Phil Lotz
Sailor of the Week: Sept. 10-16
Skipper, Phil Lotz (New Canaan, Conn./Newport, R.I.) and crew solidified a spot for the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) at the Invitational Cup this week on Sept. 16-19 in Newport, R.I. The NYYC Swan 42, Arethusa, emerged as the top boat in an elimination series comprised of two regattas including the NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, held June 12-14, and the Swan 42 National Championship, held July 16-19. The NYYC Invitational Cup consists of 19 teams from 14 countries competing for four days on Rhode Island Sound. Lotz and the NYYC are just one of two American teams competing. The St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco) is also representing the U.S.
“It is very exciting and we are very honored to represent NYYC,”
Phil stated. “We needed to qualify and have been working since Key West
on the twin goals of qualifying for the Invitational Cup and doing well
in the 42 Nationals.”
Phil enlisted wife Wendy and sons Chris and
Doug, on the boat’s 10-person team that also includes Team PUMA
Skipper, Ken Read, playing the role as tactician.
“The competition will be very good,” said Phil. “All the boats are coming stacked with very experienced sailors who have won all sorts of medals and world championships. I think that experience in the boat will help but that advantage will fade quickly as the series goes on.”
Phil started sailing when he was 8 years old with his father. He learned to sail in narrow, shifty conditions along the Jersey Shore in their Dyer Dow. When his family moved to Massachusetts, Phil got a chance to learn to race on a small lake called Farm Pond near Sherborn, Mass. Currently, Phil and his family do a lot of sailing aboard their Swan 42, Laser, Shields and J105. They enjoy both buoy racing and team racing.
“I think it is a great sport because it encompasses so many things, so multi-dimensional - physical, mental, equipment,” Phil explained. “It teaches resourcefulness, independence, and game theory.” Phil is the CEO of a Bermuda based hedge fund that specializes in taking property catastrophe risk. “I have seen people use the analogy of sail boat racing with business, because is it requires you to deal with so many unpredictable and uncontrollable influences.”