One hundred years on, R Class yachts still demand precision, grit, and chemistry. And at the 2025 Robert H. Tiedemann Classics Regatta in Newport, R.I., Gamecock delivered on all three, sailing to victory in the Classics B division under the steady hand of Peter McClennen.
“It’s a difficult boat to sail because the groove is so narrow,” McClennen said of the 100-year-old sloop. “Anytime you fall out, it’s a 30-second rebuild.”
But over three navigator-style races across Narragansett Bay, Gamecock stayed in rhythm, posting a 1-2-2 finish to edge out Lively Lady and the Olympic gold medalist Angelita.
In Classics A, Intrepid—the legendary two-time America’s Cup champion—nearly let the regatta slip away in Sunday’s final race after falling into a convergence zone. But with over 20 years of chemistry onboard, Jack Curtin’s crew battled back to finish third and lock in the division win.
“You have to think about when you start a maneuver. It doesn’t turn like a dinghy,” said Curtin of the 60,000-pound 12-Metre. “But I never get tired of looking forward to sailing.”
Intrepid, the last Cup winner built of wood, is Curtin’s eighth “child”—a line he delivers with a grin and a glint of pride.
In Classics C, it was George Hinman Jr., a former Intrepid crew member and past commodore of NYYC, who skippered Blackwing to a tiebreaker win over Ponyo. With a deep bench of local talent aboard, Blackwing mastered the shifting breeze and tidal trickery of Newport’s serpentine course.
“You go around government marks, cross tide lines—you need people who know the Bay,” Hinman said.
More than a regatta, the Tiedemann is a tribute—to heritage, to competition, and to community. Saturday night’s dockside boat show was part museum, part reunion, part summer kickoff.
“It’s a great weekend to kick off the summer classics series,” said event chair Jesse Terry. “It’s not just racing—it’s sharing history.”
Photos: Stuart Streuli / New York Yacht Club
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