing Club has seen an increase in their national and international presence with teams also competing in the Baldwin Cup held at Newport Harbour Yacht Club, Newport Beach in California and a number of training events in Europe. These notable events should significantly contribute to the Club's surge in international competition and help to raise Itchenor Sailing Club's profile on a global scale.