Patience Pays at Inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s Championship
Patience is not often the primary attribute of the young. But there is no better word to describe the winning performance of Alie Toppa, and her crew of recent college graduates, at the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s Championship, sailed out of Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., this past weekend.
“We definitely kept it super consistent,” says Toppa (above, far left), who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., but now lives in Newport and is a member of the host club. “We were just telling each other, ‘Single-digit finishes and just sail smart, sail fast.’ We did exactly that, so, we’re super happy with how it turned out.”
The inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s Championship featured 20 teams of four or five women from across the United States, sailing in provided one-design Sonar keelboats. The Club received more than 40 expressions of interest to compete in the regatta, making it an accomplishment just to be invited. The regatta ran from Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19, with the winner receiving the Joan H. Towse trophy, named for the passionate sailor, race committee member and late wife of past New York Yacht Club Commodore Robert C. Towse Jr.
Click here for the overall results
