NYYC Women’s International Championship — September 2026
Milestone
We’re officially under three months out
On June 13, we hit a milestone: we are officially under three months out from the start of the New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship in Newport, Rhode Island.
This is the inaugural edition of the championship, sailed in the New York Yacht Club’s fleet of 20 IC37s, and the field is stacked with some of the top women’s sailing programs and athletes in the sport.
The Cascadia Sailing team at PSSR — Seattle, April 2026
“For us, this campaign has become about more than one week of racing. It’s about access, opportunity, and the chance to represent the PNW on the world stage. A team from our shared waters, supported by our special community willing to help us build something real and lasting. As we get closer to Newport, it feels incredibly special to carry the Cascadia region with us.”
Before we go any further, we want to say how grateful we are for everyone who has followed along, donated, sponsored us, encouraged us, opened doors, shared contacts, bid on auction items, came sailing, asked questions, or simply cheered us on.
To show our gratitude, we wanted to share a more personal three-month-out update with you: a look at where the campaign stands, what has been happening behind the scenes, and a chance to hear from more of the team as we head into the final stretch toward Newport.
Campaign Status
Progress on and off the water
A lot has happened since Joy first reached out to Chris about building a team. Since the invitation from New York arrived. Since our first practice aboard IC37 “Westerly”. Since the first time we were coached. Since our first winter Zoom call. Since we first asked our community to believe in us.
With the help of coaches including Jonathan McKee, Carl Buchan, and Richard Clarke, along with mentorship from Royal Vancouver Yacht Club NYYC Invitational team members Ben Mumford, Hunter Lowden, and Nicole Johnston, we have been working on starts, boat speed, mode changes, maneuvers, communication, and the small details that allow a crew of 11 to move together under pressure.
Spring training with coach Jonathan McKee
Off the water, the work behind the campaign has been just as constant. Fundraising, community events, team planning, travel logistics, and sponsor outreach have all been moving alongside the sailing.
As we move inside three months to Newport, things are getting very real. The sailing is becoming more focused, the details are getting sharper, and the support from the community continues to make it all possible.
The Curveball
A setback — and how we responded
Of course, no campaign seems to come without a few curveballs.
June 3 — Mast Compression Failure
On June 3, during a Wednesday night club race at Royal Victoria Yacht Club, our training boat, Westerly 37, suffered a mast compression failure above the top spreader after a series of events that began with an override on the runner winch. Thankfully, everyone was safe, and we were able to get the rig out without further damage to the boat or sails.
The timing has impacted our training, including missing two practice weekends, one of which would have been our final in-person weekend with Richard Clarke.
✓ A replacement rig arrived June 17. Westerly is expected back on the water June 27.
The team has been using the pause as productively as possible, reviewing notes and video, studying resources coming out of Newport now that the IC37 fleet is sailing again for the summer, and preparing for the next block of training.
From the Team
Voices from the campaign
We have been busy lately, learning, racing, training, and carrying this campaign forward in all kinds of ways. From Tasar Worlds in Japan, to IC37 racing opportunities in Newport, to spring training at home, and the real life moments happening alongside it all, here are a few words from the team on what this journey has felt like so far. Click any name to read their words.
“I’m feeling thankful for all the hard work the team has been putting in over the last two weeks while I traveled to the Tasar Worlds in Japan. It was a regatta that kept me on my toes from a typhoon, a tsunami warning and the final results coming down to the last race that was initiated 10 minutes before the time limit. I was able to focus on sailing knowing that the team back in North America had everything handled!”
“I was lucky to be invited to join Chris Lewis and team Qubit in Newport in June for NYYC’s kickoff regatta. Qubit won the IC37 North Americans last year, and has been in the top of the fleet results for many years. This was a great opportunity to learn from a top team in a race setting, and to experience racing against a fleet of IC37s. As expected, the starts are tight, everyone gets to the windward mark at the same time, and all of the little things matter a lot. We came in 3rd in this shake-down weekend for the fleet. I’m happy to report that I was invited back to race with them again in mid-July at the fleet’s Sail Newport Regatta.”
“The spring training sessions have been amazing working with world-class coaches who have invested their time, expertise, and inspiration into our Cascadia team! I’ve been putting those lessons to work when racing our J70 and training for the RS Aero Europeans in July. I am very excited for our team to compete in the IC37 Safe Harbor event in August to sharpen our skills prior to the championship in September.”
“The past six months have been transformative for me personally, as I’ve just completed treatment for breast cancer. The Cascadia Sailing campaign has become not just an athletic endeavor, but a support network from the team and our community that reminds me daily of why we dare do hard things like the 2026 NYYC WIC — because no matter how challenging things seem to be, you can always dig deeper for your people, and at the end of day, that shared hard work is absolutely the most rewarding.”
“One of the things I keep coming back to is how many people have said yes to this campaign. Sailors, coaches, sponsors, donors, clubs, friends, family, and people who simply want to see this team get to Newport. Three months out, that support feels both humbling and motivating. This campaign has become much bigger than the original goal of getting to Newport. It has created new connections, opened conversations, brought people sailing, and reminded me how much can happen when a community gets behind an idea. I hope Cascadia helps show what is possible when women are given the space, trust, and support to build something ambitious, from the ground up.”
“I’ve been continually amazed by the level of dedication, organization, and drive my teammates bring every day. A campaign like this takes an incredible amount of planning, fundraising, training, and promotion to make it possible, and it’s inspiring to see the commitment behind the scenes.”
“Three months out I am feeling grateful and excited to be a part of this program. It is always a unique experience to work through a training plan in hopes of achieving a goal at the end, and doing that alongside 10 incredible women makes it even more special.”
“This year has been an amazing journey that has pushed me in ways I never imagined when I first joined Cascadia. From fundraising and sponsorship outreach to media and event promotion to high intensity on-the-water training with expert coaches, I’ve learned just how much work goes into a campaign at this level. The commitment and dedication of everyone on this team, along with the incredible support from family, friends, and the community, has been truly inspiring. I’m excited for what the next 3 months will bring!”
“With many training weekends behind us and many more ahead, I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this amazing team. This is the largest team I have ever sailed with, and the lessons I’ve learned throughout this journey are ones I will be able to apply to any boat and team I sail with in the future. From helping to run a campaign, to working with our incredible coaches, to sailing alongside such talented teammates, the skills, experiences, and sense of teamwork I have gained have been invaluable.”
We have a few more practice weekends planned, including one with Steve Erickson, before heading east for the Safe Harbor Regatta in Newport at the beginning of August. Safe Harbor will be an important training opportunity: a chance to sail at the venue, line up against other IC37s, fine-tune logistics, and get as close as we can to a dress rehearsal before September.
We are incredibly lucky to have this opportunity, and it has only been made possible because of the generous support we have received so far.
At the same time, we are not yet at our full budget. That leaves some unknowns, and some financial pressure, at a time when we would love to be putting all of our energy into the sailing ahead. If you know someone who might be excited to support Cascadia Sailing, please help us spread the word. Every bit of support helps.
The IC37 fleet at Newport — where we’ll be racing in September
We plan to share our next big update after the Safe Harbor Regatta. In the meantime, follow us on Facebook or Instagram at @CascadiaSailing. We also have a YouTube channel, which we are hoping to start using more as things start to get very interesting.
For now, here’s a little pump-up video from an early practice: youtu.be/i-5-jgcjTyg
