Ossining Yacht Club's Race on the Hudson

Boat racing action is coming to the Hudson River, courtesy of Ossining’s Shattemuc Yacht Club. The Club’s “Pedlow Cup” begins on Sunday at 10 a.m. The race is designed to help new sailors get their feet wet when it comes to racing.

2011 marks the 33^rd year of the Pedlow Cup. It all began in 1979 when Shattemuc member Harry Pedlow came up with the idea. He wanted to give new sailors a hands-on and non-intimidating way to get started racing. The series of short races came to be known as the Pedlow Cup. Harry Pedlow even provided the original trophy cup. You can see the cup proudly displayed in Shattemuc’s clubhouse hall.

The morning of the race those who will participate assemble on the clubhouse’s deck. They are divided into groups based on their level of experience. Less experienced crewmembers are paired with a veteran captain and vice versa. The captains and crews then get on their respective boats and race to the finish. “Harry Pedlow personally selected the skippers and crews in order to mix the experienced with the novice,” said Shattemuc Yacht Club Director Richard Wojtna. “He might have put a great skipper on a dumpy boat with one expert crew and one newbie or vice versa.  He mixed the talent so that the weak could learn from the strong, and it was hard to predict the winners and the losers.  We follow this same ideal 33 years later when we choose our Pedlow Cup crews.”

Wojtna says the race experience forges new relationships that grow over the years into priceless bonds of sailing friendships. Sharing such a thrilling experience creates lifelong memories for all those involved, especially those new to racing. “The race start is the most exciting,” said Wojtna. “The race start will make or break you. You can also nudge other boats out of the way at the start according to the rules. “

For more information on the race and the Shattemuc Yacht club click here.