JUNIOR RACING - LIPTON CUP

THE 2021 LIPTON CUP

BY DANIEL SANDOVAL

As a junior sailor, who has grown up sailing 420s and Sonars at CYC and sailing on bigger sailboats including our family’s Beneteau 36.7 “Karma”, I felt honored to have been selected to be a member of the CYC Lipton Cup race team. I knew I could contribute to the team and looked forward to getting to know the other team members.

Leading up to the event, the team was able to practice a few times in Chicago, but were limited to heavy breeze conditions given the Fall weather. This meant we would have to practice before the event in San Diego to get comfortable in light air conditions. Fortunately, I had raced on a J105 during the summer so I knew my way around the boat. The preparation reminded me of a few C420 events, where we were able to practice the day before the event with the goal of working on teamwork and getting a quick sense of the local conditions.

The SDYC organized a great event with typical San Diego weather. I had an amazing time being a part of the Lipton Cup team. The competition was tough, with each invited club sending teams composed of good sailors, which led to close racing. The sailing conditions were challenging with the shifty, variable winds making local knowledge key. As a team, we would meet for a quick breakfast every morning, to talk, and prep for the day, before heading to the boat to get ready. We would talk on the way out to the race course, which was scenic, but at least 45 minutes to an hour motoring each way. We also met for dinner each evening along with other CYC guests. The team bonded quickly as each member contributed based on their assigned role. I was at mast who was responsible for raising the halyards, helping hoist and douse the spinnaker and assisting with gybes and tacks while making sure that my weight was optimally placed on each leg.

Overall, I personally thought it was a good experience and I would participate again if asked to do so. The communication throughout the boat was insightful and led to teamwork that was critical for our team to be competitive at a high level for this event. While we had a number of great starts, the shiftiness of San Diego Bay favored the local knowledge. Nevertheless, the team experience was great and an all around great time to talk, get to know all of them, and be part of the team. I’m sure that if the team competed again, we would apply what we learned this time around. ✶