San Diego Yacht Club remain in command of the regatta, stretching their overall lead to 17 points with another composed display, while Royal Hong Kong climbed into second on the back of their trademark consistency. Behind them, Royal Canadian slipped to third after a tough final race, leaving the battle for the podium finely poised heading into the final four contests.
San Diego still in control
The defending champions have carried the yellow spinnaker since the opening day and show little sign of giving it up. Results of seventh and second across the day kept their scoreline to 29 points after eight races, well clear of the chasing pack. Even with pressure building from Hong Kong and Canada, San Diego’s blend of fast starts and calm decision-making is proving decisive.
Hong Kong steady, Canada stumble
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, competing in their eighth Invitational Cup, are reaping the rewards of staying in the single digits. With finishes of third and fifth, they moved to 46 points, one clear of Royal Canadian. The Canadians, who had looked like San Diego’s closest rivals, endured a bruising 17th in Race 8, undoing much of their earlier momentum. They now sit third overall on 47 points, with little margin for further error.
Royal Thames (57 points) and Royal Vancouver (57.3 points) round out the top five, the British and Canadian clubs neck-and-neck in a contest that will likely go down to the final day.
Eastern’s “Reverse Rabbit”
Perhaps the story of the day came from Eastern Yacht Club. After finishing second in Race 7, tactician Bill Lynn called for the team’s “Reverse Rabbit” manoeuvre when a pin-end start unraveled in Race 8. Shifting quickly onto port, the Marblehead crew slingshotted clear of the fleet, sailing in clean air to finish sixth.
“It’s a move of last resort, but it worked,” said Lynn. “Sometimes the Reverse Rabbit is just awesome, because you can slingshot out of that going seven and a half knots.”
Eastern’s two strong results earned them daily honours and lifted them into ninth overall on 71 points, just 14 off fourth place.
Itchenor’s heartfelt win
While San Diego control the top of the table, the moment that drew the loudest cheer came in Race 7. Itchenor Sailing Club, returning to the Cup after a last-minute invite, surged from a mid-line start to claim a wire-to-wire victory.
For team principal Barry Sampson, the win was about more than points. “I love the New York Yacht Club, and I thought, a bit selfishly, it would be nice to come one more time,” he said. “But I also wanted Itchenor to be here, because I’m very fond of our little club.”
The British team followed with an 11th in Race 8, climbing from last to 18th overall. While a top-ten finish is beyond reach, their Race 7 win stands as one of the regatta’s most memorable moments.
Leaderboard tightens behind San Diego
With eight races sailed, the standings show a clear leader but remarkable depth through the fleet. Corinthian Yacht Club (61), Royal Swedish (62), and New York Yacht Club (66) remain within striking distance of the top five. Eastern (71) and Royal Cork (71) are tied just behind, making for an intense mid-fleet battle.
Japan Sailing Federation, winners of Race 5, slipped back to 11th after a 21-point NSC penalty earlier in the day, while Australia’s Royal Prince Alfred and Uruguay’s Punta del Este sit in the lower half.
Four races remain
With four races left, San Diego are strong favourites, but as Day 3 proved, fortunes can shift fast. Hong Kong and Canada remain firmly in the hunt, while Eastern, Itchenor, and others showed that resilience and creativity can still deliver big moments. Racing continues Thursday with Race 9, first warning at 1100 EDT, streamed live via YouTube and Facebook.
