IC37s, Women Skippers and a Newport Showdown

Twenty teams will compete aboard the New York Yacht Club’s fleet of IC37s at New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, RI, from September 12–19, 2026, with race courses, berthing and support logistics coordinated around the Club’s harbour facilities and local marinas.

Fleet, course and harbour logistics

The regatta will utilize identical 37-foot keelboats designed by Mark Mills, meaning race organizers can focus on starting sequences, shore-side turnarounds and crew rotation rather than equipment parity. Mooring assignments, launch windows and service berths at Harbour Court are scheduled to accommodate 20 teams, race officials and support craft; tender traffic and safety boats will follow prescribed channels to reduce congestion during peak starts.

From an operations standpoint, standardizing on the IC37 reduces variables for towage, spares and sail inventory. When you rent a boat for a week, you appreciate how predictable maintenance windows make life easier — same idea at regatta scale: fewer unknowns, faster repairs, clearer logistics.

Mexico fields an all-Mexican crew

Eliane Fierro will helm an entirely Mexican crew for the inaugural New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship. Fierro’s sailing résumé reaches back to the first Women’s World Championship in Monnickendam (1978) and includes representing Mexico in the first women’s Olympic sailing event in Pusan (1988), as well as participating in campaigns such as Viva México for The Ocean Race.

Fierro intentionally selected sailors who share language and long-term trust: Spanish is the working language aboard. The roster blends multiple generations — a practical advantage when tactical experience meets youthful energy. The crew will include at least four Olympians: Mariana Aguilar, Elena Oetling, Tania Elías Calles and Fierro herself.

Team composition and strengths

• Olympic disciplines represented: 470, ILCA, iQFOiL — diverse skillsets for upwind, downwind and foiling-aware tactics.
• Offshore experience: transpacific and transatlantic sailors bring heavy-weather and watch system know-how.
• Communication: Spanish onboard promotes quick calls and a cohesive atmosphere under pressure.

Crew Finder and how teams will complete rosters

The New York Yacht Club has opened a Crew Finder for sailors interested in joining qualified skippers. Some invited skippers already have full rosters; others will use the crew board to recruit skilled sailors worldwide. Entries submitted through the Crew Finder are visible only to qualified skippers for this championship.

Event chair Cory Sertl emphasized the practical function: skippers can match tactical needs and crew availability without adding administrative friction. For sailors, the platform simplifies the path from interest to assignment — a bit like finding the right charter captain for a weekend: compatibility matters.

Practical implications for sailors and renters

For those who manage charters or boat rentals back home, the IC37 model demonstrates the benefits of fleet homogeneity: simplified spare-part inventories, standardized safety checks and repeatable briefing documents that make handovers faster. Shore-side providers in popular yachting Destinations can learn from the NYYC approach to staging a large, single-type fleet event.

What event organizers must manage

1. Start line spacing and sequence for fair IC37 racing.
2. Berthing rotation and tender schedules to avoid harbour bottlenecks.
3. Logistics for sail inventories, spares and emergency repair teams.
4. Clear communications protocol — VHF channels, multilingual briefings and safety plans.

For sailors looking to expand into charter or boat rental operations, the regatta offers lessons in crew management and customer expectations: standardized boats reduce surprise breakdowns, but they also demand vigilant preventive maintenance — an ounce of prevention truly saves you a tow in the middle of a race.

Legacy, participation and inspiration

Although Mexico is not traditionally dominant in sailing results, Fierro’s campaign emphasizes national identity, mentorship and the idea that a multigenerational crew can both race hard and inspire more women and girls to return to sailing. The event—staged at a historic yacht club—provides a high-profile platform to showcase women's yachting, raise awareness about ocean stewardship, and create role models who might someday captain charter yachts or train the next generation at marinas across the gulf and open sea.

Details and updates for the championship are available via the New York Yacht Club event page: https://nyyc.org/2026-womenschamp

In short, the inaugural New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship combines tight logistical planning, a uniform IC37 fleet and a diverse international slate of skippers and crews. From Fierro’s all-Mexican entry to the Crew Finder system and the operational playbook for race week, the event offers tangible takeaways for anyone involved in yacht chartering, boat rent operations, marina services, and competitive sailing. Whether you’re into ocean racing, lake regattas, renting a boat for a beach day, or dreaming of a superyacht charter, the regatta underscores the roles of captain, crew and community in growing the sport and supporting future generations of yachting and boating activity.