SDYC skipper Tyler Sinks adds 4th Lipton Cup win to sailing resume

2021 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup © Mark Albertazzi

The 2021 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup is once again in the hands of the home team! San Diego Yacht Club came out this weekend determined to repeat history and get the Cup back in their name. After sailing only nine of twelve planned races due to light winds in South San Diego Bay, SDYC finished with 4 bullets, 4 seconds, and a fifth. The battle was won today after Race 8 when the team finished first, giving them a 23 point lead over their competitors with only one race left to sail.

"It's all about teamwork," said Skipper Tyler Sinks. The team consisting of Sinks, Lucy Wallace, Nick Kaschak, Nevin Snow, Erik Shampain, Max Hutcheson and Jake La Dow are no strangers when it comes to the Lipton Cup. La Dow and Hutcheson have sailed with Sinks in five consecutive Lipton Cups, Nevin Snow sailed with the team in 2018, Nick Kaschak is back after a 3-year hiatus, and Erik Shampain is one of the most "winningest Lipton Cup sailors of all time." Not only does this crew sail together at this regatta, but most have been actively sailing together the past few years, including in the 2019 and 2021 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup.

Sinks himself has now won four Lipton Cups (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2021) making him the Lipton Cup skipper with the most wins in the past decade. Is it a coincidence that Sinks sailed through the finish in boat number four?

When speaking with Sinks earlier today, he confessed that the secret weapon on their team was Tactician Nevin Snow. "We mostly just played it pretty simple in the end. We had a great crew that made it happen. It was shifty all over and every race was different. Everyone on the team has been sailing a lot this summer so it was easy to plug it into the right system," said Snow.

2021 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup - photo © Mark Albertazzi

The overall results have SDYC in first with 17 points, Coronado Yacht Club in second with 42 points, and New York Yacht Club in third with 45 points.

The final day of the Lipton Cup was off to another slow start. The AP flag went up at 1125 and didn't come down until around 1345. After getting in one race won by SDYC, the AP flag went up again. The breeze filled back in at 1515 and the final race of the day was won by NYYC.

With SDYC earning their win early, the race was on for second place. NYYC, CorYC, and Newport Harbor Yacht Club have been swapping spots on the scoresheet all weekend. NHYC and CorYC were neck and neck through Race 9, the final race of the day. On the last leg of the race, NYYC increased their speed and took the win. Even with NYYC's bullet, it wasn't enough to beat CorYC out for second overall.

2021 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup - photo © Mark Albertazzi

San Diego Yacht Club came through the finish line to over a dozen spectator boats beeping their horns, SDYC burgees flying high, and fans cheering them on. As they approached the dock the celebration continued and the Club presented the team with a champagne toast.

After participating in the dockside camaraderie, all of the yacht club teams were invited to the Saturday Night Banquet and Awards Ceremony. The banquet is traditionally known to be a highlight of the weekend and an opportunity for skippers to roast their crews. Twelve teams will be invited back next year in 2022 to compete for the Lipton Cup once again.

"I always have a blast at the Lipton Cup. It's our yacht club's premier event and it's great to see all the SDYC members, volunteers, and supporters out on the water cheering us on. SDYC does a great job organizing the event on and off the water. It's a first-class regatta," finished Sinks.

Thank you to all of the J/105 owners who chartered their boats this year in support of the regatta.

Overall Results: