This annual gathering of master skippers and crews reaffirms that teamwork is as essential on the racecourse as it is in life
At the prize giving of San Diego YC’s International Masters Championship in October, Malin Burnham, the 91-year-old sailor and business executive, spoke about the virtues of teamwork; how everything he has achieved in his storied career was a result of being part of a team. As he did so, I scanned the room and observed the faces of sailors on all 11 teams invited to the annual regatta. Many of them were nodding with agreement, because each of us who had skippered in the event, myself included, deeply appreciated the collective efforts of our crews during the intense 11-race, round-robin series.
The only international team at the 2019 International Masters Regatta (IMR) is heading back north with the win after three days of tough, competitive racing. Andy Roy and his Canadian team grabbed the lead after the first day of the regatta and wouldn’t budge for the remainder of the weekend. The win, Roy attests, is due to clean starts and even better crew work.
“It was all Andy!” the team cheered on their way back up the Bay after the win.
It was moving day at the 2019 International Masters Regatta and the skippers are getting more comfortable making their homes on the scoresheet and moving in on their competitors. After the second day of the regatta, there have been some major position shifts in the results.
After today’s (Saturday) races, Andy Roy is still in first with 27 points, with Chuck Sinks moving up to second with 29 points, and Tad Lacey holding on to third with 37 points.
The 2019 International Masters Regatta got off to an entertaining start today. After a slight course adjustment to the south and the first race of the weekend, the sailors and their crews were gifted an extra-long lunch break with a view. Just around 1200, the U.S. Navy rained down on the South Bay course during an air-drop exercise, presenting the sailors and spectators with another San Diego airshow.
Meanwhile, down on the water, 11 boats skippered by seasoned sailors over the age of 60 were putting on their own show of fast, competitive and close racing. Finishing the first day of the IMR in the lead is Andy Roy with 12 points. Following Roy is Tad Lacey with 11 points in second and Gary Jobson with 15 points in third.
One of San Diego Yacht Club’s most prized regattas returns to South San Diego Bay October 18-20, 2019: The International Masters Regatta (IMR). An invited, legendary group of 11 Master sailors from around the country come for a three-day battle in a rotation of J/105s.
The title of the event originates from the rule that participating skippers must be over the age of 60. For those on the cusp, the International Masters Regatta can be seen as a rite of passage after their long, hard-working sailing careers. This year, the entry list features some of the most accomplished sailors in the sport, some returning to the competition from previous years. Returning skippers from 2018 include David Gould, Tad Lacey, William Petersen and Andy Roy.
