San Diego Yacht Club hosts the 2025 Yachting Cup this weekend
by San Diego Yacht Club 2 May 23:40 BST
May 2-4, 2025
2024 Yachting Cup © Mark Albertazzi
Each year as the calendar flips to May, San Diego Yacht Club hosts the annual Yachting Cup regatta, featuring one design and handicap classes racing. This year's event takes place May 2nd-4th. Saturday and Sunday fleet racing will take place both in San Diego Bay and on two ocean courses.
SDYC Commodore Steve Malowney will be out on the race course and looks forward to welcome sailors to the club. "The 2025 SDYC Yachting Cup is now officially under way. The Yachting Cup is a proud tradition that showcases not only our passion for sailing but the club's ability to put on a great regatta and throw a fun party. Like many of you competing this weekend, I look forward to racing in another exceptional regatta. With the blustery weekend forecast, good luck, sail fast and sail safe."
The weekend kicks off with the traditional Ton Cup raced in an untraditional format. In past years, the Ton Cup has been a more casual Bay race with teams getting to practice for the weekend's racing. Last year and again this year, SDYC has invited Yachting Cup participants to sail in a J/22 super short course (6-8 minute races) rotation event in La Playa. Sixteen teams will sail twenty races on Friday afternoon to determine the Ton Cup champions for 2025.
While much about the Yachting Cup is traditional, its spring-time position on the calendar means there is always the chance of some leftover winter weather pattern sweeping down from the north and making the whole event untraditional. This weekend, a frontal system is forecast to pass through the Southern California area, likely bringing rain, significant sea states and blustery 20+ kt winds. Saturday is generally anticipated to be good conditions with a building WSW wind to mid-teens until the passage late Saturday night. That will bring a period of 20+ kt winds that will likely taper on Sunday, but most significantly, produce a sea state that may impose on this year's level of 'fun'.
In San Diego Bay, 8 J/24s will race on a windward/leeward course including last year's class winner, Susan Taylor (Take Five).
Out in the ocean, there will be a Near and Far Ocean course for Windward/Leedward races featuring one design classes for the J/105s, Beneteau 36.7s and J/111s. Additionally, there will be two ORC classes joining them.
The Beneteau 36.7 class raced their Midwinters regatta in March with Eric Hanson's Given-Ho winning the 6-boat class on a tiebreaker. The class will race with 5 of the same 6 boats this weekend and looks to be another competitive matchup.
Five boats will also sail a single random leg distance race on Saturday and Sunday, between 12-29nm, in an ORR class. The class ranges from Larry VanderPloeg's N/M 45 Idler to Thomas Furlong's R/P 52 Vitesse.
The J/105 will have 7 boats on the start line this year, including last year's class and overall Yachting Cup winners, Chuck & Stephen Driscoll on Juiced.
In the J/111 class, 6 boats from all over California will contend with last year's winner, Peter Wagner, Skeleton Key who won 5 of 6 races in the class last year.
There are two ORC classes split into mostly 40'+ boats and under 40' boats. Scoring will use the 5-band windward/leeward time-on-time format, where the race committee will determine the wind velocity range to be used and the associated rating band will then be used. The Yachting Cup was a PHRF event in 2024 and has transitioned the handicap fleets to ORC for 2025.
John Laun is an SDYC Staff Commodore, owner/skipper of the J/120 caper, and past overall winner of the Yachting Cup. "I'm looking forward to a great weekend of racing in Yachting Cup. It's always a highlight regatta and our fleet is a strong group of well-sailed and well-matched boats. It will be very interesting racing this year with ORC ratings that change if we get different wind speeds from race to race."
View classes & ratings here.
Event co-chairs, Donica Ryder and Pete Whitby, have spent months planning a full weekend of sailing and social events. Pete shared that "Yachting Cup is a complex event with a lot of moving parts. It couldn't happen without dozens of volunteers, an excellent Race Committee, and expert support from the SDYC Sailing Office and Catering."
Donica added "I've raced in Yachting Cup over 20 years and I am finally helping to make this signature event happen. The SDYC race committee and staff are the best in the world. We are looking forward to an amazing weekend of epic sailing and fun parties in San Diego."
Back on shore after racing, sailors will gather at San Diego Yacht Club for a Friday night Welcome BBQ party with a DJ, a Saturday night Lawn Party with music from San Diego favorites, Gin N Jukes, and a Sunday "Cuatro de Mayo" Awards party.
San Diego Yacht Club would like to thank the Yachting Cup sponsors - Maui Brewing Company, Cutwater Spirits, Mount Gay Rum, Baila Tequila, South Coast Yachts, Helly Hansen, North Sails, First National Bullion, Sun Bum and The Bay Club Hotel & Marina - who help make this signature event special.
Follow along with the racing action at www.yachtingcup.com for results and photos throughout the weekend.