The global sailing elite comes to the New York Yacht Club’s Race Week

A remarkable event for the world of sailing: the Rolex TP52 World Championship will be held in American waters for only the second time in its 16-year history. This prestigious monohull fleet racing championship will take place as part of the New York Yacht Club’s Race Week in Newport, presented by Rolex. The 14th edition of this biennial summer classic is the first regatta under a historic new 10-year agreement between the New York Yacht Club and its long-time partner Rolex.

“There is no better event to launch our new partnership with Rolex than Race Week in Newport with the Rolex TP52 World Championship,” said L. Jay Cross, Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. “Rolex’s support has been critical to our commitment to producing world-class regattas. Whether it’s a World Championship for a Grand Prix fleet like the TP52, one of our four prestigious team races, our annual regatta – which celebrated its 170th edition in June – or one of the other 15 to 20 events we host each summer, we look forward to another decade of great competition and unparalleled onshore hospitality.”

The regatta, which runs July 13-16 in the Harbor Court of the New York Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island, will also feature other major titles, including the IC37 National Championship and the J/109 North American Championship. Boats racing under ORC rules will vie for class wins, with many eyeing the upcoming ORC World Championship in early fall. The best overall boat will receive a Rolex watch.

Since its inception in 1998, Newport Race Week has established itself as one of the premier summer racing weeks in the North East. This year it benefits from partnerships with main sponsor Rolex and regatta sponsors Peters & May, Safe Harbor Marinas, Helly Hansen and Hammetts Hotel. The event combines excellent racing conditions off Newport with the exemplary hospitality of the waterfront clubhouse overlooking Newport Harbor.

In the IC37 class, 16 boats will compete in the sixth national championship, boosted by the influx of new teams, six of which will be making their debut at this event. While Steve Liebel’s New Wave team has dominated, winning three of the last four major championships, the results of the annual regatta in June showed that new teams can quickly become competitive.

“Every boat has very good sailors,” noted Peter McClennen, the 2022 North American Champion and president of the IC37 Class Association. “The boats are absolutely evenly matched. There are no equipment advantages. Sharing is extreme throughout the fleet, and class coach Moose McClintock is embracing all new learning modes and sharing. No one has a secret mode.”

In contrast to the IC37’s emphasis on uniformity, the TP52 class encourages design and construction variations, thus encouraging development. Modern TP52s are significantly faster than their early 2000s counterparts. However, a new boat does not guarantee instant success. Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation team remains optimistic about its prospects despite mixed results with its new boat.

“I’m very confident,” said Müller-Spreer. “We have a real fighting spirit in this Platoon Aviation team. We’ve been together for so long that we know what it takes to win and I’m convinced we’ll be a contender here. It’s taken some time to get to know this new boat and last month in Newport we felt like we were really there when we damaged the rudder. But here we are, we’re fighters. We’re confident and that’s as important in sport as it will be in these World Championships.”

Locals’ attention will no doubt be focused on the three American-flagged teams: Quantum Racing powered by American Magic, led by Harry Melges IV; Austin Fragomen’s Interlodge; and Takashi Okura’s Sled. Fragomen, Melges and Okura are all members in good standing of the New York Yacht Club.

Racing for the Rolex TP52 World Championship begins on Tuesday, with the remaining competitors starting on Wednesday. Competition will take place in Rhode Island Sound and Narragansett Bay and will culminate with a Rolex Awards banquet on the historic grounds of Harbor Court on Saturday evening.

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