David K. Elwell Jr., commodore of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), announced that the club has invited 26 pre-eminent American yacht clubs to compete for places in the second New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, which will be sailed in Newport, RI, September 10-17, 2011.

In September 2009, the NYYC hosted the first New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, where 19 amateur yacht club teams from 14 nations competed in chartered NYYC Swan 42s at Harbour Court, the NYYC’s on-the-water clubhouse in Newport, RI. Competitors had to be members of the yacht club and nationals of the country represented. The 2009 event saw teams from Japan, Germany, Finland, Spain, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland (two), Denmark, Hong Kong, New Zealand, England (three), Italy (two), France and the United States (two), including the host and eventual winner, the NYYC.

Commodore Elwell explained that a number of yacht clubs in the United States had expressed interest in competing in the inaugural event. “This invitation for a US Qualifying Series is in response to that interest,” he said. The Qualifying Series will be held in Newport on September 8-11, 2010, and will feature fleet racing in Sonars and J/22s.

The top three U.S. teams from this series then receiving invitations to the NYYC Invitational Cup, where they will join the top six teams from 2009: New York, Royal Canadian, Japan Sailing Federation, Nyländska Jaktklubben of Finland; Royal Cork of Ireland and Royal Bermuda, plus at least 10 other international teams, to be invited in the spring of 2010.

Complete list of invited clubs: http://www.nyyc.org/home/article_661/.