Lipton Challenge Cup

History

The Lipton Challenge Cup is South Africa’s historic inter-club sailing contest, first raced in 1911, where teams compete for their yacht clubs rather than as individual entries. The boats have evolved from early design-rule yachts to the 30m², Quarter Ton, L26, Cape 31 and ORC eras, before moving to the affordable one-design J/22 in 2025—returning the event to close racing with clubs represented from across Southern Africa. Official race history (liptoncup.com/race-history).