LYC Wins NYYC Invitational Cup
Qualifying Series
Sept. 4-8, 2012
Newport, RI
LYC bested 23 other American yacht clubs at the New York YC Invitational Cup U.S. Qualifying Series. The regatta determines which three American yacht clubs earn the right to compete in the New York YC Invitational Cup, an international amateur competition of yacht club versus yacht club, held every other year in evenly-matched Swan 42s.
The winning LYC team (left to right): Cardwell Potts, Danny Pletsch,
Clay Bischoff and Rebecca Liggins.
The series began with a two-day elimination series, with clubs divided into two 12-team brackets, rotating between Sonars and J/70s, with the top six clubs from each bracket advancing to the finals. LYC found itself on the wrong side of a few wind shifts in the elimination series, squeaking into the finals by just four points. Scores from the elimination series did not carry over, and LYC took advantage of its fresh start to place in the top three after the first day of the finals. LYC dominated he second day of the finals with top three finishes in five of the six races to take the title by 11 points over Seattle YC. San Francisco YC captured the third qualifying slot.
With the win, LYC becomes the first-ever winner of the Resolute Cup, a 97-year old trophy rededicated by the New York YC in 2012 and awarded to the winner of the U.S. Qualifying Series. LYC also avenges its difficult loss in the 2010 U.S. Qualifying Series, where the team missed qualifying for the Invitational Cup by a single point.
Team LYC, the first ever winners of the Resolute Cup.
LYC’s Yachting Committee invited club members to be selected for competition in the U.S. Qualifying Series by resume. Danny Pletsch, a past collegiate All American, team race world champion and national champion in Vanguard 15s and Interclubs, was selected as the skipper. LYC members and former collegiate sailors of the year Cardwell Potts and Clay Bischoff were selected as crew, with former collegiate sailor Rebecca Liggins rounding out the team. The 2013 Invitational Cup will be held in Newport, Rhode Island in September, where LYC will compete against 20 yacht clubs from around the world in Swan 42s. Results, photos and daily news updates from the 2012 U.S. Qualifying Series are posted on the event website.
