Concord Yacht Club wins TN Valley Challenge Cup

While hosting its first Tennessee Valley Challenge Cup, Concord Yacht Club came away with its first TVCC win in the Cup’s 32-year history.

The event was held Sept. 29 and 30 at CYC along Northshore Drive.

The Cup was started by a few Tennessee River sailing clubs in 1987, according to organizers, and has continued as an annual regatta event.

It currently has seven participating clubs, which in addition to CYC are Browns Creek Sailing Association, Lake Guntersville, Alabama; Muscle Shoals Sailing Club, Killen, Alabama; Wheeler Yacht Club, Rogersville, Alabama; Pickwick Sailing & Cruising Association, Yellow Creek near Memphis; Lake Guntersville Sailing Club, Lake Guntersville, Alabama; and Privateer Yacht Club, Chattanooga.

Four of the seven clubs were represented by 43 boats, with 120 skippers and crews at the starting line to compete in two races, which led to the CYC club’s name being inscribed on the perpetual TVCC trophy.

Lack of wind on the second day prevented further races.

In addition to the racing and social festivities, CYC held a ticket raffle and silent auction Saturday night, Sept. 29, which raised $2,217 to benefit the youth sailing programs of CYC’s education arm, Concord Sailing Center.

CSC offers a family sailing program, a summer sailing day-camp, adult learn-to-sail programs, adult keelboat handling classes, University of Tennessee Sailing Team, Sea Scout Ship 300, part of the Boy Scouts of America, and a high school sailing program.