Competition Fund Grantees
The CYC Foundation's Competition Fund enables the awarding of grants to support applicants’ training for and participation in prestigious national and international sailing competitions. Donate to the Competition Fund here.
AYC 3-2-1
The Annapolis Yacht Club’s 3-2-1 Invitational, an interclub team race, took place September 20-22, 2024. Seven prestigious clubs competed: CYC, Newport Harbor YC, San Diego YC, Ida Lewis YC, NYYC, San Francisco YC, and host AYC. CYC came in seventh at their first time participating in this event, which differs from other regattas: Teams race in different boats throughout the event in different types of racing formats. Each team consists of six members, who race in three formats: 3 (three boats with two sailors each), 2 (two boats with three sailors each), and 1 (one boat with all six). The CYCF’s Competition Fund sponsored partial travel expenses for the CYC team, consisting of Will Curtiss, Bridget Groble, Sarah Renz, Ray Groble IV, Adam Schaefer, and Peter Bailey.
Roble/Shea Olympic Campaign
Team Roble/Shea earned a berth in the medal round at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris (the sailing competition took place in Marseille), finishing tenth overall. Teammates Steph Roble and Maggie Shea met as Laser Radial competitors during high school, became great friends and ultimately teammates. This Midwestern duo has been competing with and against each other for 15 years; individually they have won world championship medals, national titles, and All American Honors. The Foundation is proud to have sponsored their 2024 Olympic campaign via the Competition Fund, which provides support for expenses such as equipment purchases or coaching. Learn more about Roble/Shea Sailing. Photo credit: Sailing Energy
Team Young Guns
CYC’s Interclub Competition Team, sponsored by the CYC Foundation’s Competition Fund, came in second during the Corinthian Young Guns Team Race at Seawanhaka Yacht Club on Long Island, NY, June 27-28, 2024, following their undefeated performance at this event in July 2023. CYC was one of six participating yacht clubs, including Ida Lewis Yacht Club, which edged out CYC in the finals, Noroton Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club, Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, and the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club. CYC was the only club outside of the East Coast and was proud to represent the Club, the Foundation, and the breadth of talent among Midwest sailors. The CYC team of three boats was represented by Will Holz with Madeleine Cooney, Scott Ferron, and Alex Woloshyn; Bridget Groble with Ray Groble IV, Peter Bailey, and Ivy Williams; and Jack Elkin with Adam Schaefer and Robert Hann.
Soiland Cup
The Southern Soiland Cup Invitational Team Race takes place at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans November 1-3, 2024. Featuring 3v3 team racing in Flying Scot class yachts, the race includes competing teams from Annapolis Yacht Club, Chicago Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, St. Francis Yacht Club, and Southern Yacht Club itself. The CYCF Competition Fund is sponsoring travel expenses for the CYC InterClub Competition Committee team.
NYYC Resolute Cup
Held September 10-14, at New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., the 2024 Resolute Cup featured 28 of the country's best yacht club teams sailing short courses in equalized boats with identical sails. Teams compete for national bragging rights and the possibility of a trip to the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, sailing's premiere international Corinthian big-boat regatta. 2024 is CYC’s fifth time competing here; the team came in first in both medal rounds, earning them sixth place overall. The CYC Foundation sponsored the entry fee and travel stipends for the team, consisting of Will Holz, Peter Holz, Raymond Groble IV, and Adelaide Ferguson Holz.
NYYC Women’s 2v2
This event, hosted by New York Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island, is an invitational interclub competition held annually in early June. CYC is one of ten clubs to typically receive an invitation, itself a competitive process. The CYC Foundation sponsored partial travel expenses for two all-women’s Sonar teams in June 2023 and 2024.
Interscholastic Sailing Association
The CYC Foundation covered partial travel expenses for a sailor on the Jones College Prep High School, a Chicago Public School, team to compete in the ISSA Mallory National Championship at the College of Charleston (SC), June 1-2, 2024 and the ISSA Baker Team Race National Championship held on Whidbey Island (WA), May 17-19, 2024. This is the first time in school history Jones has qualified for nationals!
US Women’s Match Racing Championship
On August 1-4, 2024, the team of Bridget Groble, Samantha Foulston, Morgan Collins, and Marley Mais competed in the USWMRC, held at CYC’s Belmont Station. The field of sailors was extremely competitive, consisting of Olympians, Rolex Yachtswomen, and collegiate all-Americans. Bridget and team won the round robin, setting themselves up for quarterfinals; then advanced to the semi-finals, where they were knocked out after five tight races. The team, sponsored by the CYCF’s Competition Fund, finished fourth overall out of the country’s top 10 women’s teams. The regatta was an excellent learning experience, and we hope to build upon this result as we travel to compete internationally in September and represent the USA against the world’s top women’s teams.
Chicago Grand Slam
Congratulations to CYC’s Interclub Competition Team for winning the Chicago Grand Slam, which took place at CYC’s Belmont Station August 16-18, 2024. Chicago was the third stop on the 2024 US Sailing Grand Slam series, a series of four events culminating at Bayview Yacht Club in Michigan. The series brings together eight of the best match racing teams to compete in a four-regatta event. The CYC Foundation sponsored CYC’s Interclub Competition Team (Peter Holz, Will Holz, Ian Beckley, Axel Stordahl, and Peter Barnard) for this event.
KDY Women’s Match Race
The KDY Women’s Match Race is a prestigious, international match race event that is the first stop on this year’s 2024 Women’s World Match Race Tour. Taking place September 4-8, 2024, this event is graded as a World Championship and competitors include Olympic sailors, Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year, and other international stars of women’s sailing. The Competition Fund sponsored the entry fee and partial travel expenses for a team skippered by CYC’s own Bridget Groble and crewed by Samantha Foulston, Morgan Collins, Kate Klempen, Maddie Badshaw, and Rose Edwards; they earned eighth place.
Jackson Cup
The Jackson Cup is a national annual invitational interclub team race challenge by the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with teams selected for high racing skill and the Corinthian spirit. Invited clubs field three Sonars for the two days of racing; the Foundation sponsored partial travel expenses for the three CYC boats. The event took place April 29-30, 2023.