From the Binnacle - November 2025
Scuttlebutt (Editor’s notes)
By Tony Lamb
The revival of the awards banquet as an event at LCYC brought back a flood of memories of the Lake Champlain Racing Conference and club awards. Most members are aware of the Lake Champlain Champion Series, a cooperative effort between Diamond Island YC, Lake Champlain YC, Malletts Bay Boat Club and the Plattsburgh area racers. (who run the Mayor’s Cup race.) The LCCS website history describes the process by which it was formed in 2013. It also describes the history of its
predecessor the Lake Champlain Racing Conference. https://www.lcchampionshipseries.org/history
The original Lake Champlain Racing Conference began in 1968. It was formed
by the three clubs of that era, LCYC, MBBC, and VSC, each club agreeing to
provide two races. They used some existing races and created a few others spe
cifically to be included in the Conference. All were weekend events – two were
overnighters, the others were two-day events with one or two races each day.
MBBC’s events were Royal Savage and Lake Champlain; VSC’s were Valcour
I/II and Isle St. Michel; LCYC’s were Ladies Cup and Cmdr Macdonough. In
1982 LCYC withdrew the Ladies Cup from the Conference and created the two
day Odziozo in its place.
The Conference was a stand-alone structure with a Commodore and other officers, an annual printed document, dues, awards, and a bank account. In the 1980s attendance began to decline, mostly due to the growth of weeknight racing that did not require getting crew for two weekend days six times a summer. At the end of the 2000 season, after 33 years of providing great racing, the Conference closed down.
The Racing Conference was really quite a big deal for most of those 33 years. I remember being one the LCYC representatives for a few years. The Board would meet in November or December and coordinating the three club schedules would set the race calendar for the following summer. Then the individual clubs would set the remainder of their schedule of events. The meeting site would rotate between the three clubs. None of the club houses were open and so we met in a variety of places. I particularly remember the trips to Plattsburg. We often met at the home of Dr. David McDowell and staunch supporter of the Valcour Club and the racing conference. It was a beautiful house on a bluff over looking the Lake, with a view of Valcour Island. Inside we met in a room he had that was an a detailed replica of the interior of a traditional Adirondack cabin.
In those days the day races were two day events with a great party on Saturday night. (There is a story that the LCYC social Committee balked at going out for another keg after the racers partying on Odziozo weekend had finish five kegs and wanted more. And that was tame.) Dave would hold the Valcour party on his front lawn. He alternated hosting duties with Bill Rowe, another avid sailor. Their
parties were a little more civilized compare to LCYC and MBBC. Once the Mayor’s Cup started the party shifted to the Naked Turtle. In those days we did not think to moor our boats overnight at the Plattsburgh Yacht Basin. Instead we anchored out behind Valcour Island. I have shared the story of how the crews all went ashore to hit the high spots of Plattsburgh, including that fine establishment-The Tijuana
Jail. No dingy ashore was safe as the crews figured out how to return to their boats late at night.
One of my favorite memories was making breakfast on our boat in the midst of an early morning fog when the sounds of bagpipes floated across the waters. Then McDowell’s boat cameout of the fog as it headed out towards the race course. Very Brigadoon like. Dave was very proud of his heritage.
The Conference gave out its own awards for the races in the Conference. Indeed awards were a much bigger deal than they have become in recent years. In most years LCYC gave out a framed photo of your boat with a list of any race or series you placed in. The first few years I raced my own boat I really wanted to have at least one podium finish so that I would that memento of the year of racing. I noticed that more experienced racers were not as anxious to win one of the photos. After acquiring 15 or so of these trophies I began to understand. Where do you put them? I finally filled a wall at my office. Other more original awards were also given.
With experience I realized that a couple of these go a long way. Partners are not fond of helping you dust and keep polish these “honors”.
That said, I would rather have all of these and the stories they represent than not. The photos that show crew who have long since moved away or on are particularly valued.