The New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will host 19 yacht club teams representing 13 nations from six different continents in the ultimate sailing contest among amateur competitors.Among those returning for the competition which took the Corinthian sailing world by storm in 2009 is the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club with Mark Watson skippering the crew.The event will run from September 10-17.“There are many returning as well as new entries,” said Event Chair John Mendez, “and they are coming from as far away as South Africa, Portugal and Argentina.“Just like in the halcyon days of the America’s Cup, competitors must be non-professional (Corinthian) sailors and members of the yacht clubs they represent; they must also be nationals of their countries.”Mendez said that the top-five finishers from the 2009 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup received automatic berths for the 2011 event, and all had accepted.“The inaugural event was tough and demanding, allowing yacht club teams from around the world to display the competitive skills of their best sailors,” said Mendez.They are the New York Yacht Club (USA), Royal Canadian Yacht Club (CAN), Japan Sailing Federation (JPN), Nyländska Jaktklubben (FIN) and Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL).New entries include the Yacht Club Argentino (ARG), Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (AUS), Yacht Club Capri (ITA), Yacht Club Punta Ala (ITA), Clube Naval de Cascais (POR), Royal Cape Yacht Club (RSA) and Itchenor Sailing Club (GBR).Also returning from 2009 are the Royal Yacht Squadron (GBR), Yacht Club Italiano (ITA) and Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (ESP).Rounding out the fleet will be three additional US teams that were determined by the outcome of a 24-club US Qualifying Series held at the NYYC in September 2010: Eastern Yacht Club (Marblehead, Massachusetts), Annapolis Yacht Club (Annapolis, Maryland) and Newport Harbor Yacht Club (Newport Beach, California).The event will again be sailed in NYYC Swan 42s on Rhode Island Sound and Narragansett Bay, with the headquarters being the NYYC’s Harbour Court clubhouse overlooking Newport Harbor.The NYYC, which won the inaugural event with Phil Lotz (Newport, Rhode Island/New Canaan, Connecticut) skippering, will hold a sail-off to determine its 2011 team, as will many of the other clubs that have accepted invitations.In anticipating the challenge for 2011, returning skipper Leonardo Ferragamo said: “It would be difficult to imagine a venue more evocative of the great sailing challenges than Newport, Rhode Island, where the America’s Cup was held from 1930-1983.”