• COMMODORE MACDONOUGH TROPHY •

First Overall on Corrected Time — Long Course
44th Consecutive Awarding — 2011

In 1968 John A. Williams, then Commodore of LCYC, in conjunction with the Lake Champlain Racing Conference, organized a 73.6 nm race to commemorate the victory of an American fleet commanded by Commodore Thomas Macdonough over a British fleet on September 11, 1814 at Plattsburgh Bay. The original race course, still used for Spinnaker Classes A & B, consists of only two marks, the HBN at Point au Roche to the north and Diamond Island to the south. In the late 1970s a shorter course was created for other classes.

In 1971, John Williams conceived a unique trophy to be awarded annually to the winner of this race on corrected time. The trophy consists of a section of the actual rib of the USS Saratoga, Commodore Macdonough's flagship in the battle, and an American 12 pound cannon ball retrieved from the lakebed in Plattsburgh Bay. These two most appropriate object are securely fastened to a modern wooden base resulting in a trophy that combines abstract beauty and historical symbolism appreciated by Lake Champlain sailors.

[The above text, slightly modified to reflect the current courses, was first published in the 1972 LCYC Log.]

The currently-known best elapsed time of 11:08:12 for the 73.6 nm course was set in 1999 by Frankly Scarlett, a Soverel 33 skippered by Dave Powlison and John Harris. Present club records go back only to 1996.

Engraved:

COMMODORE MACDONOUGH TROPHY
L.C.Y.C.

RIB OF USS SARATOGA, VERGENNES
THOMAS MACDONOUGH'S FLAGSHIP AT
PLATTSBURGH BAY, SEPT 11, 1814
GIFT OF PAUL BILHUBER, BASIN HARBOR

12-POUNDER SHOT, PLATTSBURGH BAY
GIFT OF ROBERT SCHUMACHER

[Info for 1973 thru 1985 was on wooden base that is missing. The 2005 winner will be added when located.]