2025 Spring Regatta Recap

AYC

07 May 2025 — 2 min read

The American Yacht Club hosted its 46th annual Spring Regatta, running a coastal race on May 2nd and both coastal and winward/leeward racing on May 3rd and 4th.

Wind conditions kept the sailors on their toes. On both Friday and Saturday, the wind clocked around completely, providing the remarkable sight of seeing coastal race boats on the same line, two-thirds sailing spinnakers while the leaders were still close-hauled. Tide, pressure gaps, and wind changes all combined to heighten the importance of navigation and strategic decisions.

View from the mark boat

Rear-Commodore Barry Gold commented, "Once again the flagship inaugural event of the 2025 Long Island Sound racing season was a chance to get out the cobwebs, with great racing, see old friends, and enjoy fabulous onshore entertainment and food. And once again Western Long Island Sound did not disappoint, with wind from almost every direction, with big breeze and no breeze, all in the same race!"

Each day, the racers came off the water to food, drinks, music, and — most importantly — the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

Major Awards

Commodore Edward Richards Trophy (best overall ORC performance): Christopher Dragon
Rampant Trophy (best overall PHRF performance): Charlotte
1888 Trophy (best one design performance): Maxine

Charlotte receiving the 2025 Rampant Trophy

Class Winners

ORC W/L: Christopher Dragon XII
J/44: Maxine
J/105: Solution
J/88: Albondigas
Coastal ORC 2: SLEEPER
Coastal PHRF 1: Oakcliff Blue
Coastal PHRF 3: Charlotte
Coastal PHRF 4: Nordlys
Coastal PHRF 5 Non-Spinnaker: Bluefin

Peter Duncan's Relative Obscurity Goes on a Tear

It's been a productive start to 2025 for Peter Duncan in the J/70 in his boat Relative Obscurity. First they won Event #2 of the Bacardi Invitational Winter Series (they didn't participate in Event #1) in January against 41 boats, then they won the Bacardi

The 2025 LIS Big Boat Season Kicks Off

Every new year, we look forward to the bright bursts of daffodils and the fast-fading blush of cherry blossoms, but the turn of the season also marks a busy rush to get the bigger boats in the water just in time for the American Yacht Club's Spring Regatta

The All Weather Kiting Crew

If you’re wondering who was wild enough to be out kite boarding in the middle of Long Island Sound about four weeks ago, when the temperature was 25 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind was blowing a steady 40 knots with gusts up to 50, you can wonder no more.

Interview with Katherine McNamara

Following an impressive second place finish in the College Sailing Match Race Nationals last month, we took the opportunity to catch up with AYC member Katherine McNamara. Katherine is in her Junior year at Brown University. She grew up sailing at AYC and fondly remembers her many JAYC summers, as