This is the trophy for the Orange Coffee Pot Regatta being held today in Surf City NJ, showing the first few winners. The Orange Coffee Pot is the oldest and longest running Laser event in the world. I did sail it a few times when I lived in New Jersey, although (it should go without saying) I never won it. My name is not on the list of names on this trophy.
Can you see what these two lists of names have in common? Pretty amazing, eh?
Update June 2. Clay Johnson won this year's Orange Coffee Pot with John MacCausland second. Just to prove that Skip Whyte isn't the only one of the Laser sailors of the class of '72 who is still racing Lasers, here is a picture of John MacCausland sailing his new Laser in the Spring of 1972 at Cooper River Yacht Club.
6 comments:
Ageless wonder is Skip Whyte. It's comforting to see Shawn Kempton's name on the original plaque of the OCP. He and his brothers were phenomenal sailors and role models for me as a kid. Shawn sailed two summers with JW on the jib of his scow, Repechage, while dopey DW sat next to him on boards. Very cool. Jobson needs another post for himself
BTW, get your ass on that Wickford list and kick some butt!
Skip is amazing for all sorts of reasons.
But even more amazing to me is that some of the guys who bought Lasers (or who had their parents buy them Lasers) in 1971 and 1972 and who were traveling to the first Laser regattas and who were winning (some of them) the first Laser regattas… are still racing Lasers today.
Can anyone name others who qualify as well as Skip Whyte?
Are there similar examples from other parts of the world?
I'm pretty sure Jack Elfman sailed Moths back in the 60s when I used to go up to Surf City for their fall regatta.
Interesting George. So how come Jack ended up having a Laser Regatta named in his honor?
Updated the post with details of someone who sailed in this year's Orange Coffee Pot Laser Regatta who was also Laser sailing back in 1972, the year the regatta started. There's something addictive about this boat!
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