This past weekend, San Diego Yacht Club hosted the 2016 Beneteau Cup in ideal conditions- sunny and mid-70s with steady winds between 12-14 knots. Longtime race organizers, Rick Day and Barrett Canfield confirmed that with almost 50 boats participating, this event has become the largest Beneteau Cup in the world.
San Diego Yacht Club will host the 2016 Finn Pacific Coast Championship (PCC) for the third consecutive year on September 17 & 18, 2016. Chaired by SDYC’s Rear Commodore, Mike Dorgan, this year’s championship will be a warm up event for the Finn Masters North American Championship taking place at Mission Bay Yacht Club the following weekend.
San Diego Yacht Club began hosting the Beneteau Cup in 2003 for 36.7 and 40.7 one design racing. After noticing a drop in participation in 2008 and 2009, longtime race organizers Rick Day and Barrett Canfield approached the 2010 race with a new focus. Starting in 2010, the race was restructured as a fun and educational way to invite Beneteau owners, especially cruisers that are not built for racing, out on the water.
The International Women’s Keelboat Regatta (IWKR) was hosted by American Yacht Club in Rye, NY the second week of August. Sixteen international teams consisting of four women each competed in J/70s. The regatta saw typical Long Island conditions – mostly light, shifty winds and strong currents.
When it comes to sailing, if you can imagine it, Mark Reynolds has probably done it. The journey that started at the San Diego Yacht Club when he was just eight took him all the way to the Olympics, where he followed up a silver medal in 1988 with a pair of golds in 1992 and 2000.
This year’s Governor’s Cup was destined to be a success because of it’s 50th anniversary. Team SDYC was honored to be invited to the match racing regatta which included the current Youth Match Racing world champion, the world #4 match racer, and three past champions of the Governor’s Cup!
For the second time in three years there is a first time champion of the Morgan Cup Team Race, a regatta that has taken place every August since 2003 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court. This year San Diego Yacht Club joined what had been an exclusive trio of previous winners after a long weekend of races against nine other top clubs from England and across the United States, San Diego placed themselves at the top of the heap in one of the premiere keelboat team racing championships.
San Diego born Mark Reynolds grew up sailing Stars since the age of four, eventually becoming an SDYC Junior Sailor and instructor. After attending San Diego State University where he was an All-American in 1974, Mark competed in the ’88, ’92, ’96 and ’00 Olympics, winning gold medals in ’92 and ’00 and a silver medal in ’88. In addition to winning several other Star World Championships, Mark also won the 1979 Pan American Games in the Snipe Class.
Paris Henken isn’t your average laidback 20-year-old from Coronado, CA. In February 2016, Paris and her sailing partner, Helena Scutt, qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in the 49erFX. Though having spent the majority of her childhood at Coronado YC, Paris is now a Junior SDYC Member and a past SDYC Summer Program Instructor, having won SDYC Outstanding Female Sailor of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
Dale and Judy Donnelly purchased San Diego Marine Exchange in June of 1983. With a background in real estate, Dale’s initial intention was to purchase a restaurant. Instead, he and Judy purchased SDMX and decided to keep it as the thriving marine business that it had been since the 1950s.