Club Trophies

1976 Montréal Summer Olympic Sailing
Two Olympic Silver Medals

One of the highlights of our trophy collection are the Two silver Olympic medals displayed with ceremonial chain necklace and mounted in a glass presentation frame.

Members David McFaull with crew Michael Rothwell became Hawaii’s first Olympic sailing medalists when they won silver medals at the 1976 Montréal Summer Olympic Games in the Tornado Class Catamarans. The sailing venue was Kingston Ontario. The WYC team scored 36 total points. Gold went to United Kingdom with Reg White and John Osborn with 18 points. Bronze went to West Germany with Jörg Spenger and Jörg Schmall with 37.7 points.

They sailed McFaull’s boat Zomby Woof and raced seven times in nine days, with one 22-mile race daily.

The medals culminated years of strenuous training for both men. McFaull, a Punahou graduate, learned to sail at the Waikiki Yacht Club. He gained intercollegiate sailing experience at Cornell, then returned home and worked as a disc jockey at KUMU Radio while training for the Olympics.

Rothwell had just finished High School and was working at the Territorial Tavern where he put up WYC Tornado Worlds posters. Mike then went to work for member Bob Hall at his airfreight company and Bob gave him the time off needed to prepare and compete. The team would go out after work a few days a week and tack and gybe every 15 seconds for an hour each day to make the mechanics a second nature. “Dave was adamant that Mike hike on his tiptoes.” If he did not they did it again until Mike was as far out on the trap as is humanly possible.

The team placed 3rd in the 1974 Worlds at the Waikiki Yacht Club, then 12th at the 1975 worlds in Australia. They won the US Sailing trials in 1976 at Watertown NY. They sailed their brand new Tornado from Watertown NY to Kingston Ontario where they were stopped, detained and finally let in. (This was just after the Munich Olympics where security was at its highest level.)

Dave McFaull Memorial Regatta Trophy

The glass sailboat on the marble base in our trophy case is the McFaull Memorial Trophy. Then R/C Sail Jon Stanley coordinated the donation of the trophy to honor and remember David Mcfaull after his death in 1997. David with crew Mike Rothwell became Hawaii’s first Olympic sailing medalists when they won silver medals at the 1976 Montréal Olympic Games. They sailed McFaull’s boat Zomby Woof in the Tornado Class and raced seven times in nine days, with one 22-mile race daily. The medals culminated years of strenuous training for both men. McFaull, a Punahou graduate, learned to sail at the Waikiki Yacht Club. He gained intercollegiate sailing experience at Cornell, then returned home and worked as a disc jockey at KUMU Radio while training for the Olympics. Great Britain won the gold and West Germany won the Bronze. The two Silver Olympic medals are also on display in our trophy cases. The Cal 20 Class Boat Regatta was renamed the McFaull Memorial Regatta in 1998.

David was also a US Sailing certified Judge. It is raced for each year as part of the Waikiki Yacht Club Beach Fleet and Class Boat regatta.

If you have any information on the earlier winner of the Cal 20 regatta please contact me at [email protected] S/C Michael Roth

DJ Johnson 3-Day Around Oahu Perpetual Trophy

When you enter the Club between the two trophy cases, at the end on your right is a beautiful half model of S/C Don “DJ” Johnson’s 60 foot Lidgard Final Approach. DJ as he was known had a major heart attack on 13 July 1983, which ended his flying career. Rather than just sit around he decided to build Final Approach and sail the world. He had to interrupt this circumnavigation for a Heart Bypass operation, but once recovered he continued on.

The final leg of his voyage was the 1995 Transpac race where he stacked the crew with WYC members Michael Rothwell, Les & Bruce Vasconcellos, Jim Maynard, and Bruce Burgess for the climax of an epic voyage. DJ made his mark on Yacht Clubs around the world and some to this day still tell stories about his visit. I heard a story about him at Campagnia Della Vela, the Yacht Club in Venice Italy when I visited there in 1995.

On DJ’s death in June 2000 S/C Mike Welsh proposed renaming the 3-Day Around Oahu Memorial Day race in honor of S/C DJ Johnson. The Board approved the change. Lynn Brown donated the Final Approach half model to the Club in late 2000. Don Clothier on his Lidgard 50’ Tower won the first DJ Johnson regatta. Few will ever forget DJ’s "Viking Funeral" in July of 2000. His ashes were placed aboard a replica of a Viking boat and set afire as it sailed off.

Each Memorial Day the Waikiki Yacht Club runs the DJ Johnson 3- Day Around Oahu regatta. Day one is from Waikiki to Kaneohe. Day two is Kaneohe to Kaena point. Day three is Ko’Olina to Waikiki. The winner of the three races combined in ORR or PHRF is the overall winner of the Memorial Day regatta. PHRF was used up to 2001 and returned in 2010. Some of the past winners are missing from our files. If you any have information about this trophy please contact me at 595-4124.

Etchells Perpetual Half Model Trophy WYC Season Points

Donated in 2008 by Etchells Fleet 29 to the Waikiki Yacht Club to be raced for Etchells season’s points each year.

This trophy is awarded to the Etchells Class boat that has the best scores counting the five Beach Fleet and Class Boat regattas in a year. Scores follow the skipper, not the boat. Open to members of Etchells Fleet 29 Waikiki that are members of the Waikiki Yacht Club. This trophy is awarded annually.

John B. Kelley Perpetual Trophy

WYC Ocean Series Season Points
Donated by
Kathy Merrill Kelley, Rob Kelley, Lauren Kelley
September 2006

Deed of Gift: This trophy is dedicated to the memory of long time member, sailboat racer and Waikiki Yacht Club Education Foundation Director, John B. Kelley. The trophy will document and honor the WYC boat and skipper that win the WYC Season Points for the Ocean Regatta Season in the current grand prix handicapping system.

The Trophy: Fully rigged model ship of the 1901 America’s Cup defender Columbia. This model lived in Mr. Kelley’s office for many years and is symbolic of his commitment to excellence in sailing.

Phil Drips Day Regatta Perpetual Trophy

In 2005 Commodore Todd Wyrick and R/C Sail Michael Roth started the Phil Drips Regatta. The first regatta had three races with the last finishing off E dock where Phil sounded the finish horn from his wheelchair. All entry funds went to pay Phil’s bill at the Club.

The trophy was originally presented to Phil Drips for excellence in race management. Rear Commodore for Sail Richard Lewis, Regatta Chair Ted Miller and race committee member Jack Peters rededicated the trophy in December 2009 to be the Phil Drips Regatta Perpetual Trophy.

For nearly three decades, being an involved member of the Waikiki Yacht Club --or any part of Hawaii's yachting community for that matter --and knowing Phil Drips went hand in hand. There was no way one could be done without the other. He was an institution, and as much a part of the WYC clubhouse as the furniture where he would often seek comfort and rejuvenation.

After his discharge from the Navy, and while still in Japan, Phil became involved with the Power Squadron there and became an instructor and eventually its commodore. He was known as "Papa Laser" after the class boats he raced there. From Japan, Phil moved to the island of Guam where he won a gold medal in sailing at the 1975 South Pacific Games in men’s lasers, visited Hawaii twice to compete in the Hobie 14 and 16 World Championships, and flew to Bermuda to take part in the Laser Worlds.

Phil became a resident of Hawaii in 1976 and his life continued to revolve around boating. He established Kilgo Hardware's first marine department and then went into boat sales for Yacht Sales Hawaii, before creating his own company, Harbor Yacht Sales. At the same time he continued to maintain his involvement with the Power Squadron, again as an instructor and its commodore. At the 2005 WYC awards banquet Phil was named "Principal Race Officer Emeritus" for his contribution to yacht racing in Hawaii.

The Hawaii Yacht Racing Association honored Phil in 2003 by naming him Yachtsman of the Year for his unflagging involvement in race management that spanned 25 years, and involved regattas ranging from the Pan Am Clipper Cup and Kenwood Cup Series of the 1980s and 1990’s to uncounted state sailing championships and interclub regattas. Phil also was presented an award from the Coast Guard Auxiliary for rescuing swimmers from the Hawaii Rough Water Swim held on September 2nd, 2004.

Perpetual Offshore Trophies (3)

Sponsored by Kamehameha Garment Company and donated by the owner and WYC member Brad Walker. The trophies are to be sail for offshore in honor of King Kamehameha each spring at the Waikiki Yacht Club. Rededicated to AmeriCap A, HPHRF C and AmeriCap B in 2005 by Commodore Todd Wyrick.

YEAR	PHRF 1	PHRF 2	PHRF C	ORR
2011	Fins
2010	CaZan	Demasiada		CaZan
2009	Boomerang
2008	Gerontius
2007	Boomerang
2006	Fins	Socorro		Fins
2005	Flash Gordon	High Tension
2003
2002	Boomerang	Ragtop	Bon Temps
2001	Ho’Okipa	Hagar	Bon Temps
2000
1999	Desperado	Bottle Rocket	Mana O Ke Kai
1998	Puff	Stinger	Mana O Ke Kai
1997	Urban Renewal	Boondoggle	Tiare Blue
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1990
1989
1988
1987

Dr. Les Vasconcellos Perpetual Trophy

International Federation of Yachting Rotarians
Perpetual Trophies (3)

S/C 1965 Dr. A. Leslie Vasconcellos started the International Federation of yachting Rotarians (IFYR) at the Waikiki Yacht Club. This regatta was dedicated to him after his death in 1993. It is to be sailed offshore and have a class for Rotarian, cruisers and race boats. The regatta has three perpetual trophies at the club. The Joe Phillips PH Cruising trophy is awarded to the top cruising boat each year. Dr. Vasconcellos’s son to honor his father created the IFYR Artwork trophy. It is awarded to the top Rotarian boat each year. The Joe Phillips Race boat trophy is for the overall winner using the current grand prix handicapping method.

Past Winners:

Hawaii Laser Association District 26 Championships

By Guy Fleming

This event has the distinction of being a local regatta which is also a qualifier for a national event − The US Sailing Singlehanded National Championships for the ODay Trophy. Currently the top full rig sailor, and for the last two years, the top female radial sailor, qualify to represent Hawaii at this fantastic event. The event has been going on for a long time but we have race results back to 1991. John Myrdal was the most dominant sailor at the time of the trophies purchase so the boat colors were the colors of his boat at the time…red and white. In 1994 John went on to win the ODay Championship. Since then we have had many strong Hawaii performances in the event. The Laser District Trophy is awarded to the top sailor in A fleet and the top sailor in B fleet. These are skill-based fleets. The winners are as follows:

The Hawaiian Star Fleet Perpetual

By Guy Fleming

The Hawaiian Star Fleet Perpetual is one of several trophies that was raced for prior to World War II and was then rededicated in 1989. It is currently the State Single-handed Championship Senior Trophy. In 2007, the Hawaii Laser Association did a bit of research and found the records all the way back to 1973 and had them engraved as well to complete the historical record. The winners are as follows:

HLA Master Trophy

The Phil Drips Trophy
By Guy Fleming

The Phil Drips Trophy was put together in 2008. Many Laser sailors remember Phil for his work as Race Committee chair for the majority of Laser regattas on the town side. Most people do not realize that he had also competed in Lasers at many of the early world championships. He was also a competitor in the over-50 division of the Laser States. The early results for this trophy have been traced back to the over-50 group. Since then, the Laser Class International has created age group racing for Masters racing: Apprentice 35-44; Master 45-54; Grand Master 55-64; Great Grand Master 65-74. The Phil Drips Trophy was put together as a way of thanking him for years of dedication both as a competitor and as a Race Committee chair. Currently, the Masters fleet division of the Laser State championships gets between 8 and 12 competitors each year.

Hawaii Laser Association Season’s Points

Laser Division A, B & C.
By Guy Fleming

There are three related trophies that are raced for in the Hawaii Laser Association Season’s points. All three are for the best 5 of 9 events which include 4 events in town, 4 in Kaneohe and 1 in Pearl Harbor.

The WYC Lewers and Cooke Trophy Summer Regatta for the 210 fleet was raced for between 1959 and 71, In 1991 it was rededicated as the Laser A perpetual.

The Honolulu Advertiser Spring Regatta for the 210 fleet was raced for between 1959 and 72 and was rededicated in 1991 as the Laser B perpetual.

Finally, the WYC Maritime Day Perpetual was raced for between 1963 and 75 and was rededicated as the Laser C perpetual in 2001.

Waikiki Yacht Club

By Guy Fleming

This trophy features a half hull of a Laser. The hull is orange and the sail number is John Higham’s a long time sailor in the fleet. John is still competing in Lasers in his 60’s and doing quite well. He finished second place in a race in the Laser States this year. The points are calculated for the best three of four WYC Laser events: Opening Day, the Laser Districts (also a qualifier for the US Singlehanded Nationals), the Duke Kahanamoku, and Laser #9. The trophy is engraved each year with the top finisher in both the Laser A and the Laser B fleet.

30 Nov. 1941.

This trophy is presented to commemorate and perpetuate for posterity those deeds of the Skippers of the Waikiki Star Fleet that are so remarkable in that, they should never have been done. It is that action or lack of action at the critical moment that would at once relegate that Skipper to the well known “Dog House” if he were at home. It is desired that this perpetual trophy be administered to the culprits under the following rules:

• To be presented to that Skipper who, by popular acclaim of the Fleet, has pulled a “dumb one.”
• That the offense be set out in detail in this log with such embellishments as to make the offender well aware of his offense.
• That this trophy remain in said offender’s possession until some new culprit is uncovered.
• That each offender record in this log his defense whether or not he has one and whether or not any one believes him.
• That the offending yacht, while the skipper is the custodian of the “Booby Bird Trophy,” fly a suitable pennant of red bunting 4” ´ 4” from his starboard spreader, said red bunting not to flow free but gathered in a bunch like some grimy old dish cloth.

Signed: Homer Ferguson

4 Nov 1941

To: Skipper John Childs.

This trophy is presented to the accused as a result of the withdrawal from the Race of Sunday Nov 2 after making an official start. It is common knowledge that all true Yachtsmen make every endeavor to finish races they have started regardless of circumstances. It is felt that the mere breaking of a mast at the first spreader is no excuse as it was plainly visible to the Fleet that he had a good twelve feet of mast left.

Signed: Homer Ferguson

Nov 9, 1941

So what! So I got a pretty Birdie! So I always wanted a Birdie! So this is not gold! So I take exception to the charge. 12 ft of mast. Absurd! 10 ft 2 in., I measured it. So I didn’t finish. So today, Ferguson and Thompson don’t start! Ferguson had half an excuse, his batten pocket, you know, but Thompson got good scare and cold feet. So last week they give me the bird, so today I give Thompson the bird, amen and aloha.

Signed: J.F. Child Jr.

November 1944

It’s been a long time since any real boners have been made but that’s just because of the war. As agent for Bill Thompson, rightful possessor of this trophy, I have as my duty to pass it on with his special aloha to an appropriate and qualified claimant. This year is definitely the year for a novice, Mr. George Over and his crew Miss, who found the mark when no experienced skipper or crew on the two preceding yachts could find it and pointed out the way in the most obliging manner yet seen in yachting circles in Hawaii. Aloha George it’s all yours.

Signed: Bill Thompson | By John F Child Jr

December 18th 1945

We have in our fleet a certain skipper who has a blue Star boat. He has won many races during the year. Just before the eliminations for the Blue Star series he was quite cocky and made several remarks about “smart sailing.” During one race in the eliminations he was leading the entire fleet going down wind and upon approaching the mark thought he would be smart and “come about” rather than chance jibe. In so doing—the whole fleet sailed thru him. So to you “Bob Miller” I present this wonderful trophy (this bonehead maneuver prevented him from sailing in the Blue Star series ¸ reason-! Not enough points).

Signed: Geo. Over Jr

December 18th 1945

In case Mr. Child has not yet learned my crew’s name it was Miss Doris Wynn and I demand that he so complete his charge and properly write her name in the blank space (in red ink).
I believe that I have now certain items that will prevent this from happening again—my gear now includes a muzzle and a straight-jacket.

Signed: Geo. Over Jr

Dec. 18—1946

After one year of thought and the possession of this blasted “Booby Bird,” I still don’t have a legitimate counter to the charges preferred. But I think you will all agree that twelve months of looking at this coveted (?) trophy is punishment enough for the sin I have committed. However, I strongly object to Mr. Over’s charges—on the grounds of nolle contendere, habeous corpus, and nolle prosequi!!

Signed: Bob Miller

Dec. 19—1946

It is with a great deal of regret that I now turn this award of awards over to another Waikiki Star Fleet member.
Surprisingly enough a so-called Marine Architect is not aware of one of the principal rules of yacht design. That is—“one’s bailing bucket must be carried inside one’s own boat and not affixed to a competitor’s keel”!!
So, although records show that on that particular day he placed only fourth and is not entitled to a trophy, I, his fellow fleet-member, after due consideration, feel that he should receive some award.
Therefore, Frank Rothwell, to you—The Bird!

Signed: Bob Miller

Phil Drips Day Regatta Perpetual Trophy

In 2005 Commodore Todd Wyrick and R/C Sail Michael Roth started the Phil Drips Regatta. The first regatta had three races with the last finishing off E dock where Phil sounded the finish horn from his wheelchair. All entry funds went to pay Phil’s bill at the Club.

The trophy was originally presented to Phil Drips for excellence in race management. Rear Commodore for Sail Richard Lewis, Regatta Chair Ted Miller and race committee member Jack Peters rededicated the trophy in December 2009 to be the Phil Drips Regatta Perpetual Trophy.

For nearly three decades, being an involved member of the Waikiki Yacht Club --or any part of Hawaii's yachting community for that matter --and knowing Phil Drips went hand in hand. There was no way one could be done without the other. He was an institution, and as much a part of the WYC clubhouse as the furniture where he would often seek comfort and rejuvenation.

After his discharge from the Navy, and while still in Japan, Phil became involved with the Power Squadron there and became an instructor and eventually its commodore. He was known as "Papa Laser" after the class boats he raced there. From Japan, Phil moved to the island of Guam where he won a gold medal in sailing at the 1975 South Pacific Games in men’s lasers, visited Hawaii twice to compete in the Hobie 14 and 16 World Championships, and flew to Bermuda to take part in the Laser Worlds.

Phil became a resident of Hawaii in 1976 and his life continued to revolve around boating. He established Kilgo Hardware's first marine department and then went into boat sales for Yacht Sales Hawaii, before creating his own company, Harbor Yacht Sales. At the same time he continued to maintain his involvement with the Power Squadron, again as an instructor and its commodore. At the 2005 WYC awards banquet Phil was named "Principal Race Officer Emeritus" for his contribution to yacht racing in Hawaii.

The Hawaii Yacht Racing Association honored Phil in 2003 by naming him Yachtsman of the Year for his unflagging involvement in race management that spanned 25 years, and involved regattas ranging from the Pan Am Clipper Cup and Kenwood Cup Series of the 1980s and 1990’s to uncounted state sailing championships and interclub regattas. Phil also was presented an award from the Coast Guard Auxiliary for rescuing swimmers from the Hawaii Rough Water Swim held on September 2nd, 2004.