Lake Champlain Yacht Club

The Ladies Cup Race is one of the required races for the Lake Champlain Championship Series Cannon/Goose Series and one of the optional races for the LCCS Champlain Series.

• For the LCCS Notice of Series, see http://lcchampionshipseries.org.

• For the LCYC Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, Courses, and on-line Registration see http://lcyc.info/racing. To be scored you must register with LCYC and have a current PHRF rating.

The Ladies Cup is a richly ornamented sterling silver punch bowl, with a fine engraving of the harbor of Burlington on the outside, the bottom rim consisting of a sculpted depiction of the rugged stone breakwater. It was made by Tiffany in 1887 or 1888 at a cost of $500, and was presented to the club by the ladies of Burlington, “to be sailed for each year by the yachts belonging to the members of the club at their annual regatta.” We do not know for sure who the “ladies” were, but it is presumed that they were the wives of the founding members of the club. The cup was first raced for in 1888.

Non-members should not be discouraged that the Ladies Cup is for LCYC members – there are eight other trophies that are open to members and non-members alike, including one for each class, one for first to finish, and one for first to finish on corrected time like the Ladies Cup.

Since 1968, when the old Lake Champlain Racing Conference was formed, the Ladies Cup Regatta had doubled as an LCRC race, with a second race a day later to provide the two-race LCRC format. In 1982 the Board of Governors ruled that the Ladies Cup Race should henceforth be a stand-alone event, and the Odziozo Race became its replacement in the LCRC and now the new LCCS Champlain Series.

However, the Ladies Cup is once again open for lake-wide competition, this time as one of the required races for the LCCS Cannon/Goose Series and an optional race in the LCCS Champlain Series.

The race features a single race, mostly or totally in the broad lake, using LCYC racing marks, government marks, or both. There are over 90 course options, grouped by wind direction; these course options are listed in the race documents in the LCYC website noted above.

Welcome to all out of town participants, please check in with LCYC stewards and feel free to use LCYC facilities.

There is a skippers’ meeting at 0900 at the clubhouse the morning of the race. However, if you cannot make the meeting just look for the race committee boat to view the displayed course number. The RC boat monitors Ch 72 if you have any questions not covered by race documents.

A light fare will be served at the presentation of trophies.

If you would like to come to LCYC before the race, we have a few guest moorings available by reservation; or you could anchor in Sled Runner cove north of the club or off Allen Hill to the south. In either case, please make advance arrangements with the club stewards for a mooring, tie up space for your dinghy, or possible pickup at your anchorage by a club member. During club operating hours (1100 to 2100 weekdays, 0900 to 2100 weekends & holidays) the club phone number is 802-503-2167 and the stewards monitor Ch 12.