All the women who competed

Carolyn Russell, Bill Sandberg as PRO and Alix Hahn

AYCs Hahn and Russell Capture 2010 Queens Cup
By Bill Sandberg

Sailing in very light air that was oscillating through 100 degrees, Alix Hahn and Carolyn Russell from American Yacht Club sailed to a convincing victory in the Queens Cup-the Long Island Sound Women's Sailing Championship-held July 10 at American. The victory came against 11 other boats, including past winner Ginny Perry Worcester.

The championship event was first sailed in 1934 and called the Syce Cup. The trophy was stolen after a break in at Riverside YC in 1979, and it was changed to the Queens Cup. Interestingly, the first two regattas were won by Indian Harbor's Lorna Whittlesey, with her sister Myrtle as crew. Most sailors, remember her by her married name as a member of American Yacht Club—the indomitable Lorna Hibberd.

In addition to Lorna, other notable winning helmswomen include American YC's Leggie Mertz and Sylvia Shethar (Everdell), Indian Harbor's Betty Week Foulke, Seawanhaka's Timmy Larr, Noroton's Sue Sinclair, Larchmont's Mary Savage and current Manhasset Bay Commodore Sue Miller. With the Hahn/Russell victory. American is second in total Queens Cup victories with 13 to Seawanhaka Corinthian's 14.

Perhaps the most interesting statistic is the fact that AYC's Reggie Corwin sailed to her first victory as crew in 1939 (crewing for Rusty Shethar) and last in 1991 (sailing with Heather Hild). To put that into perspective, either Carolyn or Alix would have to be part of the winning crew in 2062.

The day began ominously with storm cells popping up all over the place. The Race Committee, with PRO Bill Sandberg, decided to postpone ashore, sparing the competitors the agony of floating about with stifling heat and no air. At about 1 PM, the storm aimed at AYC broke in two and passed to the north and south, with a gentle northerly filling in.

The Hahn/Russell team sailed to a convincing win in the first race—a windward leeward twice around. In the second race they moved from second to first by passing the lead boat on the leeward leg. Sailing conservatively with a big lead, the winning pair finished third in the last race to win the regatta by 5 points over Carolyn Nye from Indian Harbor with her mother Karin as crew. Third place was taken by Old Greenwich Yacht Club's Mary Desmond with crew Syd Uhry.

The Queens Cup is the quarterfinals for the Adams Cup, the North American Women's Sailing Championship. By winning the Queens Cup, Alix and Carolyn qualified for the Area B championship held in Lightnings at Cedar Point YC on July 17th. They lost on a tie-breaker to Cedar Point YC, skippered by Madeline Gill, who will be representing Area B in Sheboygan, WI in September.

Printed with permission from Windcheck Magazine.