Corinthian Yacht Club held off a late challenge from San Diego Yacht Club to claim its third consecutive Resolute Cup championship in Newport.
NEWPORT, R.I. Corinthian Yacht Club looked in control for much of the Resolute Cup. Then the medal races changed everything.
Skipper Wade Waddell, Doug Sabin, Miranda Bakos and Duncan Swain had built a strong lead through the first 20 full fleet races, averaging 3.6 points per race and recording more finishes inside the top three than outside it.
The pressure arrived when the fleet was reduced from 23 teams to 12 for the medal races, with points doubled.
Corinthian finished fifth in the first medal race. In the second, the team rounded the first mark in last place, while San Diego Yacht Club was fourth. Corinthian’s 11 point advantage at the start of the race had effectively disappeared.
“We made it stressful at the end with three medal races, and the second one we rounded the top mark in last,” Waddell said. “We had to battle back.”
They did just that.
Corinthian fought its way back through the fleet, but an eighth place finish in the second medal race left the two leading teams virtually tied heading into the final race. Newport Harbor Yacht Club was also within striking distance.
The championship came down to the final race
Neither Corinthian nor San Diego made a strong start in the final race. Corinthian quickly recovered and moved through the fleet, rounding the first mark in the lead.
Bayview Yacht Club went on to win the race, but Corinthian finished third while San Diego placed fifth.
That was enough for Corinthian to secure the championship.
For the third consecutive edition, the Resolute Cup belongs to Corinthian Yacht Club.
“That was a testament to the team,” Waddell said. “We dug deep there. Feels amazing to come away with the win here. Three Resolute Cups in a row. We’re fired up.”
San Diego Yacht Club finished second with 73 points, five points behind Corinthian. Newport Harbor Yacht Club completed the podium with 78 points.
Newport Harbor also produced one of the strongest comebacks of the final day. The team entered the medal races in seventh place, 13 points outside the top three. Two second place finishes moved them into podium contention before they secured third overall.
“It was super tight,” Newport Harbor skipper Alex Curtiss said. “Our tactician, Chris Segerblom, did an awesome job of just staying calm and executing the next right now. So all the credit to him.”
A return to the Invitational Cup
The Resolute Cup has served since 2010 as a Corinthian championship for U.S. yacht clubs and provides the guaranteed pathway for an American club to earn a place in the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup.
Corinthian will now return to the Invitational Cup after finishing second in 2023 and fourth in 2025.
Final standings
Corinthian Yacht Club, 68 points
San Diego Yacht Club, 73 points
Newport Harbor Yacht Club, 78 points
Bayview Yacht Club, 83 points
Annapolis Yacht Club, 102 points
Eastern Yacht Club, 102.4 points
New York Yacht Club, 124 points
San Francisco Yacht Club, 125 points
Chicago Yacht Club, 130 points
Charleston Yacht Club, 132 points
The next edition of the Resolute Cup is scheduled for September 2028. The request for invitation process will begin early in 2028.
Paul Todd/OUTSIDEIMAGES.COM.OUTSIDE IMAGES PHOTO AGENCY
