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The following history page article pertaining to Lipton Cup/BWYC history was printed in the August 2002 issue of the BWYC Jib Sheet.
History Page, August 2002
Some LIPTON/BWYC History Notes and Comments
Competition in the GYA for the Sir Thomas J. Lipton Interclub Challenge Cup began in 1920 following the gift of the beautiful 39 inch tall silver cup which was presented in 1919 to Southern Yacht Club by Sir Thomas through his good friend Bill Parham who was secretary-treasurer of SYC at that time. As you know, Sir Thomas J. Lipton (1850-1931) was a world renowned yachtsman and founder of the Lipton Tea Companies. He challenged five (5) times for the America’s Cup and it is said that he did not start sailing until age 51.
To date, BWYC has won the Lipton Cup Championship a total of 15 times; one time in the decade of the 60s, 5 times in the 70s, 7 times in the flush decade of the 80s, 1 time in the 90s and we are off to a good start in the 21st century with an impressive victory in 2001.
The first time BWYC won the GYA Championship for the Lipton Trophy was in 1963 at Southern Yacht. BWYC also won the GYA Junior Lipton Championship that year for the first time which was hosted by Ft. Walton Yacht Club. The late former Commodores Kenneth Pepperdene and Richard Hadden both occupied the top BWYC leadership role that year. Sadly, Commodore Pepperdene died while he was commodore in 1963. Commodore Richard Hadden passed away earlier this year and as many of you would know, his son John C. “Corky”
Hadden is currently serving as Commodore of BWYC. Skippers of the 1963 BWYC Lipton Team were Chuck Breath III, Bill Reeves, Harry Chapman and Don Chamberlain with crew members Alfred Watts, Clay Charbonnet, Topper Thompson, Bob Boh, John Dupaquier, Walter Chamberlain and Jack Gordon. Our 1963 Junior Lipton Team consisted of Walter Chamberlain, Basil Kennedy, Chuck Breath III and Richard Mestayer. The only other deceased members of these 1963 BWYC sailing teams are Commodore Don Chamberlain and Bobby Boh. It should be pointed out that BWYC did not start competing for the GYA Sir Thomas Lipton Cup Championship until 1950. Southern and Pensacola Yachts Clubs are the only two yacht clubs that have competed in every (82 of them) challenge for the Sir Thomas J. Lipton Trophy. Other yacht clubs came into the reorganized GYA at various times during the 82 years of Lipton Challenge Cup competition. E.g. in 1923, 6 yacht clubs competed for the Lipton Trophy and in 2000, 25 yacht clubs competed while there were actually 32 GYA member yacht clubs that particular year.


Bay Waveland Yacht Club History-Lipton-BWYC-Aug-2002-(1)
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