LIFESTYLE: GRAND LAKE YACHT CLUB
A CENTURY OF SAILBOAT RACING IN COLORADO
By Joan Christensen

“Generation Next” embraces the traditions and camaraderie of the Grand Lake sailing community.

What do the bustling naval shores of Annapolis, Maryland and the sun-kissed harbors of Marina del Ray, California have in common with the high-elevation town of Grand Lake? The surprising answer is that all three are home to top-notch sailing schools for youth.

The Grand Lake Yacht Club (GLYC) received its charter back in 1902, making it the highest registered yacht club in the U.S. – a distinction it has held for nearly 100 years.

Right from the start, this high altitude yacht club has demonstrated that it had the chops, and the sails, to produce skilled and competitive sailors.

The Club’s long history is even peppered with a bit of sailing chicanery. In 1910, the relatively young club was honored as the recipient of a highly coveted Lipton Cup. A what? Sir Thomas Lipton (yes, that Lipton of the legendary tea company) created a limited number of Cups – each exquisitely designed and completely unique. Trophies were presented around the world wherever avid small boat racers were competing.

The commodore staff of the GLYC at that time – Harry Bryant, Richard Crawford Campbell, and Fermor Spencer – learned that Sir Lipton was traveling across country to present two of the cups to yacht clubs in California – one in San Francisco and one in San Diego. These intrepid sailors intercepted Lipton’s train in Denver and hosted a dinner for him.

Their cheeky tactic paid off and in April 1913; a coveted LiptonCup was bestowed on the intrepid yacht club. Although a variety of races is held during Regatta Week each August, the coveted Lipton Cup is still presented annually and currently goes to the winner of a “one-class” event – the E-Scow event. Sailors competing in these “one-class” events are racing on identically made and outfitted boats – in this case, it’s an E-Scow. These wide, flat-bottomed hulls plane easily and achieve excellent speeds.

The Lipton Cup stands two feet high and is “very delicate, gorgeous and valuable,” says Cath Campbell, a 1977 Granby High School graduate and volunteer director of the Grand Lake Sailing School. “If someone ever lost the Lipton Cup, they’d have to move to Mars,” she grins, but her words are serious.

To join the GLYC, prospective members must own 50 feet of shoreline on Grand Lake - with very few exceptions. These selected members are admitted based on years of service to the club and homeowner recommendations. A guest participation program is available for non-property owners.

For more than 60 years, the traditions and races of the members continued with strong family ties. But in the late 1960s, youth participation was dwindling and some forward-looking members recognized the need to pass on the sailing tradition. Member Sonny Hill believed that if they didn’t start training new sailors, the local fleet would die. “Sailing pulls us and holds us together,” he claimed.

To replenish the supply of sailors for races, the school was started in the mid-1970s with a serious purpose that continues today. “This is a race school,” emphasizes Campbell. “We initially started out teaching with Whistlers and El Toros (a small sailboat) and then graduated to Laser’s which are small and maneuverable and because they provide a good learning platform for scow racing.”

It is a rigorous training program and safety is a top consideration since participants are on the lake in variable and severe weather conditions including hail and high winds. Beginners start in “prams”, or trainers and progress steadily to become capable sailors.

Junior instructors, 16 and older, are active teachers and almost all of them are alumnae. Before earning the right to teach, junior instructors have to be certified by U.S. Sailing, a national program that oversees sailing programs around the country.

The GLYC Sailing School typically has 35 to 42 students per week and half of the students participate for the entire five-week program. Campbell recommends that prospective young sailors register for at least two weeks to become comfortable and confident with boat handling. Cost is approximately $165 to $215 per week. The sailing school is open to member’s children ages 7 to 16 and member families can sponsor one guest.

“First and foremost, this is a neighborhood. Then we sail,” says Campbell. Her goal is for participants to have fun and develop a love of the sport.

Several races are held to test student’s growing skills including the Pram Race and the Junior Laser Race. As participants become more proficient, they earn the chance to serve as crew on a racing scow with a yacht club captain.

“We’re definitely not fancy, we’re a camp,” says Campbell with a smile. “Sailing is a life skill, it’s very social and provides an instant sense of community. And, it is one of the few sports you can participate in without owning any equipment.”


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