2026 Sears Cup Qualifier for US Sailing Area “B”
The Sears Cup qualifier for US Sailing Area “B” is scheduled for July 6-7 at the Waterfront Center, Oyster Bay, NY.
The entry deadline is end of day July 1, when the boats available from the WaterFront Center’s fleet of 12 Sonars will be allocated based on the completed entry date for each team.
Competitors must have reached their 13th birthday but not their 19th birthday during this calendar year. Each competitor must be a member of US Sailing and a Local Sailing Organization (“LSO” that may be a yacht club, community sailing center, or junior sailing program) within US Sailing Area “B”. Teams can comprise sailors from different LSOs within the Area.
Complete eligibility requirements may be read in the Notice of Race posted at https://theclubspot.com/regatta/pfIkErhyfz. The July 1 entry deadline will give US Sailing time to review and accept the completed entries before the July 4th holiday weekend commences.
A Chance for Local Sailors to Compete in a National Championship – Here on Long Island Sound, for the first time in many years.
US Sailing is bringing the Chubb U.S. Youth Championship for the Sears Cup back to western Long Island Sound. This year’s championship from August 7 to 10 will be hosted by the Noroton Yacht Club, Darien, CT, and will be sailed in Noroton’s fleet of Sonar keelboats by four-person youth teams. First sailed in 1921, the Sears Cup is US Sailing’s oldest national championship trophy and is the original youth sailing national championship.
Competing in a US Sailing championship like the Sears Cup is an important and memorable experience. Why is this a special opportunity? Unlike typical national championships that have open registration, the Sears Cup requires ladder qualification through qualifier regattas in 11 areas around the USA. Western Long Island Sound is part of US Sailing’s Area “B” that includes other regions like the lower Hudson River, Eastern Connecticut, Eastern Long Island, Great South Bay, Central New York, and the Virgin Islands. The top two teams from the qualifier in each US Sailing Area will advance to the Sears Cup final at Noroton YC.
If you are interested in competing for the Sears Cup, here is a checklist for you:
- Get your four-person youth team together.
- Have the family of a team member (typically the skipper) initiate the team’s entry and pay the entry fee for the Area “B” Qualifier through this Clubspot link https://theclubspot.com/regatta/pfIkErhyfz. Junior sailing program offices will be unable to process entries for this event.
- The skipper should immediately invite via Clubspot each of the three other sailors to complete each sailor’s registration as an additional crewmember. And remind each of the crew and their parents to look for the email from Clubspot with their personal entry form link.
- Start your team entry soon because boats available from the WaterFront Center’s fleet of 12 Sonars will be allocated in order of the completed entry date for each team. Entries must be completed by end of day July 1.
We hope you will consider this special opportunity to compete in your local area for for a national championship.
