Designed for junior teams, aged 13 to 18, the Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded Championship is US Sailing’s national championship that competes for the Sears Cup.
Dating back to 1921, the Sears Cup is US Sailing’s oldest national championship trophy and is celebrated as the first youth sailing national championship. It’s seen some big changes from then to now! For a start, boys in those days were required to wear caps & neckties while girls were in dresses while sailing. Nowadays, it’s considered as a fantastic pathway into elite keelboat racing.
The 2023 regatta is taking place at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas, and will be sailed in RS21s with crews of 4 people. Although the championship is generally for 3-person boats, occasionally 4-person boats are used. The club has invested in a matched fleet of keelboats for this event. The RS21 is a one-design modern boat that makes for well-mannered handling with an ergonomic deck layout – to ensure everyone sailing has a key role to play! Lakewood Yacht Club is keen to give youth sailors the opportunity to compete in keelboat racing at this level.
This year, the Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded National Championship has doubled in size from 11 teams to 22 teams. This has allowed the Area Qualifiers to showcase the best of their talented junior athletes in two teams each. With 19 yacht clubs being represented, teams have travelled from far and wide; from the East Coast’s Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, to the West Coast’s Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle, all the way out to Kaneohe Yacht Club in Hawaii.
Marie Wise, Fleet Captain and Regatta Chair at Lakewood Yacht Club, had this to say:
“Lakewood Yacht Club is honored to host the Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded National Championship 2023. For us, giving to youth sailing is about so much more than the race. This is the next generation of leaders in the sport, and keelboat experience, is the most important step. This is our vision for our matched fleet of RS21 keelboats.
We love that the sailors here are from all across the country, big clubs and small sailing programs. What we all have in common is the desire to continue to grow the sport of sailboat racing. Giving young sailors keelboat experience is a cornerstone of the Lakewood Yacht Club program and why we have chosen a club fleet of matched keelboats.”
The event is sponsored by US Sailing’s title sponsor Chubb Insurance and national sponsor Gill Marine. Registrations and the opening ceremony take place today, 3 days of racing will follow on the 11th – 13th August, with the final day also hosting the awards ceremony.
Expect epically close racing, fun socials and friendships forming far and wide! Keep up to date with the results here.
