Newport, R.I. — The San Diego Yacht Club team faced a challenging start at the deciding race of the 2025 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. In an echo of their previous attempt in 2019, they struggled at the top of the first beat, finding themselves in a precarious position. Tactician Adam Roberts noted, “We had an unexpected crash tack come at us, which forced us into that low lane,” leading to a disappointing 17th place rounding at the first mark.
As the race unfolded, the lead fluctuated among San Diego, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. By the time they approached the final leeward mark, San Diego was trailing in 13th place. However, a stroke of luck came when a boat ahead was penalised, allowing San Diego an opportunity to advance.
With skipper Jake La Dow at the helm, the team made a remarkable comeback, moving from 15th to 8th place in a single leg, ultimately securing their second championship title in this prestigious event. Roberts reflected on their performance, stating, “It starts with that leeward mark rounding, for sure, and just making sure that you have a really clean exit. Luckily, we did. Then we had a quick tack, found our wheels, had clean air…”
Royal Hong Kong managed to maintain their fourth place position, while Royal Vancouver’s efforts fell short in the final stretch, finishing just behind San Diego.
In the end, San Diego Yacht Club clinched the championship with 63 points, followed by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. The event showcased fierce competition, with teams from 12 countries participating in the biennial regatta, demonstrating the high level of skill and preparation in this year’s event.
The top five finishing standings were: 1) San Diego Yacht Club (63 points), 2) Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (68 points), 3) Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (70.1 points), 4) Corinthian Yacht Club (80 points), and 5) Royal Cork Yacht Club (93 points).
San Diego Yacht Club team members included Jake La Dow (skipper), Adam Roberts (tactician), Rick Merriman, Anderson Reiter, Nick Martin, Kara Voss, Lucy Wallace, Max Hutcheson, and David Dempsey.
1. San Diego (Calif.) Yacht Club (7-1-1-1-2-8-7-2-1-16-9-8) 63 points
2. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (3-4-4-3-20-4-3-5-2-3-13-4) 68 points
3. Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, CAN (6-RDG/5.6-RDG/5.6-6-10-3-4-14-5-1-1-9) 70.1 points
4. Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead, Mass. (5-7-11-11-8-10-8-1-11-4-2-2) 80 points
5. Royal Cork Yacht Club, IRL (14-5-12-10-6-2-12-10-3-2-6-11) 93 points
6. Royal Swedish Yacht Club (11-2-5-7-9-6-6-16*-14-10-3-6) 95 points
7. Royal Canadian Yacht Club (10-3-2-2-3-5-5-17-15-7-20-10) 99 points
8. Royal Thames Yacht Club, GBR (2-11-3-13-5-1-10-12-4-13-16-15) 105 points
9. New York (N.Y.) Yacht Club (8-9-6-5-12-7-11-8-17-9-15-1) 108 points
10. Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead, Mass. (13-15-14-8-4-9-2-6-8-8-8-14) 109 points
11. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, ITA (1-8-8-9-16-16-14-16-6-5-12-5) 116 points
12. Howth Yacht Club, IRL (9-16-15-12-11-13-15-4-12-12-4-3) 126 points
13. Japan Sailing Federation (19-10-16-4-1-14-NSC/21-3-9-11-7-17) 131 points
14. Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, AUS (12-6-10-16*-16*-12-18-18-18-15-10-7) 158 points
15. Yacht Club Italiano (15-14-19-14-19-19-9-7-20-6-11-12) 165 points
16. Royal Irish Yacht Club (16-12-18-20-7-15-16-9-7-14-18-16) 168 points
17. Itchenor Sailing Club, GBR (DSQ/21-13-18*-19-17-18-2*-11-19-20-5-13) 176 points
18. Yacht Club Punta del Este, URU (4-17-13-17-13-11-17-20-13-18-19-20) 182 points
19. Yacht Club de Ilhabela, BRA (RET/21-18-7-16-19*-20-13-13-10-17-17-19) 190 points
20. Yacht Club Argentino (18-19-9-18-14-17-NSC/21-19-16-19-14-18) 201 points
*Score includes 1-point umpire penalty
Social Media: Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. #Sailing #RolexNYYCInvitationalCup @NYYCInvitationalCup #SanDiegoYachtClub #YachtRacing #SailingNews #AustraliaSailing #nyyc_regattas
Interested in seeing more Racing News? Click here
