In a historic nod to its long-standing influence in keelboat team racing, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) will host the 2025 World Sailing Team Race World Championship from May 28 to June 1 at its renowned Harbour Court location in Newport, R.I. This marks the first team racing world championship in a decade and solidifies the NYYC’s leadership in this highly competitive sailing discipline.
The event will be contested in the Club’s fleet of 23-foot Sonar keelboats, following a two-on-two format. While the more common three-on-three setup is widely used in scholastic and collegiate racing, this variation has gained popularity due to its straightforward scoring system—whichever team finishes last loses—and its fast-paced, tactical action. The smaller team sizes also make for more intense competition on the water.
“When the bid package came out, we knew we wanted to run this,” says Susan Daly, co-chair of the NYYC’s Team Racing subcommittee. “It’s a natural fit for us, given our history with keelboat team racing and having hosted a world championship in 2005. This event will also be a fantastic way to launch our 2025 regatta calendar at Harbour Court.”
The New York Yacht Club has long been a pioneer in team racing. In 2000, the Club initiated the keelboat team racing revolution with the Hinman Masters Team Race, which remains one of its cornerstone events. Along with the Hinman Masters, the NYYC hosts three other major team race competitions each summer: the Morgan Cup, the Grandmasters, and the Women’s 2v2. The Club also created the Global Team Race Regatta, hosted in 2018 and 2022. Each of these regattas features Sonar sailboats, meticulously maintained by the Club, and raced with spinnakers. However, the upcoming world championship will use a jib-and-main-only format, dialing up the tactical complexity.
A dozen teams are expected to compete, including a squad representing the host New York Yacht Club. The remaining teams will qualify through their respective national sailing authorities, promising a global showcase of top-tier keelboat team racing talent.
For the NYYC, the event is yet another chapter in its storied tradition, bringing international attention to Newport’s waters and reinforcing its commitment to advancing the sport of team racing.
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