Newport Harbor Wins Its Own Regatta

The host Newport Harbor Yacht Club finished third in the final race of the U.S. Yacht Club Challenge Cup Regatta Saturday to retain its lead and be declared the “best in the U.S.”

Threatening weather resulted in only five races being sailed, with no throw-out. The original format called for six races with one throw-out.

Winds for Saturday’s final race were in the 12- to 20-knot range under threatening skies.

Winner of the final race was Larchmont of the New York Yacht Club, skippered by Charles Ulmer, but previous finishes allowed him to finish no better than third overall. Second in Saturday’s race was Southern Yacht Club, with skipper Tom Merrick, and third was Newport Harbor Yacht Club, with Scott Mason at the helm.

NHYC’s finishes were 5-3-2-1-3 for 13.75 points. Houston Yacht Club, with Clark Thompson Jr., finished second overall with finishes of 1-1-8-4-8 for a total of 21.5 points under the reverse scoring system. Larchmont’s finishes were 7-9-5-3-1 for a total of 24.75.

The 11 clubs, including the host club, were chosen by a panel of national yachting authorities. The event is held every two years and is sailed in New York-36 sloops.

The defending club, Eastern of Marblehead, Mass., finished fifth in this year’s series.