Club News


Beneteaus Unite at SDYC for the Beneteau Cup!

By Emily Willhoft | September 01, 2017
Event Website

Proving that Beneteaus are not just for cruising, San Diego Yacht Club will host the 14th annual Beneteau Cup for 36.7 one design racing, First series, and Cruising class racing on September 9 & 10. Additionally, the weekend will serve as the West Coast Championship for the 36.7’s. This unique event brings together sailors from all over Southern California, with some traveling from as far away as Arizona and Texas to race.

Event organizers Rick Day and Barrett Canfield refocused the event in 2010 to include an educational component for those participants who are new to racing or those who want to refresh their skills. South Coast Yachts and UK Sails plan to provide classroom training sessions on Friday, September 8th for those competitors interested in learning about the basics of sailing. This session provides a valuable overview of the race course, what to do at the starting line, and advice on mark roundings, among other things.

Not just limited to the classroom, the Beneteau Cup also utilizes onboard “coaching” for new or novice racers. These “coaches” are solicited from the local San Diego racing community and donate their time to this event. They are not professionals and they are not paid, but they provide appreciated help on the water for those who are racing for the first time.

New this year will be SDYC’s support docks at the guest dock, so that more boats can be accommodated over the weekend of the Cup. Saturday night will feature a party on the Spinnaker Deck with drinks and dinner along with the sounds of local San Diego band, The Lifted Tack. The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday afternoon after racing is completed. The talented Cynthia Sinclair will photograph the action at the club and offshore over the weekend, capturing the memories of regatta life.

With almost 50 boats racing, last year’s Beneteau Cup was the largest one in the world. Thrilled by this participation and fueled by the Commodore’s mantra this year, Day and Canfield hope to continue the momentum of this event and invite Beneteau owners in the area to untie their dock lines and get out on the race course.

Canfield summarizes the type of atmosphere that this event creates at SDYC. “The annual Beneteau Cup at SDYC is a regatta that we are very excited about every year. It brings together racers, cruisers, families, and crew for a fun weekend of education, competition, and socializing in and around San Diego Yacht Club. We are also excited to relax on the deck to the tunes of John Fretwell and his band Lifted Tack!”