Named after Robie Pierce, a disabled sailor himself and a driving force in sailing with disabilities in the U.S., this regatta was conceived by the Flag Officers of the Larchmont and American Yacht Clubs to be run jointly by the Clubs and hosted by each on alternating years. 2009 inaugural regatta at American Yacht Club drew 22 teams sailing in specially adapted Ideal 18s. 2011 saw the inauguration of the first all women's disabled regatta. Seven teams participated from both the U.S. and Canada.
For those of you who never had the pleasure of meeting Robie Pierce, he was a wonderful man who worked tirelessly to bring adaptive sailing to a larger group. He was a sailor who battled MS for over 30 years and his illness fueled his passion to create new adaptive sailing and training opportunities. Leading the way, he continued to sail after being diagnosed and was most proud of winning the World Disabled Sailing Championship in 1993.
We lost Robie in 2017 and though we promised Robie that we would never call this the Robie Pierce "Memorial Regatta", he did agree that we could toast him each year. We look forward to having you participate in the regatta and toasting Robie!
