Memorial Day Weekend saw one of the most incredible days for sailing in the history of New York Harbor. This was when the Open Class 60 fleet started the New York to Vendee Single-Handed Transatlantic Race.  The event was part of the Ocean Masters series organized by Alex Mills and Open Sports Management. They are helping to lead the world of singlehanded sailing.

Manhattan Yacht Club was afforded the great honor of serving as Race Committee for this prestigious start.  Commodore Fortenbaugh was joined by Thursday RC Chair Luigi Galbiati & Wednesday RC Chair Patrick Burks (all Members should join the Race Committee!). Our guest of honor to fire the cannon was RADM Joseph Molloy with his wife and two aides. Also joining the excitement were 3 sailors from the Noahs Sailing Club of Shanghai.

The Open Class 60 yachts are the extreme of round-the-world sailing. With so many of these machines threading their way down the harbor from the Battery to the Verrazano Bridge, it was a sight and experience rarely seen anywhere in the world, let alone in NY Harbor. For our local maritime community, this was definitely a first on a world-class scale.

The sailors racing these machines are the very best in single-handed sailors in the world. Our race committee had the privilege of motoring alongside some of the sailors after the start. From a sailor's perspective - this was truly amazing, the real deal & over the top cool. 

The New York to Vendee Race was the second event involving the IMOCA 60 Class in New York Harbor. The first event was the New York to Barcelona Race, also started by our club in 2014. The decision to bring both of these events to New York Harbor was made by Open Sports Management, founded by Sir Keith Mills and now run by Alex Mills. As sailors, we thank them greatly for bringing these event to our harbor and we stand by to assist more in the future.

There have been other milestones along the way in attracting these big international events. In 2012, the    KRYS Ocean Race started in NY harbor. Our Club again served as the Race Committee and the event went from here to Brest. The Clipper Race has stopped in the harbor many times. The Volvo Race made a pit stop in 2006 and the first race to ever come to the harbor was Around Alone which started here in 2002 as part of Sail for America, on the one year anniversary of 9/11. With all of these major milestones, our Club was centrally involved in making them happen. Now that our harbor is on the radar screen of every major sailing event, we will probably see more.

Early May brought the America's Cup World Series to NY Harbor and lots of Members went out to spectate on Arabella. 

The AC event were racing in the 45ft catamarans. But the racing area selected by the RC team was directly off the esplanade in Lower Manhattan.  With a northeast wind the first day and a northwest wind the second day, this area was unsuited for reliable winds and the sailing was haphazard and radmon to say the least. It was a shame, because just to the south of the race area where our clubhouse is located, there were strong and consistent winds both days. If the course had been shifted south, the sailing would have been incredible to watch. Instead, the quality of the sailing was made second to spectator viewing from the seawall.  Our Club is all in favor of spectators and our clubhouse in the harbor was the first in the country. But trying to sail so close to the skyline was a significant disappointment in terms of real sailing. Our harbor has such good winds and we hope the reputation of our harbor does not suffer because the RC choose the wrong location for the wind conditions.

Historic America's Cup 12 Meter "America II" is owned and operated by the New York Harbor Sailing Foundation. She raced for the Cup in 1987 in Freemantle, Australia. The Foundation was founded in 1994 by Members of our Club in order to foster and promote amateur sailing of national and international importance in our harbor. 

This year, the Foundation expanded the America II "Friends" program whereby sailors are invited to contribute to help maintain and restore America II. More than 50 sailors supported this program. It sold out and a waiting list was established. In addition to supporting this historic vessel, participants are asked to volunteer their time to help sail her in the harbor. 

The Friends Program is coordinated by Scott Curtis and Edouard Ruelle. Marc LoPresti rounds out the Foundation's 12 Meter leadership committee which has been in place since 2015. 

Last summer, the Foundation also acquired America II's sistership, US 42. There were three "America IIs" built for the 1987 Cup, US 42, 44 & 46.  US 46 has been sailing in the harbor since 2007. Now the Foundation also owns US 42 and is raising $100,000 to restore her over this coming winter. The goal is to have both 12 Meters match racing in the harbor in 2017. This will be a great tribute to the America's Cup competition which will take place in Bermuda in June. 

Then in July & August, our Foundation hopes to invite additional yacht clubs from around the world to fly into NY Harbor for a week of match racing aboard these two historic 12 Meter yachts. Four weekends will be devoted to these events and with up to 4 yacht clubs per weekend, there will be an opportunity for 16 international teams to participate. If you are in a foreign yacht club around the world, happen to be reading this and would like one of the 16 invitations, please send a note to office@myc.org. 

Stay in touch more. Even if you can't get to the docks as much as you would like, you can follow what is happening. There is an active Facebook page for our Club. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Manhattan-Yacht-Club/210468042307077 

If you "Like" this page, then you will get notices when new pictures and videos are posted.  See pictures of other Members and friends when they go out sailing! Post your comments and get more involved in a fun and social way.