> US SAILING Media > Latest News > 2009 > US SAILING Presents Esteemed Awards on Friday at Annual General Meeting
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Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
(401) 683-0800
LEAGUE CITY, Texas (October 23, 2009) – Friday night was special for several key contributors to the sport of sailing at US SAILING’s Annual General Meeting Awards Dinner. US SAILING presented awards to those who made an extraordinary impact in the areas of sailing education, race management, and disabled sailing.
US SAILING’s Gay S. Lynn Memorial Trophy -- Betsy Alison
Head coach of the US Disabled Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, Betsy Alison, was awarded the Gay S. Lynn Memorial Trophy award for her outstanding contribution to sailors with disabilities.
The five-time US SAILING Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, five-time US SAILING Rolex Women’s Keelboat Champion, and two-time Yngling World Champion has redirected her focus over the past several years to disabled sailing and Paralympic competition. She has provided leadership for the US Disabled Sailing Team for the last three Paralympic Games. She trains and develops sailors, manages the budget, handles equipment, and generates funding and support for her team. The U.S. has one of the most successful Paralympic sailing programs in the world. This was evident in the 2008 Paralympic Games when the U.S. collected Gold and Bronze medals.
On several occasions, Alison led clinics for members of the Wounded Warrior Project, a program for injured military veterans. This past June, she coordinated coaches, adaptive boats and equipment at the Newport Naval Base in order to provide sailing opportunities for the veterans. This fall, Alison helped coordinate an adaptive sailing pilot program for inner-city youth at the Piers Park Sailing Program in Boston, Mass.
“Disabled sailing enriches our sport,” said Alison. “I’m proud to know that so many people want to embrace disabled sailing.”
First presented in 2003, the Gay S. Lynn Trophy annually recognizes outstanding service, over a significant period of time, to disabled sailing and disabled sailors in the United States. The trophy may be awarded to a volunteer, a professional, or an organization. It is the country's only award of its kind for disabled sailing. For more information on US SAILING’s Gay S. Lynn Memorial Trophy, please visit http://racing.ussailing.org/Categories/One_Design/Disabled_Sailing/Gay_S__Lynn_Memorial_Trophy.htm.
US SAILING's Timothea Larr Award -- Dick Allsopp
Dick Allsopp has received US SAILING's Timothea Larr Award for his life-long commitment to quality sailing education. Prior to becoming a US SAILING Instructor Trainer and member of the National Faculty, Allsopp spent 32 years as a naval officer and aviator with the U.S. Navy. The experiences he gained in the Navy fully prepared him for his career in training sailors and powerboat operation.
Allsopp worked with Timothea Larr and others on putting together one of the best textbooks on small powerboat handling ever written in the U.S. called Start Powerboating Right. Allsopp is on the Board of Directors for US SAILING. In addition to serving many years on the Training Committee as Vice Chairman for Powerboat, he was one of the original Regional Training Coordinators.
“I believe in our powerboat program, and I hope it reaches a national stature,” said Allsopp.
He has played a major role in the boating industry of Jacksonville, Fla. Allsopp continues his efforts in updating all of the race instructions and notices of race for the Navy Jacksonville Sailing Club and Rudder Club of Jacksonville. He assists Jacksonville University with their sailing and racing programs, and provides leadership for local ROTC regattas. He has also been Principal Race Officer and serves as Commodore of the Florida Sailing Association.
First presented in 2002, the Timothea Larr Award is the US SAILING Training Committee's highest honor, presented annually to an individual whose vision and guidance has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of sailor education and training in the United States. For more information about awards presented by US SAILING’s Training Committee, please visit http://about.ussailing.org/Awards/Training_Awards/Larr_Award.htm.
US SAILING’s St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy -- Carolina Yacht Club of North Carolina
The Carolina Yacht Club of North Carolina (CYC-NC) received US SAILING’s St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy for their excellence in race management. The trophy was presented to Chip Whitesides, Vice Commodore of the CYC-NC.
The CYC-NC was honored for their excellence for overall outstanding regatta organization, and execution of race management decisions for the 2009 Laser Masters North American Championships held on May 15-17 in Wrightsville Beach, N.C. One sailor said it well on the ballot comments: “In 40 plus years of racing in state, national and world levels, this was quite simply the best regatta I have ever been to. I give an A+ throughout and they went the extra mile in every aspect.”
The event’s Principal Race Officer, Gifford Usher, gained race management experience by training and serving at the 1996 Olympics as the Deputy Race Officer on the Laser Europe circle in Savannah, Ga. Founded in 1853, the CYC-NC is one of the oldest clubs in the country.
“It took us 156 years to get this trophy, but we’ll take it,” added Whitesides.
Emblematic of excellence in race management, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy was awarded originally by St. Petersburg Yacht Club in the late 1960s to recognize the club that ran the best regatta. The trophy was retired for several years until it was donated to US SAILING in 1977. The winner is selected on the basis of race management superiority and evaluation by participating skippers. For more information on US SAILING’s St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy, please visit http://about.ussailing.org/Awards/St__Petersburg_Trophy.htm.
US SAILING’s Harman Hawkins -- Barbara and Tom Farquhar
Together and separately, Barbara and Tom Farquhar have been involved in all aspects of race management. The Farquhars have been extraordinarily influential in the areas of race management, from running races, to judging and umpiring, to teaching race management, and judging and umpiring seminars extensively around the World. They have also volunteered countless hours for countless years to regattas, US SAILING, and ISAF Committees.
Barbara, a former US SAILING Vice President, is a certified Senior Judge, Race Officer, and Umpire. A few of her contributions include a stint as Chairperson of the Race Administration and Judges Committee. Barbara has played a significant role with ISAF’s Match Racing Committee and Women’s Forum.
Tom, who served as a member of the US SAILING Appeals Committee, also served as Chairman for the Race Administration Committee. He was Chairman of the Race Officer Training & Certification Subcommittee. Tom was the Field of Play Manager for the 1996 Olympics and the US SAILING Olympic Trials Manager in 2000.
These are just a few of many examples of how Tom and Barbara Farquhar have improved the quality of race management.
The Harman Hawkins Trophy is awarded yearly (the first award was presented at the 2005 Spring Meeting in Newport, RI) to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing in the field of Race Administration (Judging, Race Management, Appeals and Racing Rules). For more information on US SAILING’s Harmon Hawkins Trophy, please visit http://raceadmin.ussailing.org/HHAward.htm.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US SAILING is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.