Cal Maritime set the tone for the 2022 Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup-California Maritime Academy Invitational Intercollegiate Regatta, logging the first bullet of the event, and continued to dominate in three thrilling days of racing in the waters off San Pedro.

Harbor Cup, which ran March 11 -13, is organized and hosted by Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC).

This year marked Cal Maritime’s eighth victory in this prestigious co-ed big-boat competition. University of Hawaii finished second, with University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) third.

Class of 2023 Kyle Collins was the skipper of the winning team, which had five first place finishes in a series of 10 races!

Kyle is 22 years old attending the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, CA studying Marine Transportation and working towards earning a 3^rd Mate Unlimited License. A fourth generation native from San Pedro, CA right where the Harbor Cup is held. Kyle started racing Opti’s at the age of 8.

Sailing has taken Kyle all over the world from Los Angeles to Chicago, Texas, Hawaii and even New Zealand. His for being on the water led to continuing my sailing career at Cal Maritime.

Roughly 15,000 miles of ocean racing, and a few accomplishments include: 

• 1^st Place Harbor Cup 2022
• 1^st Place Kennedy Cup 2021
• 1^st Place Harbor Cup 2020
• 1^st Place Transpac Division 6 aboard Blueflash J/121 in 2019
• 2^nd Place in the J/70 US Youth Championship in St. Petersburg Florida 2019
• 3^rd Place in the Corinthian Fleet at Farr 40 Worlds in Long Beach, CA in 2019
• 1^st Place in the J/70 US Youth Championship in St. Petersburg Florida 2018
• 3^rd place US Youth Championship in Corpus Christ, TX in the Nacra 15 in 2017

Currently working on earning a USCG issued 3^rd Mate Unlimited license at Cal Maritime which means a license to work onboard any size ship in the world. At Cal Maritime he is also enrolled in the Strategic Sealift Officer Program. Upon graduation, Kyle will commission as an Officer in  the United States Navy and hopes to earn a seat at Navy Flight School. 

LAYC Staff Commodore Jim Morgan said the event was conceived in 2007 after Cal Maritime competed in the Naval Academy’s Kennedy Cup regatta. “Bill Eisenhardt was president of Cal Maritime then, and asked, ‘Why in the world don’t we have an event like that on the West Coast?’ So I jumped on it,” Morgan exclaimed. He secured the use of the Catalina 37 fleet from the Long Beach Sailing Foundation (LBSF) as a platform for the competition: the same boats used in the celebrated Congressional Cup regatta.

“LAYC and Cal Maritime are indebted to LBSF for their stalwart support over the last 14 years, without which this event wouldn’t be possible. Our hats are off to Charter Manager Mary Voigt and the entire LBSF,” Morgan added.

Morgan explained that each year, the Harbor Cup committee selects four East Coast teams, four West Coast teams, and two ‘President’s picks’ from a large number of applicants. “It is a very prestigious, very coveted event, and we have a lot of disappointed teams every year,” Morgan sighed, “but there are only 10 boats.”

“The Port of LA has been our key sponsor and has allowed us to make this a really first-class event for the competitors,” Morgan continued. The Harbor Cup is the only intercollegiate big boat event where competitors are completely hosted. “LAYC really steps up to the plate with lodging, meals, boats and hospitality – there’s no cost to competitors, once they show up,” Morgan pointed out. “It really spotlights LAYC and what we have to offer, with great sailing conditions, a gracious club, and it’s the only ‘offshore’ event actually held on the ocean.” It also encourages environmental awareness, stewardship, and helps transition small boat and dinghy sailors into a post-college sailing platform and envision the sport of sailing as a life-long experience.