L. Z. Leiter Trophy

In 1896, L. Z. Leiter presented an ornate and unusual silver trophy to Lake Geneva Yacht Club. The surface of the trophy is decorated with images of anchors, tridents, and a sketch of a sandbagger. Initially, the Leiter Trophy was a challenge cup for sandbaggers racing on a course as close to 15 miles in length as possible. Any yacht winning the cup was subject to challenge at the expiration of two weeks. From 1898 to 1921, Class A boats competed for the trophy, followed by the 24-foot centerboard sloop Class X. In 1927, with the demise of the Class X fleet, the Yacht Club trustees awarded the Leiter Trophy to Class C, initially as a challenge trophy. Levi Leiter was a partner with Potter Palmer and Marshall Field in their dry goods business that later became Field & Leiter, then Marshall Field & Company. He became prominent in Chicago real estate and in philanthropic activities, serving as the second president of the board of trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago and as president of the Chicago Historical Society.

Class A:

  • 1909 Dr. O.L.Schmidt
  • 1910 R. T. Crane
  • 1911 Dr. O. L. Schmidt
  • 1912 R. W. Oake
  • 1913 Dr. O. L. Schmidt
  • 1914–1919 No races
  • 1920 Mogg Brothers

Class X:

  • 1921 S. P. Porter
  • 1922 Dr. O. L. Schmidt
  • 1923 I. L. Ellwood
  • 1924 Kellogg Fairbank Jr.
  • 1925 Kellogg Fairbank Jr.
  • 1926 I. L. Ellwood

Class C:

  • 1927 M. A. Healy Jr.
  • 1927 Bruce P. Adams
  • 1927 M. A. Healy Jr.
  • 1928 M. A. Healy Jr.
  • 1929 I. L. Ellwood
  • 1930 M. A. Healy Jr.
  • 1931 I. L. Ellwood
  • 1932 Bill Edwards
  • 1933 Betty Brace
  • 1934 Arthur F. Farwell
  • 1935 Gloria Gartz
  • 1936 Clarence W. Sills Jr.
  • 1937 A. F. Bates Jr.
  • 1938 Lanman Brothers
  • 1939 Clarence W. Sills Jr.
  • 1940 Clarence W. Sills Jr.
  • 1941 George H. Kiefer Jr.
  • 1942 Betty Lou Schultz
  • 1943 Valerie Grunow
  • 1944 Angeline Johnson
  • 1945 Betty and Barbara Schultz
  • 1946 Stewart Eggert
  • 1947 Carolyn and Donna Mann
  • 1948 G. M. Sundheim Jr.
  • 1949 Buddy Melges
  • 1950 Cuppy Goes
  • 1951 William H. Freytag Jr.
  • 1952 Jane Wiswell
  • 1953 Cuppy Goes
  • 1954 J. Hummel
  • 1955 Cuppy Goes
  • 1956 Cuppy Goes
  • 1957 William L. Wallen III
  • 1958 No race
  • 1959 Cuppy Goes
  • 1960 Anderson Brothers
  • 1961 No race
  • 1962 Chuck Anderson
  • 1963 Cuppy Goes
  • 1964 Dick Williams
  • 1965 Cuppy Goes
  • 1966 Cuppy Goes
  • 1967 No race
  • 1968 Laurie Gray
  • 1969 Laurie Gray
  • 1970 Cuppy Goes
  • 1971 Cuppy Goes
  • 1972 Cuppy Goes
  • 1973 Cuppy Goes
  • 1974 No race
  • 1975 Bruce Moore
  • 1976 Cuppy Goes
  • 1977 Cuppy Goes
  • 1978 J. Alan Doubek
  • 1979 Androv Carlson
  • 1980 Cuppy Goes
  • 1981 Cuppy Goes
  • 1982 Cuppy Goes
  • 1983 Bob Novak
  • 1984 Cuppy Goes
  • 1985 Tom Schmidt
  • 1986 Jeff Doubek
  • 1987 Jim Smith
  • 1988 Harry Melges III
  • 1989 Jim Barr
  • 1990 John Porter
  • 1991 Arthur Larson Jr.
  • 1992 John Porter
  • 1993 Jerry Millsap
  • 1994 Frank Davenport
  • 1995 Noi race
  • 1996 Jeff Davenport
  • 1997 Jerry Millsap
  • 1998 Jeff Davenport
  • 1999 Arthur Larson Jr.
  • 2000 Michael Lynch
  • 2001 No race
  • 2002 Jerry Millsap
  • 2003 No race
  • 2004 Tom Pomierski
  • 2005 No race
  • 2006 Jeff Doubek
  • 2007
  • 2008 Frank Davenport
  • 2009 Erick Youngquist
  • 2010 Frank Davenport
  • 2011 Michael Lynch
  • 2012 Erick Youngquist
  • 2013 James C. Petersen
  • 2014 Frank A. Davenport
  • 2015 No Race
  • 2016 No Race
  • 2017 James Petersen
  • 2018 No Race
  • 2019 William Barrett
  • 2020 Chapman Petersen
  • 2021 Charles Lamphere
  • 2022 Matthew Sexton
  • 2023 Matthew Sexton
  • 2023 William Barrett
  • 2024 No Race