Welcome to Manhasset Bay Yacht Club's Annual Challenge Cup

The History of the Challenge Cup:

In 1902, a young and recently renamed Manhasset Bay Yacht Club (formerly Douglaston Yacht Club) deeded a trophy. The Trophy was described as "a handsomely wrought piece of silver, valued at five hundred dollars..."  Alphonse H. and James W. Alker had purchased the half constructed Alert with the intention of racing events in Long Island sound in a new, high powered boat. The boat, originally built to sail as a Bar Harbor 31, was a new combination centerboard and keel type that had been designed by Nathaniel Herreshoff to compete specifically within the 30 foot rules of Bar Harbor, Atlantic Yacht Club, and the YRA of Long Island sound. She was fast, winning nearly every race that she entered in the year that she was splashed. A.H. and J.W. Alker both believed that a trophy for a waterline of 30 feet was well in order. The Alker brothers, both now seasoned commodores of the club, deeded the cup to the club with the intent that each club within long island sound would submit a boat (Ideally a design of the same type) to sail against the other clubs of long island sound. In July of 1903, 8 boats descended upon the Manhasset Bay: Oiseaux of Indian Harbor YC, Marion of Shelter Island YC, Enpronzi of Larchmont YC, Mimosa of American YC, Bobtail (sistership of Alert) of Bensonhurst YC, Bagheera of Atlantic YC, Flosshilde of New York Athletic Club, and Alert, of the Manhasset Bay YC. The racing was considered to be incredibly tight by all accounts. Alert, sailed by J.W. Alker, successfully defended the newly christened "Manhasset Bay Challenge Cup for 30 Foot sloops". Just like that, the legend was born. At the end of the challenge cup, the Alkers thoroughly believed in the 30 foot classes of boat and put in an order with the Herreshoff Shipbuilding company for a new 30ft waterline boat. In December of that year, the keel was laid. In just over a month, the Alkers received their new hot rod: Alera, hull number one of the newly designed New York 30s. Nathaniel Herreshoff had designed the New York 30 following the styles of previous Buzzards Bay 30 and Bar Harbor 31 with the idea of producing a "small" one design boat that would be easy for sailors of the western long island sound to be able to take racing with "no more than one paid hand". The Alkers believed that this should be the boat in which the new trophy should be sailed. Departing from the original YRA (Yacht Racing Association) 30 subdivision of the Universal rating rule, the Alkers adopted the NY 30 as the new boat of the cup in 1904. As NY30s were still rolling off the production line, other clubs continued to challenge for the cup in YRA 30 class boats. In late 1904 the Alkers learned of the beast that they had created when Mimosa III, helmed by Commodore Trenor L. Park of American Yacht Club, went on to win the still young challenge cup from the Alkers. Park again defended the cup in 1905 aboard Mimosa III with another tight victory. This cemented the Alker brothers', as well as the whole of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club's desire to continue the tradition through today.

The Trophy made its way around the United States and beyond passing through:
Manhasset Bay Y.C. of Port Washington, NY (Originally Douglaston Yacht Club)
American Y.C. of Rye, NY
Indian Harbor Y.C. of Greenwich, CT
Chicago Y.C. of Chicago, IL
Eastern Y.C. of Essex, MD
Boston Y.C. of Boston, MA
Nahant Dory Club of Nahant, MA
Annisquam Y.C. of Glouster, MA
Larchmont Y.C. of Larchmont, NY
Stamford Y.C. of Stamford, CT
Cohasset Y.C. of Cohasset, MA
Orienta Y.C. of Mamaroneck, NY
Corinthian Y.C. of Marblehead, MA
Pleon Y.C. of Marblehead, MA
New York Y.C. of New York, NY
Hull Y.C. of Hull, MA
South Boston Y.C. of Boston, MA
Hingham Y.C. of Hingham, MA
Royal Bermuda Y.C. of Hamilton, Bermuda
Swampscott Y.C. of Swampscott, MA
Ida Lewis Y.C. of Newport, RI
Seawanhaka Corinthian Y.C. of Center Island, NY
Coasters Harbor Navy Y.C. of Newport, RI
University of Rhode Island Sailing Club of South Kingstown, RI
Noroton Y.C. of Darien, CT
The North American Yachting Squadron at Kings Point, NY
Sea Cliff Y.C. of Sea Cliff, NY
And finally
Boothbay Harbor Y.C. of Boothbay Harbor, ME

The Trophy has been sailed in:
YRA 30s
New York 30s
P Class Sloops
R Class Sloops
Q Class Sloops
"210" Class Sloops
U.S. One-Designs
International One Designs (IOD)
Ensigns
Echtells 22s
Solings
Shields
J/24s
Sonars
Ideal 18s
J/105s
and now
The J/109
 

For a full list of challenge cup victors with photos, click here

The Style of the Challenge Cup

The challenge cup needed to be something different. In this age, courses tended toward what we would now refer to as a "Navigator" course by modern sailors. It was more simple to utilize the government marks and provide long and "reachy" courses. These "Reachy" courses tended to favor larger boats, or boats with more beam that could carry more sail area for the same length of boat. The challenge cup departed from that on day one, opting instead to generate courses that favored upwind tactics. The original courses featured incredibly long windward legs. This has continued throughout the lifetime of the challenge cup. To this day, that format is kept and utilized to maintain the uniquely long and tactical format of the challenge cup.

 

The Allure of the Challenge Cup

True to the original intentions of the cup, the cup remains a one design racing trophy that is raced between yacht clubs and not people. It is encouraged to bring the best members of a challenging club with the finest yacht of the chosen class than can be fielded to develop the best race team possible. No foiling, no tricks, just club versus club championship in an even platform. In today's format, the event pits J/109s sailed against one another in the characteristic long legs that make this even pensive, tactical and trying for crews. To this extent it is still one of the oldest continually raced for cups in the entirety of the sport of sailing.

 

How can I get involved?

With it in mind that a club sails this event as opposed to individuals. Representatives of a club must have written and signed approval from their commodore to participate. All members of a boat must be members or spouses of members of a challenging club. Teams that wish to participate may submit an email from their commodore stating intent to challenge to [email protected] 
Each club may only submit one challenging team. Teams must either own or charter their boats. 

 

Documents for the Cup

Declaration of Trust

Notice of Race (Coming Soon)

Sailing Instructions (Coming Soon)