Melges IC37 arrives in Sydney - Training for NYYC's Women's International Championship begins
by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron 20 May 15:47 PDT
3-5 October 2026
Melges IC37 arrives in Sydney - Training for NYYC's Women's International Championship begins © Karyn Gojnich
The first Melges IC37 has arrived in Sydney. Developed by the New York Yacht Club to foster high-performance Corinthian sailing, the IC37 has proven itself to be a highly appealing platform.
New owners Scott Lawson and David Ferguson were looking for a performance boat for regattas rather than offshore racing.
Scott commented, "We also wanted to provide a platform for young sailors to gain experience in modern racing yachts. We are providing the boat for the New York Yacht Club's Women's International Championship teams from RSYS and RPAYC to promote women's racing.
"These boats are a whole lot of fun and challenging at the same time! The design lends itself to extremely competitive performance sailing which tests expert sailors, while also being a wonderful training platform for less experienced sailors. Our first regatta was the Sydney Harbour Regatta followed shortly after by the Port Stephen Sail week, which matched us up against boats in the newly formed and rapidly growing Super40 category. The team is incredibly happy to podium on both occasions. We'll stretch ourselves again at Hamilton Island Race Week. In the interim, we're thrilled to be supporting Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's campaign led by Vice Commodore Karyn Gojnich OLY, to participate in the New York Yacht Club's Women's International Championship in September."
Three-time Olympian Karyn Gojnich is one of only 20 elite women sailors from around the world invited to bring a team to the New York Yacht Club's Women's International Championship, to be sailed on the IC37.
Gojnich commented, "This is an outstanding opportunity to continue to develop women's sailing at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. We have a strong women's program, starting from absolute beginners with opportunities to grow through to elite levels.
"Scott and David's support is incredibly timely and generous. Having the chance to train on the boat we will be racing is an enormous advantage. Now we are very much a 'development team' however we are lifting the baseline for our squad, lifting awareness, lifting skills, lifting experience. We are opening opportunities for women to get an insight into sailing at an elite level that will give them all confidence when stepping on to any boat in the future."
America's Cup sailor and Olympian Neville Wittey is also providing expert coaching and skills development for the RSYS team. Final crew selection will take place in July ahead of the September regatta in Newport, Rhode Island.