AYC AWARDS AND HONORS (Edit)
- AYC Volunteer Service Award – Recognizes a member for their outstanding and continuous volunteer efforts and commitment to our club.
- AYC Sportsmanship Award – Recognizes a member for good sportsmanship in sailboat racing.
- Club Racing Champion – The winner of the club’s annual regatta of fleet champions.
- Governor’s Cup – Our fall race with the largest trophy.
- Ruth Beals Cup – Women at the Helm annual Regatta.
- Ye Blunder Bucket – A fun, spoof award given twice a year for a worthy blunder.
- Turned Turtle Award – Another fun award created in the 1990s to recognize small boats for mast-down capsizing.
AYC JUNIOR AWARDS
- Junior Champion – The junior fleet champ.
- Jerry Linderman Award: Most Improved Junior Racer – Given each year in honor of longtime AYC member Jerry Linderman.
- Wayne Jason Tucker Junior Trophy: Most Improved Junior Sailor – Given each year in honor of junior sailor Wayne Jason Tucker. The Junior Sailor must be under the age of 16 years and must be a member of the Arizona Yacht Club.
ARIZONA SAILING FOUNDATION AWARD
ASF Heavy Lifting Award —The annual thank you to someone who does the most to help ASF.
AYC’S DISTINGUISHED LIFE MEMBERS (Click to view)
In addition to the other awards, AYC honors members for a lifetime of significant contributions to the club. The Distinguished Life Members* are:
- David and Hermine Shapiro (deceased)
- Joyce Seale – 1997
- Tom (deceased) and Carol Ohlin
- Frank (deceased) and Marylou Bigelow
- Al and Sandy Lehman – 2012
- Mike Yarnell and Tia Renshaw – 2012
- George Tingom
- Mike and Maryellen Ferring – 2018
- Martin Lorch – 2020
- Skip Kempff – 2020
- Emory and Debbra Heisler – 2023
- Antony Chapman – 2024
*Previously named Honorary Life Members. Distinguished Life members are nominated by other Distinguished Life Members and approved by the Board of Directors.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION (Click to view)
US Sailing selected AYC Member Bob Naylor for their 2021 One Design Leadership Award. This award recognizes individual initiative, enthusiasm, organizing ability, and leadership in creating an outstanding fleet-building program. Here is what Bob had to say about the award:
“I’m still quite embarrassed with the attention from it, but I’m nonetheless honored and humbled to have been selected to receive U.S. Sailing’s One Design Leadership Award. I’m grateful to Vicki Palmer (International Sunfish Class Association & AYC) for nominating me and to AYC for encouraging the development of our Sunfish Fleet. And most of all, I’m very grateful to all of YOU for making it happen – for turning out and sailing, week in and week out. We all know that sailing in Arizona is TOUGH – some of you drive very long distances to race with us, you risk heat exhaustion and other hazards, and you still make it happen. So, in all sincerity, THANK YOU.”
AWARDS NO LONGER GIVEN (Click to view)
Cruising Champion
Rahr Trophy (AYC MDR-SD Winner)
Tall Cactus Bean Pot
US Sailing Sportsmanship Award —This award was given annually to a person who’s given huge time and effort for AYC. It predominately recognized volunteer service.