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Press release- NEW YORK, NY, August 11, 2014 – Nineteen teams of amateur club sailors from 14 nations will come together from August 15th to 17th to compete in the Sixth Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge organized by the NY Harbor Sailing Foundation. The races will take place on boats borrowed from the Manhattan Yacht Club, one of the largest community sailing organizations in the country with more than 900 members and will take place at North Cove, the mega yacht marina in Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan.
The three-day spectacular will feature a daily series of hour-long races in New York Harbor. All of the races will begin and end at Manhattan Yacht Club’s floating clubhouse located in the harbor, near Ellis Island.
“This is a great opportunity to bring together so many sailors from around the world to promote international goodwill through friendly competition,” says Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh, who also serves as Executive Director of the New York Harbor Sailing Foundation. “What better place to have a regatta than in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty overlooking the Manhattan skyline. New York harbor is a great place to sail and we are looking forward to having a memorable weekend of races.”
The NY Harbor Sailing Foundation was founded in 1994 and organizes sailing programs in the harbor such as Operation Optimist, a junior sailing program for kids.
Founded in 1987, Manhattan Yacht Club has reintroduced recreational sailing to the harbor after a 60-year absence. With two clubhouses and a fleet of more than 30 club-owned boats, the club brings together both amateurs and professionals alike to share in the joy of sailing through lessons and friendly competition.
North Cove is located in front of the World Financial Center in Battery Park City. The marina is the epicenter of recreational sailing in the harbor. The Patron of North Cove is Dennis Conner who is best known for winning the America’s Cup and was voted last year as America’s Greatest Sailor. He has worked since 2005 with Manhattan Yacht Club’s Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh to help revitalize the Lower Manhattan waterfront after the devastation of 9/11.
The 19 teams from 14 nations include:
- Manhattan Yacht Club (United States) – 2 Teams
- Club Universitario de Buenos Aires (Argentina) – 2 Teams
- Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (Germany)
- Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (Australia) – 2 Teams
- Nissan Marina Tokai (Japan)
- Howth Yacht Club (Ireland) – 2 Teams
- Fenerbahce Sailing Club “Team Goblin” (Turkey)
- Royal Cork Yacht Club (Ireland)
- Societe Nautique de la Baie de Saint-Malo (France)
- Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (Norway)
- Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (Bermuda)
- Royal Danish Yacht Club (Denmark)
- Cercle de la Voile de la Société Nautique de Genève (Switzerland)
- Shanghai Boat and Yacht Club (China)
- Royal Cape Yacht Club (South Africa)
