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LADIES’ CUP RACE The 71st running in 116 years Run 21 times in the 51 years between 1888 & 1938 Not run for 17 years between 1939 & 1954 Run 7 years by Chamber of Commerce 1955-61 50th Consecutive Running since 1955 in 2005 The following is taken from an article by Frederic W. Mather entitled “Lake Champlain Yacht Club,” published in Yachting Magazine in 1888: “The greatest race of all came off upon Saturday, September 22, the second and final day of the regatta. This was for the $500 cup made by Tiffany, and presented by the ladies of Burlington. It is an elaborately made punch bowl, with a fine engraving on the outside of the harbor of Burlington. “According to the rules of the club, “the Ladies’ Cup” shall be a perpetual challenge, and shall be sailed for each year by the yachts belonging to the members of the club at their annual regatta. The course shall be about ten miles, and the sailing allowances, etc., shall be governed by such rules of the club, as from time to time may obtain. The regatta committee may change the course, etc., from time to time as the exigencies of the club may require. “They or their successors in office, are made custodians of the cup for the club, and shall award the same each year to the successful yacht; which yacht shall have its name and the date of the regatta engraved on the cup by the committee, and shall hold it until the next annual regatta, giving bonds to the committee in the sum of $600 for the safe keeping of the same. “Any damage or loss to the cup while in the possession of a yacht shall be appraised and deducted by the committee from the bond on the return of the cup, which shall be one week before the next annual meeting. Owners of yachts failing to return the cup at the time specified, shall sacrifice their bonds and cease to be members of the club. “A yacht holding the cup and not competing for its possession is considered as having competed and lost. In all races, at least three yachts must start or no race, unless a race has been postponed; but should the yacht which is in possession of the cup be a competitor, she may sail the course, without this limit as to the number starting.” In 1956, when there was no active club, and one year after the Chamber of Commerce began running the race, the Board of Governors of the skeleton club decided that the Ladies’ Cup would remain in permanent possession of LCYC, but the name of the winning yacht would be inscribed on the Cup. Prior to this change the winner got to have possession of the Cup until the next regatta. In 1992 the Board of Governors voted that beginning that year and henceforth the winner of the Ladies’ Cup shall be decided on the basis of first-to-finish on corrected time. In the first race in 1888, and presumably in subsequent years, the winner was decided on the basis of corrected time. However, beginning at some unknown year but for sure since 1963 when the club was reactivated and once again began running the race, the winner was the first boat to finish without regard to corrected time. Beginning with the first race 1888, and also since 1963, and perhaps in all races since the inception of the race, there is only one start for all boats contending for the Ladies’ Cup. For the three years 1994-96 there was a separate start for non-spinnaker boats during the period of active recruitment of new racers, to reduce the intimidation of a single, mass start, the presumption being that they would not be contenders in any case. In 1997 the non-spinnaker racers asked that the separate start be eliminated so that they could fully contend for the Cup on an equal basis with spinnaker boats. In 1994 the Regatta Committee decided that any special non-spinnaker handicap rating adjustment factors would not be included in the ratings used to handicap boats contending for the Ladies’ Cup. DDH - 06/09/98 |
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• Winners of the Ladies’ Cup •
First on Corrected Time: 1888 Agnes T (by protest) T.A.Taft Sharpie Changed to First-to-Finish: 1955 Royal Savage Paul D. Raine Changed Back to First on Corrected Time: 1992 Sonar Marcel Beaudin Sonar DDH – 09/20/02 |