H. H. Porter Memorial Trophy
One of Lake Geneva Yacht Club’s most unusual awards is the H. H. Porter Memorial Trophy–a boxed book (13 inches by 9-1/2 inches) that lists, in calligraphic font, the winners of the Sheridan Prize (from its first race in 1874), the Charles H. Wacker Trophy (from 1931), and the Dr. Otto L. Schmidt Memorial Trophy (from 1936) to the present. In 1938, Henry H. Porter’s son, also named Henry H., donated the book to the Yacht Club in memory of his father (1876–1933) “who enjoyed the sport and fellowship of yachtsmen.” In the words of a Yacht Club tribute, the late Mr. Porter had “served with much benefit to the Club” as trustee for four years and as commodore in 1929 and 1930. The cover of the Porter book is embossed in silver; and the initial page for each of the three sections features the trophy’s name in illuminated lettering followed by the names of the winners. Opposite the title page is a watercolor of Henry Porter’s Viking III in the famous 1931 Sheridan Race, sailing under a triple-reefed main toward the rounding mark at Fontana and eventual victory at Geneva. The story of Porter’s remarkable ability to right his boat after capsizing in the big winds and heavy seas has long been a high point in Sheridan lore. The details of that race are preserved in the minutes of the Annual Meeting that year. Porter’s son was a member of the crew. The trophy, which now stays in the Yacht Club trophy case because of its fragility, is awarded to the Class A season champion. The first winner of the calligraphy book was Henry N. Gifford, with skipper John F. Perrigo, in Little Smoke III.
- 1938 H. N. Gifford, John F. Perrigo, skipper
- 1939 A. F. Gartz Jr.
- 1940 H. N. Gifford/John F. Perrigo, skipper
- 1941 H. N. Gifford/John F. Perrigo, skipper
- 1942 H. N. Gifford/John F. Perrigo, skipper
- 1943 No series
- 1944 No series
- 1945 No series
- 1946 Melville C. Jones
- 1947 Melville C. Jones
- 1948 Melville C. Jones
- 1949 John F. Perrigo and William S. Perrigo
- 1950 Harry Melges
- 1951 William C. Grunow Jr.
- 1952 William C. Grunow Jr.
- 1953 (tie) William C. Grunow Jr. and John F. Perrigo
- 1954 William C. Grunow Jr.
- 1955 William C. Grunow Jr.
- 1956 Perrigo Brothers
- 1957 Perrigo Brothers
- 1958 Ernst C. Schmidt
- 1959 Ernst C. Schmidt
- 1960 No series
- 1961 No series
- 1962 (tie) Ernst C. Schmidt; E. W. Simon and Donald P. Frankel
- 1963 E. W. Simon and Donald P. Frankel
- 1964 Ron Schloemer
- 1965 Ron Schloemer
- 1966 Ron Schloemer
- 1967 E. W. Simon and Donald P. Frankel
- 1968 William H. Sills III
- 1969 William H. Sills III
- 1970 Ron Schloemer
- 1971 William H. Sills III
- 1972 Gerry Schloemer
- 1973 William H. Sills III
- 1974 William H. Sills III
- 1975 No series
- 1976 Gerry Schloemer
- 1977 No series
- 1978 No series
- 1979 Martin Ford and Dennis Menasco
- 1980 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
- 1981 Ron Groble and Gerry Schloemer
- 1982 Gene Trepte/John Porter, skipper
- 1983 John Anderson, William Gage, Karl Otzen
- 1984 Peter Nauert and W. Wallen
- 1985 William H. Sills III/George Beukema, skipper
- 1986 John Porter
- 1987 John Porter
- 1988 John Porter
- 1989 John Porter
- 1990 John Porter
- 1991 Harry Melges III
- 1992 No series
- 1993 No series
- 1994 No series
- 1995 Erich Schloemer
- 1996 Erich Schloemer
- 1997 John Porter
- 1998 John Porter
- 1999 John Porter
- 2000 No series
- 2001 Erich Schloemer
- 2002 John Anderson and David Weinberg
- 2003 John Porter
- 2004 John Porter
- 2005 John Galley
- 2006 John Galley
- 2007 John Porter
- 2008 F. Terrence Blanchard
- 2009 F. Terrence Blanchard
- 2010 F. Terrence Blanchard
- 2011 F. Terrence Blanchard
- 2012 F. Terrence Blanchard
- 2013 Silverhawk, F. Terrence Blanchard/Andy I. Burdick
- 2015 Eagle, Ryan Fitzgerald/Vincent Porter, skipper
- 2016 Eagle, Ryan Fitzgerald/Vincent Porter, skipper
- 2017 Eagle, Ryan Fitzgerald/Vincent Porter, skipper
- 2018 G Force, TW Whowell, owner/RJ Porter, skipper
- 2019 White Heat, Hans Melges
- 2020 G Force, TW Whowell, owner/RJ Porter, skipper
- 2021 Full Throttle, Vincent Porter
- 2022 Full Throttle, Vincent Porter
- 2023 Red Sky, Paul Reilly
- 2024 Red Sky, Paul Reilly