Commodore’s Challenge Cup

In 1923, Commodore William Nelson Pelouze donated Commodore’s Cups to Classes A, C, and X, each to become the permanent property of an owner who won the prize in two successive years. The Class A and Class C races were to be held on the first Saturday in August; the Class X race on the day before Labor Day. The Class A trophy, engraved as the Commodore’s Challenge Cup, was first retired by Henry H. Porter (Viking III), who won the trophy in 1926 and 1927. Porter donated it to the Yacht Club under the condition that to retire it, the same owner must win it three times in any period of years. After wins in 1934, 1938, and 1939 (Little Smoke II and III), Harry N. Gifford took permanent possession of the cup. Records after that are unclear, one saying that John T. Kern had won it for permanent possession and returned the trophy to the Yacht Club in 1957; another saying that Mrs. Harry N. Gifford returned it to the Yacht Club as a perpetual trophy in 1958, her husband having retired it in 1939. [To date, we have found no records of races for this trophy between 1940 and 1957. Research continues.]

  • 1923 Dr. Otto L. Schmidt
  • 1924 William Nelson Pelouze
  • 1925 Ernst C. Schmidt
  • 1926 Henry H. Porter
  • 1927 Henry H. Porter
  • 1928 Henry H. Porter
  • 1929 Fred G. Wacker
  • 1930 Ernst C. Schmidt
  • 1931 Harry N. Gifford
  • 1932 Harry N. Gifford
  • 1933 A. F. Gartz Jr.
  • 1934 Harry N. Gifford
  • 1935 A. F. Gartz Jr.
  • 1936 Daniel Peterkin Jr.
  • 1937 Robert Tarrant
  • 1938 Harry N. Gifford
  • 1939 Harry N. Gifford
  • 1957 William S. Perrigo and John F. Perrigo, skipper
  • 1958 No race
  • 1959 Ernst C. Schmidt
  • 1960 No race
  • 1961 No race
  • 1962 E. W. Simon and Donald P. Frankel
  • 1963 E. W. Simon and Donald P. Frankel
  • 1964 Ron Schloemer
  • 1965 Bert A. Getz
  • 1966 No race
  • 1967 Ron Schloemer
  • 1968 William H. Sills III
  • 1969 William H. Sills III
  • 1970 No race
  • 1971 No race
  • 1972 No race
  • 1973 William H. Sills III/Melville C. Jones, skipper
  • 1974 William H. Sills III/ George Beukema, skipper
  • 1975 No race
  • 1976 No race
  • 1977 No race
  • 1978 No race
  • 1979
  • 1980 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
  • 1981 Ray Groble and Gerry Schloemer
  • 1982 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
  • 1983 Buddy Melges and Bob Novak/Bob Novak, skipper
  • 1984 Buddy Melges and Bob Novak/Bob Novak, skipper
  • 1985 William H. Sills III/George Beukema, skipper
  • 1986 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
  • 1987 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
  • 1988 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
  • 1989 William H. Sills III/Harry Melges III, skipper
  • 1990 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
  • 1991 No race
  • 1992 No race
  • 1993 No race
  • 1994 No race
  • 1995 Erich Schloemer
  • 1996 Erich Schloemer
  • 1997 John Porter
  • 1998 John Porter
  • 1999 John Porter
  • 2000 No race
  • 2001 No race
  • 2002 John Porter
  • 2003 John Porter
  • 2004 Chuck Lamphere
  • 2005 John Porter
  • 2006 Chuck Lamphere
  • 2007 John Porter
  • 2008 F. Terrence Blanchard
  • 2009 F. Terrence Blanchard
  • 2010 F. Terrance Blanchard/Andy Burdick, skipper
  • 2011 F. Terrence Blanchard/Andy Burdick, skipper
  • 2012 F. Terrence Blanchard/Andy Burdick, skipper
  • 2013 Silverhawk, F. Terrence Blanchard/Andy Burdick
  • 2014 Ajax, Michael Keefe
  • 2015 Red Eye, David Davenport
  • 2016 Mad Cap, Thomas Freytag
  • 2017 No Race
  • 2018 G Force, Tom Whowell, owner/RJ Porter, skipper
  • 2019 White Magic, Charles Lamphere
  • 2020 No Race
  • 2021 Mad Cap, Bo Freytag
  • 2022 White Heat, Hans Melges, owner/Kyle Navin, skipper
  • 2023 No Race
  • 2024 Vincent Porter