As we headed in to the final day of racing at the International Masters Regatta, one thing was clear, everyone had tasted moments of victory and they all were salivating for more. There were several teams that had the potential to seize the title but no one was more determined than this year’s overall winner, Scott Harris.
The third day of racing saw major shake ups from one mark rounding to the next while skippers moved wildly through the standings. Tad Lacey, Cory Sertl, and Gary Jobson were not about to go down without a fight.
One look at the daily firsts will prove our invited skippers are truly Masters of this sport. After the second day of sailing we have completed nine races and each of those races has been won by a different skipper.
Earning an invitation to the International Masters Regatta is a feat in itself, but this years skippers are proving to be perhaps the most equally matched and skillful sailors we have seen yet. The caliber of sailing on the course today was unparalleled as each race brought new excitement and anticipation. Spectators waited to see who would seize the coveted bullet. All our master skippers are showing their hunger to claim their very first Masters win.
Day one of the 2023 International Masters Regatta put this talented group of seasoned sailors to the test. Of the 12 accomplished veteran skippers at this year's event, none have yet to win the title. The competition spirit is high as we wait to see which team will earn the coveted blue blazer.
This year we have a truly international group of skippers hailing from Mexico, Canada, the United States, and Germany. America's finest city was showing off for its visiting guests with sunny skies, white caps on the water, and shifting winds that made for a challenging course. With the round-robin racing style and strategic course adjustments by Race Committee after each race, this international field showed why they are known as masters.
The 41st running of the International Masters Regatta returns to San Diego Yacht Club October 20-22, 2023. This year’s slate of twelve competitors brings together a truly international cast of Master skippers from Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United States. Over the three days of racing, teams will compete using chartered J/105s in a round-robin format in South San Diego Bay.
The 2023 International Masters Regatta invites twelve legendary skippers from around the world to compete in rotating J/105s on San Diego Bay. Find all the links to follow the action online via the website, photos, video, social media and more.
For discounted rate hotel rooms for the Masters Regatta, at The Bay Club Hotel & Marina, book online at https://bookings.travelclick.com/102751?groupID=3788882. The hotel is walking distance from SDYC. Discounts available Tuesday October 17 - Tuesday October 24, 2023. The discounted rate is $199/night.
The Bay Club Hotel and Marina pool and hot tub will be under construction at the time of your stay and will be unavailable for use. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Feel free to make additional arrangements as you see necessary.
Three Canadian teams led by Nigel Cochrane from Vancouver, Bill Abbot from Sarnia and Terry McLaughlin from Toronto participated in the International Masters Regatta hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club last week. The regatta was extremely hard fought right to the end; best showing was McLaughlin’s second place.
And there you have it! Augie Diaz has officially been named the 2022 International Masters Regatta Champion. It’s only ever so often that a regatta stays this unpredictable down to the last leg of the last race. All four of the top players went into the final race of the day with the chance to come out on top. Diaz, however, was the one of eleven skippers just talented enough to take home the coveted blue blazer. Some say a sprinkle of luck, too, can go a long way.
The 2022 International Masters Regatta saw just as many shifts in the wind today as it did in the leaderboard. After the second day of the regatta, it’s still extremely unclear which of the eleven legendary skippers on the roster has this in the bag. There have been just as many ups and downs in the scores of this race as there have been in the emotions of the fans watching it!
As we wrap up day one of the 2022 International Masters Regatta (IMR), it’s clear this anticipated competition is playing no favorites. Whether a San Diego local, an IMR newcomer, or a veteran to the regatta, there was no way to tell on the South San Diego Bay course today. What really mattered was talent on the boat and going back to the basics.
There comes a point in your sailing career when you are no longer the mentee on board. When you find yourself passing down words of wisdom to those around you. And when you can take a moment to look back on your accomplishments, count your championship titles (and your birthdays), and remember that you’re finally eligible for San Diego Yacht Club’s International Masters Regatta. Each year, San Diego Yacht Club invites sailors from all over the world who have earned their place on the roster, whether it’s National and World Champions, Hall of Famers, or past Olympians.
Who more fitting to earn the championship title at this year’s International Masters Regatta than the 2021 National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee himself, Carl Buchan. Buchan has dedicated a significant amount of his life to the sport and his experience was apparent in this weekend’s regatta. It only makes sense that a sailor with so much success never stops fighting for the win.
The second day of the 2021 International Masters Regatta started slow and ended strong. Kicking off the day with over an hour postponement only gave the competitors more time to strategize and communicate. Carl Buchan and his crew must have curated the secret to success because they simply owned the course today. Winning three of the four races sailed, Buchan moved his way significantly up the scoresheet from the middle of the fleet into first.
It’s no secret that the skippers invited to San Diego Yacht Club’s International Masters Regatta (IMR) come with a decorated sailing resume and outstanding accomplishments on the water. In fact, if you ask most of them, they’ll likely tell you that the moments in their careers leading up to now were all in preparation for the International Masters Regatta…or what it stands for anyway - the right to take the helm for three days of intense competition on the water and enjoy three days of nostalgic camaraderie off the water.
After a year without one of San Diego Yacht Club’s most cherished and anticipated regattas, the Club is excited to welcome twelve legendary Master skippers to vie for victory at the 2021 International Masters Regatta. The event to be held from Thursday, October 21 - Saturday, October 23 will feature three days of competition on San Diego Bay from some very well-known names in sailing. Skippers will be joining us in Southern California from all over the globe: New York, New Zealand, Toronto, Washington, and California.
This annual gathering of master skippers and crews reaffirms that teamwork is as essential on the racecourse as it is in life
At the prize giving of San Diego YC’s International Masters Championship in October, Malin Burnham, the 91-year-old sailor and business executive, spoke about the virtues of teamwork; how everything he has achieved in his storied career was a result of being part of a team. As he did so, I scanned the room and observed the faces of sailors on all 11 teams invited to the annual regatta. Many of them were nodding with agreement, because each of us who had skippered in the event, myself included, deeply appreciated the collective efforts of our crews during the intense 11-race, round-robin series.
The only international team at the 2019 International Masters Regatta (IMR) is heading back north with the win after three days of tough, competitive racing. Andy Roy and his Canadian team grabbed the lead after the first day of the regatta and wouldn’t budge for the remainder of the weekend. The win, Roy attests, is due to clean starts and even better crew work.
“It was all Andy!” the team cheered on their way back up the Bay after the win.
It was moving day at the 2019 International Masters Regatta and the skippers are getting more comfortable making their homes on the scoresheet and moving in on their competitors. After the second day of the regatta, there have been some major position shifts in the results.
After today’s (Saturday) races, Andy Roy is still in first with 27 points, with Chuck Sinks moving up to second with 29 points, and Tad Lacey holding on to third with 37 points.
The 2019 International Masters Regatta got off to an entertaining start today. After a slight course adjustment to the south and the first race of the weekend, the sailors and their crews were gifted an extra-long lunch break with a view. Just around 1200, the U.S. Navy rained down on the South Bay course during an air-drop exercise, presenting the sailors and spectators with another San Diego airshow.
Meanwhile, down on the water, 11 boats skippered by seasoned sailors over the age of 60 were putting on their own show of fast, competitive and close racing. Finishing the first day of the IMR in the lead is Andy Roy with 12 points. Following Roy is Tad Lacey with 11 points in second and Gary Jobson with 15 points in third.
One of San Diego Yacht Club’s most prized regattas returns to South San Diego Bay October 18-20, 2019: The International Masters Regatta (IMR). An invited, legendary group of 11 Master sailors from around the country come for a three-day battle in a rotation of J/105s.
The title of the event originates from the rule that participating skippers must be over the age of 60. For those on the cusp, the International Masters Regatta can be seen as a rite of passage after their long, hard-working sailing careers. This year, the entry list features some of the most accomplished sailors in the sport, some returning to the competition from previous years. Returning skippers from 2018 include David Gould, Tad Lacey, William Petersen and Andy Roy.
This weekend’s impressive fleet of determined sailors came to the 2018 International Masters Regatta ready to race. Five time Match Racing Champion Dave Perry came to race too, but like a true Master, his preparation began the moment he received his invitation. Perry started the regatta off strong and in the lead on Day One. Finishing the day in a tie with Tad Lacey, Perry’s win in Series Race 3 was the tiebreaker that put him in first place and set the bar for the rest of the weekend. Come Day Two, Perry never let the momentum die. Numerous sailors jumped the gun and were forced to restart while Perry’s seasoned skillset and stacked San Diego crew got off the line clean and kept Perry at the top of the score sheet.
There’s an old adage in sailing: If you’re not over early every once in a while, you’re not pushing hard enough. Day Two of the International Masters Regatta was full of action, particularly at the start line. A handful of boats jumped the gun and were penalized with OCSs. At this point in the regatta, the Masters are looking to put points on their competitors by getting a good start and an early lead. But, this strategy took a toll on second place sailor, Tad Lacey.
San Diego mountains and U.S. Navy ships framed the course of the International Masters Regatta today, Friday, October 19. Twelve seasoned skippers lived up to their Master titles, rotating J/105s after each of the four races on Day One.
Light winds in the morning resulted in a 30 minute postponement, but the wind peaked at 12 knots by midday with temperatures in the low 80s. Cloudless skies and flat water made for ideal racing on the windward leeward course on beautiful south San Diego Bay.
The International Masters Regatta will return to the San Diego Yacht Club on October 19-21, 2018 for a regatta with some of the greatest names in sailing. Legendary skippers from across the country are invited to a round-robin battle in supplied J/105s and will be vying for the title in the stadium of San Diego Bay.
The final day of the 2017 International Masters Regatta could not have been a more picturesque day out on the water. Under the bright sun in South San Diego Bay, the twelve accomplished master sailors (slightly tired from the Saturday night banquet, but thirsty for the last day of competition) completed the last three races of the three-day regatta hosted by San Diego Yacht Club.
The one weather complaint today was lack of wind at the scheduled start time. Race Committee postponed racing for an hour until the breeze came up to 5 knots and they were able to start the first race. There was a huge wind shift to the right at the end of the first race, so Race Committee re-set everything for the second and third races. Due to timing, Race Committee made the call to only run 11 races total, and they sent competitors on a long three legged race for race 11 in order to get back to SDYC for the awards ceremony.
The action returned to South San Diego Bay on Saturday, October 20th for day two of the International Masters Regatta hosted by San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC). The twelve master sailors from all over the country focused on the day’s four races, trying to improve from Friday, while also trying to keep up their momentum from the first two days of sailing until the regatta's final day on Sunday.
With the wind at a light 5 knots, Race Committee started the first race on time at 11:30am. By race two, the wind was up to about 10 knots, a speed that continued throughout the rest of the day for the most part, similar to Friday. Luckily the weather has worked out largely as forecasted this weekend. Today the breeze filled in from the left and Race Committee got one race in at 250 before the breeze moved to the right.
The 2017 International Masters Regatta kicked-off on Friday, October 20 with a long day of sailing in South San Diego Bay. Twelve teams of seasoned master sailors completed the first four races of the three day regatta hosted by San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) in J/105 sailboats.
Competitors were eager to get going, however racing was delayed due to a J/105 breakdown on the way out to the race course. Luckily a replacement boat came quickly and Race Committee was able to start race one at 12:30pm. With some slight changes, Race Committee ran course 4 throughout the day in mostly 10 knots of wind and flat water.
Returning to the San Diego Bay on October 20-22, 2017 is the International Masters Regatta, hosted by San Diego Yacht Club for the sixth consecutive year. Twelve teams from all around the world will compete in this year’s regatta, which will be sailed in a round robin format.
Historically, the International Masters Regatta was first established in 1975 and took place in the San Francisco Bay until 2012 when SDYC began hosting the distinguished event. The name of the event originates from the rule that invited skippers must be over the age of 60 and crew members must be over the age of 45.
The International Masters Regatta, hosted by San Diego Yacht Club for the fifth consecutive year, finished late afternoon on Sunday, October 23rd. Racing was tight at the top of the fleet for the duration of the weekend, and Bill Menninger (Newport Harbor Yacht Club) had a spectacular last day, winning both races on the final day as well as the overall regatta.
Day two of San Diego Yacht Club’s International Masters Regatta featured more wind than the first day of racing. The twelve masters sailors competing in the regatta experienced conditions that were more typical of San Diego on Saturday afternoon in the City Front racing venue. Sunday, October 23 will be the final day of the regatta.
There was enough wind on the course to start racing shortly after noon. The wind stayed constant until about 3:00pm when it died down to about 4 knots in the middle of the last race. Despite the dying wind at the end of the day, Race Committee was still able to hold all four scheduled races.
Day one of San Diego Yacht Club’s International Masters Regatta wrapped up Friday evening with the first day of racing in San Diego Bay. Twelve Master sailors and their crews from all around the country competed in two races along the San Diego City Front. The Masters Regatta will continue on Saturday and Sunday in the same venue.
Race committee was only able to run two out of the four scheduled races due to extremely light winds. The wind was at 0 knots at noon which delayed the start of racing by about 2 1/2 hours.
For the fifth consecutive year, San Diego Yacht Club will host the International Masters Regatta, from October 21-23, 2016. Originally established in 1975 by St. Francis Yacht Club member Don Trask, the regatta was previously sailed in the San Francisco Bay for a number of years until SDYC began hosting the prestigious event in 2012. Invited skippers must be over the age of 60 and crew members must be over the age of 45.
“I’m going to tell my crew we’ve got to go faster” said Malin Burnham on the first day of the International Masters Regatta, and that is just what they did. Just shy of his 88th birthday, Malin Burnham can also celebrate his 2015 International Master Regatta first place victory.
The San Diego Yacht Club’s annual International Masters Regatta officially kicked off today in San Diego Bay. Consistent wind at 8-10 knots, gusting at 15-18 created a beautiful platform for racing in front of the downtown skyline.
Out of twelve legendary sailors, one has sailed away with the title of International Masters Regatta Champion. On the final day of racing it was Augie Diaz who finished in first place for the three day regatta, continuing his streak of impressive finishes. Diaz also took gold for the 2013 Star Western Hemisphere Championship and 2013 Star Winter Series Championship.
The 2013 International Invitational Masters Championship hosted eleven teams from across the country and the world. As many of the teams had learned from previous years sailing in the bay race course off the spectacular San Diego city waterfront, going left seemed to pay off about 85% of the time!
The third event in the J/105 Fall Series 2012 was the International Masters Regatta held at SDYC November 2 - 4, 2012. The prestigious regatta was established in 1979 at St. Francis Yacht Club by Don Trask in honor of his father. Historically, the world's greatest master sailors have competed in this international sailing event on San Francisco Bay. SDYC hosted the regatta this year for the first time bringing the best master sailors from around the world by invitation.
