NYYC Women’s International Championship – Final Day

2026 NYYC Women’s International Championship – Overall

Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and Team Vigilant Cap Dominant Week with Historic Victory

On the final day of the inaugural Women’s International Championship presented by State Street Investment Management and SPY, Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and Team Vigilant looked surprisingly mortal as they battled through a dying breeze for the final three races of the regatta. Their finishes of sixth, seventh and 10th were their worst of the 10-race regatta. But after four days of immaculate sailing, they can be forgiven for looking merely good on Day 5. And in terms of the overall results, those scores were more than enough to ensure victory in this historic regatta.

To get the most from what was expected to be a dying easterly breeze, the race committee moved up the first start time 90 minutes to 9:30 a.m. With four races possible, victory remained a mathematical possibility for the teams in the top 10 going into the day. But the reality was focused on the minor placings. In particular, the battle for second and third was particularly taught with seven teams separated by 10 points.

The inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship Presented by State Street Investment Management and SPY took place September 12 to 19 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I. The regatta was sailed in the Club’s fleet of 20 IC37s. The 37-foot keelboat was designed by Mark Mills to a brief developed by the Club. The IC37 is a powerful, sporty platform that rewards cohesive crew work and athleticism. The Women’s International Championship was supported by founding partner Rolex, regatta sponsor Helly Hansen and official suppliers Tiffany & Co. and Palm Beach Motor Yachts.

The battle for second was a roller coaster with the whims of the mercurial easterly shaking off contenders seemingly with each variation of wind direction and velocity. In the day’s first race, the eighth of the regatta, four of the seven teams finished at the sharp end of the fleet while three others—the squads led by Nicole Breault, Hannah Diamond and Katie Spithill—recorded finishes that effectively knocked them from the running for second or third.

In Race 2, one more aspirant to the runner-up position took it on the chin: Ragna Agerup and Team Ursa Minor’s 16th put them 16 points behind third and 17 out of second.

That left Lahrkamp and Sarah Douglas and Team Royal Canadian Yacht Club in control of the podium with Hannah Swett and Team MO-Amundsen six points out of third and poised to strike.

Swett was, at times, very deep in that final race. But the shifting wind opened up numerous passing lanes, and Team MO-Amundson took advantage of every opportunity to claw back to seventh while Douglas, who had an equally challenging first leg of the final race, was unable to match Swett’s march through the pack and finished 14th, dropping to fourth overall by a single point.

Lahrkamp’s ninth in that race was more than sufficient to keep the team from American Yacht Club in second overall. This performance was the result of a very steady regatta, with just one finish outside the top-10.

But the day, and the week, belonged to Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and Team Vigilant, who were all but untouchable for the first seven races and more than good enough on the final day.

And, of course, the championship is just one of the great things the team will take away from this week of intense competition and unparalleled camaraderie.

With the sailing complete and the IC37s returned to the care of the Club staff, all that remained was the Awards Banquet on the lawn of Harbour Court. It was an evening that celebrated all the competitors as while only one team could win in the scoreboard, each team, each sailor carried something positive away from this regatta.

Special awards handed out this evening included the Helly Hansen Sportsmanship Award, which went to the Dominique Provoyeur and Team Granate RSA, which traveled from Cape Town, South Africa, to compete.

Winning the Palm Beach XI Training Scholarship, which will include a trip to Australia to train on board the 100-foot Palm Beach IX, were Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick, Joan Porter, Mariah Millen and Laura Donaghy.

Overall Results: