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20 September 2005, 04:42 pm

Worlds In New York

Grey Goose ISAF Team Racing World Championship 2005

Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Less than a week remains until the start of the Grey Goose ISAF Team Racing World Championship at one of sailing's most historic and prestigious venues, the New York Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. As the countdown to the Championship continues ISAF examines the history of this famous venue and looks at the courses and boats the competitors will be dealing with.

Over 150 years old, the New York Yacht Club was founded by John Cox STEVENS and eight of his friends in 1844 with the aim of racing sailing yachts. Three days later the new Commodore STEVENS announced a cruise to Newport, beginning the club's longstanding connection with the Rhode Island city.

Seven year's after the club's formation, STEVENS's yacht America arrived at the Isle of Wight, Great Britain looking to race. She entered a free-for-all on Friday 22 August and duly won the Royal Yacht Squadron's Hundred Guinea Cup. Six years after their victory in 1857 the surviving members of the winning America crew donated the Hundred Guinea Cup to the NYYC. The club renamed the trophy in honour of the boat that had won it, and the America's Cup, the oldest of all sporting trophies, was born.

The stunning Harbour Court
© Dan Nerney

A World Class Venue

As well as the America's Cup the NYYC is no stranger to major sailing events. In recent years the club has hosted the Disabled World Sailing Championship in 1998, the Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship in 2000 as well as the 12 Metre World Championship earlier this month.

Despite being one of the oldest yacht clubs in America, the NYYC has not forgotten about the future, with youth sailing also taking the spotlight over the years, especially in 1996 with the ISAF Youth World Championship.

The Boats

The Championship will be sailed in the New York Yacht Club's Vanguard 15 two-person centreboard dinghies with sails provided and compasses and mast head wind indicators not permitted. The supplied equipment ensures a level playing field for the teams, meaning the Championship is a measure of sailing skill and tactics, not equipment.

The Course

The courses will be held on Narragansett Bay with the race area detailed in the map below right. The course will be a Box/Zula course as illustrated below left. The leading boat must finish within 30 minutes of the start or the race will be abandoned, whilst boats failing to finish within ten minutes of the leader will be scored DNF.

A Box/Zula Course