Sailing: Baldwin Cup begins Friday

Newport Harbor Yacht Club Team Thunder will be defending its title in the eighth annual Baldwin Cup Team Race presented by JPMorgan Chase Friday through Sunday on Newport Harbor.

The event, hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club, features 11 of the most respected yacht clubs from the United States, in addition to some of the most decorated sailors including All Americans, national champions and America’s Cup crew members.

Sailors compete in 150 races using a team format with four on four boats in equalized Harbor 20s with over 400 spectators expected dockside in front of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

“This Baldwin Cup Team Race is one of the most sought-after invitations in the U.S. sailing community,” Patrick S. Werner Sr., Commodore of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, said in a press release. “Stadium style racing doesn’t get any better than this. The four-on-four format, unique in the sailing world, provides tactical challenges on every leg of the course. We are delighted to have JPMorgan Chase as our presenting sponsor again, especially in light of their deep sailing heritage with JP Morgan himself defending the America’s Cup in 1899 and 1901 on the Columbia.”

This year’s participants include: Balboa Yacht Club (Corona del Mar), Eastern Yacht Club (Marblehead, Mass.), Larchmont Yacht Club (Larchmont, N.Y.), New York Yacht Club, Piquot Yacht Club (Southport, Conn.), Seattle Yacht Club, Seawanaka Corinthian Yacht Club (Oyster Bay, N.Y.), Southern Yacht Club (New Orleans), the St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco) and the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club (New Haven, Conn.).

In addition to Newport Harbor Team Thunder, Newport Harbor Lightning will be the second home team boat.

The free Baldwin Cup Team Race App (available on the Apple iTunes Store) includes details on daily racing, teams, results, photos, videos, weather, volunteer information and a blog. For more info visit https://www.baldwincup.com.

— From staff reports