New York Yacht Club “Pausing” Its America’s Cup Pursuit

Yesterday the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, Christopher J. Culver, notified club members that it was “pausing its pursuit of the America’s Cup.” This is big news in the sailing world because the America’s Cup is regarded as the premier event in sailboat racing, and the NYYC is the yacht club most closely associated with the Cup because of its stewardship and possession of it for more than 125 years.

Following is Commodore Culver’s letter to Members—

“Yesterday, in a letter to the Trustees, the Flag Officers announced the Club was pausing its pursuit of the America’s Cup.

There are few private Clubs that enjoy a stronger bond with a single competition than our Club does with the America’s Cup. However, we ultimately have a responsibility to act in your best interests.



For more than six months, we and other potential challengers have waited for clarity regarding the venue, timing and rules for the 37th America’s Cup. Time is never on the side of new teams in this great contest, but at some point, given an anticipated match in 2024, we must recognize when there simply isn’t enough of it left to build a competitive challenge.



We will turn our focus to more foundational initiatives, including the development of America’s youth sailing talent—many of whom are the children or grandchildren of our members—the continued growth of our ground-breaking IC37 one-design class and programs that will increase diversity in our sport. We will also advocate for what we believe to be essential changes to the structure of the America’s Cup. This evolution will retain the competition’s unmatched history and appeal while enabling it to compete on today’s increasingly competitive modern sports landscape. Our passion for this competition remains as strong as ever."



Warm Regards,

Christopher J. Culver

Commodore, New York Yacht Club