John Dinse organized a
mid-week series in 1963 to provide a learning experience for members new to the
sport. The series lasted for several years and then became dormant until 1974
when Dale Hyerstay reinstated the series. The Jib & Main racing fleet saw
tremendous growth in the mid-1990s when John Kimura’s newly formed subcommittee
chaired by Dale Hyerstay was so successful in promoting Jib & Main racing that
the size of the that racing fleet equaled the size of the spinnaker
fleet by the late 1990s. Burger Burns became an
integral part of the Wednesday Night racing beginning with the 1989 season.
2005 Wednesday Night Series marks the 32nd
consecutive season.
Tea
Kettle Race
Over the years, the LCYC had
provided a start for the Malletts Bay Boat Club Coffee Pot Race, an informal
race for members returning to their club from winter storage at the Shelburne
Shipyard. In 1973, the Tea Kettle Race was organized by William Brown (III) and
Charles Bowen to provide LCYC members with a similar event. The 2005 race marks
the 33rd consecutive running.
Double-Handed
Race
The Double-Handed Race
was created in 1986, by Peter Phillips, as a revival of an earlier race for
short-handed crew, the Single-Handed Race, that had been created by Hal Grieg
and Robert Vitali in 1972. The Single-Handed Race was last run in 1978
following years of declining participation and a decision by the Regatta
Committee to abandon the race as it had become too risky to continue. Phillips
rightly calculated that a race for two would be twice as safe as a race for one
and offer at least half the challenge. 2005 marks it’s
14th consecutive running.
Schuyler
Island Race
The Schuyler Island Race, which was first run in September 7, 1968 as the
Schuyler Reef Race, was one of four races created by John Williams in the
tradition of the East Coast fishing boat races, wherein the fleet sailed from
its home port out and around an island or government mark and back to home
port. This race became the traditional last race of the year until 1974 when
the Hot Ruddered Bum Race was created. Schuyler Island Race 2005 marks
the 38th consecutive running.
Ladies’
Cup
The Regatta Committee, on September 1, 1888, after having received a valuable
silver cup from the “ladies of Burlington,” determined that the cup “shall be a
perpetual challenge cup to be known as The Ladies Cup, to be sailed for each
year by the yachts belonging to the members of the Club at their annual regatta,
over courses that shall be about ten miles.” Since the inaugural race, the
Ladies Cup has been run 68 times and the 2005 race is
the 51st consecutive running.
Lady
Skipper Race
The Lady Skipper Race, created in 1973 by William Brown (III) and Charles Bowen,
is a race in which a lady must skipper the yacht from start to finish. The 2005
Lady Skipper Race marks the 33rd consecutive
running.
Odziozo
Regatta
Following a decision by the Board of Governors of LCYC to make the Ladies Cup a
stand-alone event, Robert Dunn and Robert Penniman created Odziozo Regatta in
1983. In prior years, the Ladies Cup, along with a second race on the following
day, had provided a two-race format for one of the two Lake Champlain Racing
Conference events sponsored by LCYC (the Commodore Macdonough Race was the
other). The 2005 Odziozo Regatta marks the 24th
consecutive running.
Commodore
Macdonough Race
In 1968, LCYC in conjunction with the Lake Champlain Racing Conference organized
the Commodore Macdonough Race to commemorate the victory of the American fleet
commanded by Commodore Thomas Macdonough over a British fleet on September 11,
1814, at Plattsburgh Bay. The original course, which is 73.6 nm in length and
still is used by the Classes A and B, consists of only two marks, the RNB at
Point au Roche to the north and Diamond Island to the south. A shorter course,
that rounded Valcour Island to the north, was added in the late 1970’s to
encourage participation from Class C (and D) as well as the Jib & Main Class.
The 38th consecutive running of this race is
held in 2005.
Hot
Ruddered Bum
The Hot Ruddered Bum Race, conceived in 1973 by Robert Henshaw and Dale Hyerstay
and first run in October 6, 1974, provides an informal finish to the racing and
social seasons, combining a race of the hot ruddered bums with hot buttered rum
for racers and non-racers alike around a cozy fire in the clubhouse fireplace
following the race. 2005 marks the 32nd
consecutive running.
Series
E – Etchells
In 2000, the International Etchells, a 30'6" 3-4 person keelboat began a rapid
gain in popularity. By the end of the following year, LCYC was home to seven
Etchells, and by 2001, there were over a dozen. Because of the fleet's rapid
growth, the International Etchells Class offered a charter to the LCYC fleet,
recognizing it as Etchells Fleet 25. Today, the fleet is active throughout the
season with weekend racing, Wednesday night racing and instructional seminars.