The inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club Women’s Championship for the Joan H. Towse Trophy, sailed in late June of 2022, was a success on many levels. The competition was intense, with just eight points separating first from sixth. The Club’s fleet of identical Sonar sailboats and experienced race committee team crafted a bespoke regatta experience, and the post-racing socials were brimming with camaraderie and good cheer.
But the ultimate grade for any recurring event—the Women’s Championship is run on a biennial schedule—can’t be given until it’s known how many teams return for the ensuing edition. For the 2024 Women’s Championship, which will be sailed out of the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court on June 28 to 30, eight of the top 10 finishers from 2022 will compete, including defending champion Alie Toppa and her College of Charleston-based crew.
“Of the various sailing disciplines I’ve gotten into over the past couple of years, there’s nothing like the pure simplicity of fleet racing in one-design boats,” says Toppa (above, far left). “The enjoyment of tough competition in a 20-boat fleet being run by a top-tier race committee is pretty hard to beat. The Women’s Championship is exactly that for me, so coming back to defend my title felt inevitable.”
The second edition of the New York Yacht Club Women’s Championship will feature 20 teams of four or five women from across the United States sailing in provided one-design Sonar keelboats. The regatta is scheduled for Friday, June 28, through Sunday, June 30, and will be sailed out of the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I. The winning team will receive the Joan H. Towse Trophy, named for the passionate sailor, race committee member and late wife of former New York Yacht Club Commodore Robert C. Towse Jr. The Women’s Championship, the Women’s 2v2 Team Race (June 1 and 2) and the mixed-gender crew requirement for the IC37 class and the Morgan, Hinman and Grandmasters Team Races are all examples of the New York Yacht Club’s continued commitment to increasing female participation in sailing. The Women’s Championship is sponsored by Helly Hansen, Safe Harbour Marinas, Peters & May and Hammetts Hotel.
Full list of competing skippers here.
