PWYC Charity Cup

This year the 18th Port Washington Yacht Club Annual Charity Cup Regatta has chosen AVON39: The Walk to End Breast Cancer benefiting the Avon Foundation for Women as their charity of choice.
According to www.breastcancer.org, about one in eight U.S. women (approximately 12 percent) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2015, an estimated 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 60,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. And breast cancer is not just an issue for women: about 2,350 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2015. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about one in 1,000.
Everyone has a friend, a mother, a daughter or a sister who has breast cancer or is a survivor. And that is why the Port Washington Yacht Club has chosen to help raise awareness and funds to conquer breast cancer by choosing the AVON39.
A bit about the event: the weekend of parties and racing begins with a gala dinner dance on Saturday night, Sept. 12. Music under the tent on the south terrace sets the mood for those who stroll down the dock to enjoy the always popular wine tasting from Long Island wineries, while taking in the beautiful vistas of Manhasset Bay looking north to Long Island Sound. Attendees can check out the terrific items in the silent auction and raffle. And, of course, the evening wouldn’t be complete without the extra special dinner menu and a terrific band scheduled to keep people dancing throughout the night—well, maybe not all night.
The Charity Cup Regatta takes place on Sunday, with an all-day BBQ for those ashore waiting to greet the racers back at the club for the awards ceremony. During the afternoon, Lawrence Chrapliwy, artist-in-residence of the Cow Bay Historical Society and a member of the American Society of Marine Artists, will be painting en plein air. Chrapliwy is widely recognized as an incredibly gifted painter as well as a teacher, and his works are widely recognized by collectors. One of his paintings is actually hanging in the halls of Congress. Chrapliwy has generously agreed to donate a 12” x 16” oil painting of the winning boat again this year. Last year, Arthur Buhr III, who was the overall winner, won the oil painting. Visit www.lawrencemaritimeart.com to see the artist’s work.
The regatta is open to single-hull yachts whose owners are a member of YRALIS or a recognized club or association affiliated with US Sailing. There are divisions for PHRF, IRC and one-design boats, as well as a special non-spinnaker class. Entry fee is $75, which includes the BBQ for skipper and up to eight crew members. Deadline for entry is 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12.
The yacht club has partnered with Sailors for the Sea to help restore ocean health and protect the waters upon which to sail and the 2015 Charity Regatta will be a “Clean Regatta.” According to Andrea Watson, the regatta chair, “The Charity Cup Regatta committee is excited to implement the Clean Regattas Best Practices to reduce our environmental impact. We are also interested in raising awareness about the issues our ocean faces.”
Visit www.yachtscoring.com to register. Last year, participation was increased over the previous year by 100 percent. If interested in donating to the AVON39: Walk to End Breast Cancer, go to www.AVON39.com, click on TEAM, then enter Team Aurora.
For more information about the Charity Cup Regatta, contact Andrea Watson at racecommittee@pwyc.org or agwatson@sailingpress.com.