CYCS kicks off with Tiedemann Classics Regatta, heads to Martha's Vineyard this weekend
by Classic Yacht Owners Association 8 Jul 23:25 UTC
27-28 June 2026
The last weekend in June marked the official start of the Northeast classic sailing season with the first event of this year's CYCS: The New York Yacht Club Tiedemann Classics Regatta.
A fleet of 30 gorgeous classic yachts filled Newport Harbor for this year's event. Multiple races were held on Saturday, June 27 with light to moderate conditions, while the wind was late to arrive on Sunday, June 28 with some classes only getting one race in.
Nonetheless, it was a fun weekend filled with sailing and trademark classics camaraderie. Sailors gathered ashore at Harbour Court to share stories from the water and take in the great social events and award ceremonies. The century old Herreshoff R boat Gamecock owned by Peter McClennen won its class and locked up a three-peat of class wins at Tiedemann. Also coming out on top of their respective classes were Jax (Øivind Lorentzen), Black Watch (Austin Fragomen), and Aquila (Geoffrey Davis).
Up next on the calendar is the Vineyard Cup hosted by Martha's Vineyard Shipyard and benefitting Sail Martha's Vineyard. Scheduled for Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12, the Vineyard Cup fleet is set to be over 20 strong. This regatta is not only known as one of the largest on the island, but also for its beach party hosted at the Sail MV boathouse that has become famous as the best of the sailing season.
The Vineyard Cup is the first CYCS event in the Massachusetts region and the overall leaderboard will start to take shape when the results come in. A great weekend of classics sailing is sure to be in store in the coming days!
In non-CYCS news, the CYOA would like to send a huge congratulations to all the members who competed in and completed the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race! Extra honors go out to Dorade (Matt Brooks), Gesture (Alexander Mehran), and Hound (Dan Litchfield) for winning their classes in the St. David's Lighthouse Division. Gesture won the overall title 80 years ago in the 1946 Bermuda Race—the first following WWII—and took home additional hardware eight decades later.
Other CYOA Members who prepared their boats and took them in on the 636 mile offshore race were Paul Jennings Towhee (3rd Overall), Vince Todd's Inverness (4th overall), Eliot Merrill's Arcadia, Stephen Ross' Thunderhead,, Beau Van Metre's Running Tide, and Todd Lalumiere's Isobel.
Check out the interview the Gesture crew gave from their crossing of the Gulf Stream on the Bermuda Race's Gulf Stream Show:
Good luck to all members in this week's Vineyard Cup, and throughout the rest of the 2026 CYCS! As the series continues throughout the summer, results and standings for each of the Divisions will be updated and shared with members and fans. Stay tuned!
More on the Tiedemann Regatta