Newport Harbor wins Thayer Trophy National Women's Team Race for second time in epic finale

Newport Harbor Yacht Club team wins 2026 National Women's Invitational Team Race for the Thayer Trophy © Christina Pandapas

Multiple lead changes, crew overboard -- final race came down to the last 100 yards in a 3v3 battle royale between Newport Harbor and the scratch Team Replacements. Seawanhaka takes third.

To say this year's National Women's Invitational Team Race for The Thayer Trophy was hard fought doesn't begin to describe the drama that unfolded in the last race of the three-day regatta which saw 2025 winner, Newport Harbor, sail against The Replacements, a scratch team pulled together by Roger Williams Sailing Coach Amanda Callahan just 12 hours before the event started.

Every race in the final stage of the Thayer Trophy was a battle royale, but the last race really showed what the top two teams were made of. The conditions had been up and down all day with wind speeds ranging from 9 knots to 16 and a sloppy chop that could easily cause the boats to stop dead.

"Downwind there were so many lead changes, like three or four lead changes, I think my heart rate was over 170 -- I lost so many years off my life!" said Newport Harbor Co-Captain Carolyn Smith.

Newport Harbor and The Replacements were in close formations around mark four. So, even though Newport Harbor was in 1, 4, 5 and a big right shift made the finish a starboard fetch, there were still opportunities to engage. The Replacements went on the attack and made gains in the tricky conditions as they forced Newport Harbor to respond.

The last 30 yards were an all-out brawl. Smith's boat lost a crew member overboard on an aggressive roll tack but recovered quickly after they got her back on board. The Replacements sailed one of their boats into first place across the line and another into third, so it looked like they had the win, but the third-place boat had drawn a foul and as they spun around the finish mark, Newport Harbor crossed the line in a 2, 3, 4.

"Shout out to the Replacements for an epic battle," said Newport Harbor Co-Captain Sally Mace at the awards ceremony on the Corinthian Yacht Club porch.

In another impressive performance, Seawanhaka Yacht Club finished third overall in the team's first Thayer Trophy appearance and the first time the team had sailed together.

A recorded broadcast of the Thayer Trophy finals with commentary can be found on the Corinthian Yacht Club YouTube Channel. Regatta details can be found at thayertrophy.com.

Thayer Trophy 2026 Results:

1st Place - Newport Harbor Yacht Club
2nd Place - The Replacements
3rd Place - Seawanhaka Yacht Club
4th Place - Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association
5th Place - Corinthian Yacht Club
6th Place - Eastern Yacht Club