San Diego Yacht Club honored by U.S. Sailing
February 11, 2018
National association recognizes Southern California club with National One-Design Club Award.
BRISTOL, Rhode Island — The nation’s largest sailing association formally recognized San Diego Yacht Club with the National One-Design Club Award, Jan. 29; it was the only honor bestowed upon a California sailor or yacht club.
U.S. Sailing announced the 2017 Community Sailing and National One-Design winners, Jan. 29; the awards recognize sailors, yacht clubs and sailing organizations for their respective contributions to sailing in the United States.
An awards reception to formally recognize the honorees was held Feb. 1 at the Sailing Leadership Forum at St. Pete Beach, Florida.
San Diego YC earned the National One-Design Club Award for the third time. The award, according to U.S. Sailing, recognizes “administrative excellence, fleet growth, creative programming, regatta support and member contributions from the one-design yacht club of the year.”
A statement released by U.S. Sailing said San Diego YC was honored for revitalizing a struggling but long-established Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup.
““They accomplished this goal by using one-design boats, jump starting the event and renewing interest and participation, while reducing the cost of the event for participants,” U.S. Sailing staff said of San Diego YC’s award.
The yacht club was also recognized for re-launching the International Masters Regatta.
“Following a three-year hiatus and one week prior to the Lipton Cup Regatta, the San Diego Yacht Club re-launched the long established International Masters Regatta,” U.S. Sailing staff stated. “They utilized the same one-design boats to sail both the International Masters Regatta and the Lipton Cup Challenge Regatta.”
Other honorees were Andrew Alletag (Community Boating, Inc., Boston), Erik Skeel (Sail Sand Point in Seattle), Jamie Jones (Hoover Sailing Club in Ohio), Joan Storkman (Gig Harbor Junior Sail Program), Wayzata Community Sailing Center (Wayzata, Minnesota), Sail Nauticus (Norfolk, Virginia), Delavan Lake Yacht Club (Delavan, Wisconsin), Jon VanderMolen (Richland, Michigan) and Don Parfet (Richland, Michigan).
