Women’s IDEAL 18 Regattas, CT & NY
There are five main Women’s Ideal 18 Sailing Regattas held each year on Long Island Sound. The Queens Cup, The Gillespie, The Lorna, The Mendez and The Pequot Invitational (now held once every two years).
The first four are qualifiers for the YRA Long Island Sound Andrea Watson Trophy, which recognizes the top woman sailor.
Queens Cup
YRA of Long Island Sound Women's Championship. If the winning club is unable to host the following year, the host club is selected by the YRA. YRA membership is required. This regatta is not being held in 2023, no club was able to accommodate the need for equalized boats. (Photo 2018, Andrea Watson)
The Gillespie
Held in mid July at Norwalk Yacht Club in Norwalk, CT, this regatta is with spinnakers and is a qualifier for the YRA LIS Watson Trophy.
The Lorna Whittelsey
Held in late September at Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT, with spinnakers. This regatta is a qualifier for the Watson Trophy Series.
This weekend regatta consists of a Saturday fleet race and Sunday distance race. The 2018 Lorna was photographed by Mary Alice Fisher and by Andrea Watson, click here to access their websites.
The Mendez
The Commodore Mendez Woman’s Ideal Regatta is held in mid September at Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont, NY, without spinnakers.
The only Watson Series qualifying regatta that is without spinnakers. This photo is from the 2018 event.
Pequot Invitational
Held in mid July at Pequot Yacht Club in Fairfield, CT, this regatta is with spinnakers. Once an annual event, the regatta is now held every 2 years
Last held in 2021 the next Pequot Invitational will take place in 2023. This regatta is not part of the Watson Series. Photo is from the 2018 Invitational.
The YRA LIS Watson Trophy
2018 Winners - Katie Morgan, Noroton YC, won the inaugural series. (With Anne Munkenbeck and Ginny Worcester coming just a couple hundredths of a point behind). Katie’s crew over the 4 events were: Nicole Casey (Queen’s Cup and Gillespie Trophy), Britt Hall (Lorna Whittelsey), and Natalie Imamura (Commodore Mendez Trophy). Congratulation to Katie and the 78 women racers, representing 13 yacht clubs, who competed in this inaugural year of the Watson Women’s Series in 2018.
The YRA LIS Watson Trophy
Participation in four of the above Regattas (all but the Pequot Invitational) qualifies women sailors for the YRALIS’s new perpetual trophy - THE YRA of Long Island Sound WATSON Trophy. This trophy was created in 2018 to honor the longtime service of Andrea Watson as the Executive Secretary of the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound.