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Pan Am Clipper Cup
Clipper Cup
Clipper Cup

LocationHawaii
CountryHawaii
ClubWaikiki Yacht Club

Pan Am Clipper Cup

In 1978, the Waikiki Yacht Club organized the first Clipper Cup Yacht Series, a biennial event that grew into the Kenwood Cup, one of the most prestigious yacht races on the world ocean racing circuit. That series was discontinued in 2002, and was replaced by the annual Waikiki Off-Shore Series, which offers a variety of buoy and distance races.

From mysailing.com.au

The Clipper Cup was once contested on the waters of Hawaii. Now it's the prized trophy at Port Douglas Race Week in Far North Queensland. How did this valuable lump of silverware make such a journey? 

The yacht race that would create the name Clipper Cup originally began in 1972 when members of the Waikiki Yacht Club created a 755-mile "fun race" to "race the winds of paradise". It was to be an annual summer race around the major islands of the island state of Hawaii. Local sailors and visiting yachts competing in the biennial Transpac or Vic-Maui races were invited to attend.

By the sixth "Around the State Race" in 1976, interest in it had noticeably faded and there was talk of disbanding it entirely. Yet a few WYC members were not ready to give up on what they knew was a good idea. Through their efforts, the race was transformed into a biennial series of races that attracted yachtsmen from around the world, and, with sponsorship assistance from Pan American Airlines, the Clipper Cup Yacht Series was born.

Pan Am was the principal US international air carrier from the late 1920s until its collapse in 1991. The airline was identified by its blue globe logo and the use of the word "Clipper" in aircraft names and call signs.  For example on December 21, 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York blown up as it flew over Lockerbie in Scotland was named Clipper Maid of the Seas. The term Clipper was also used by Pan Am at this time for its business class called "Clipper Class" the "Clipper in-flight magazine" and its "Clipper lounge" at airports. The term was chosen by Pan Am as it is synonymous with global travel at great speed.

During the following four events, through 1984, the Clipper Cup series grew in popularity and international stature. The fleet expanded from 41 yachts to a record 78 entries representing Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

Australia won the trophy twice, in 1978 (Marshall Phillips Big Shot, Tom Stephenson Magic Pudding and Syd Fischer Ragamuffin) and 1980 (Syd Fisher Ragamuffin, Marshall Phillips Sweet Caroline and Lou Abrahams Challenge).

Then, once again, the future of international offshore racing in Hawaii was threatened. Pan Am dropped Hawaii from its overseas routes and ceased its promotional activities in the Islands. The race series was revived under new sponsorship as the Kenwood Cup and the name "Clipper Cup" passed into the pages of history.

After a transaction for which there are few details, Dick Gooch brought the original Clipper Cup to Australia and it sat in storage at the CYCA in Rushcutters Bay for some years before being donated to Cairns Yacht Club in 1994 or 1995. Legend has it that the event sponsor that year, Mirage Resorts, purchased the trophy for $1.00 (there are no details from whom it was bought) to make sure it remained in Port Douglas. They then donated it to the club.

Read more at www.mysailing.com.au/news/how-did-the-clipper-cup-get-from-hawaii-to-port-douglas

Clipper Cup Honour Board

The name Clipper Cup came to be when Pan Am Airlines first sponsored the Waikiki Yacht Club "Around The State Race" in 1978. This biennial  event was contested four times and attracted a record 78 entries representing Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the U.S.  The race was billed as a perpetual international team racing event .

Year Country Yachts Skippers
1978 Australia Big Schott Marshall Phillips
    Magic Pudding Tom Stephenson
    Ragamuffin Syd Fischer
1980 Australia Ragamuffin Syd Fischer
    Sweet Caroline Marshall Phillips
    Challenge Lou Abrahams
1982 USA Kialoa John B. Kilroy
    Bull Frog T. David Fenix
    Great Fun Clay Bernard II
1984 USA Camouflage Ben Mitchell Jr
    Checkmate Monti Livingstone
    Tomohawk John Arens
 For more recent Australian results - see the Port Douglas Honour Board

http://portdouglasraceweek.com.au/honour-board/

1978

Syd Fischer
Syd Fischer Ragamuffin - Pam Am Clipper Cup
Australian Sea Spray 1978 - Big Schott
Australian Sea Spray 1978 - Big Schott

1st Pan Am Clipper Cup Race Series in Honolulu, Hawaii- July 1978

From Offshore 44 Magasine - November/December 1978

The overall result was a win to the U.S. entry Carrie Ann V from Lovelace and Ragamuffin. Australia 'A' scored sufficient points to reduce the New Zealand 'A' team lead to 7 points. New Zealand 'B' team was still in third place. The Australian 'B' had a bad day with Nyamba 12th, Geronimo 18th and Apollo withdrawn.

The race was marred by an unfortunate accident on Apollo when a coffee grinder winch let go injuring Paul Nethery and Mike Burke who were hit by the flying handles. Paul recieived cracked ribs and bruising while Mick was admitted to hospital for surgery on a broken left hand.

For more information on the series, click on this Offshore No 44 link http://static.cyca.com.au/media/3148713/Offshore_No44_optimised.pdf

Final points for the series were: 

Australia 'A' 2583 

New Zealand 'A' 2529 

New Zealand 'B' 2514

 U.S.A. 'Red' 2450 

U.S.A. 'Blue' 2411 

Australia 'B' 2279 

Japan 2230. 

Quite Drink

Undoubtedly the 'quiet drink' is going to be as much a part of the Clipper Cup Series as it is of the Sydney-Hobart Race. The inaugural quiet drink was organised by the redoubtable Don Mickleborough at a carefully selected harbourside joint known as Margy's Bar in downtown Honolulu. Margy was given notice .to stock the bar with plenty of the right things including some food. It got off _to a great start at 1300 hours and drew to a close around 2200 hours after all the draught beer had gone, the food consumed, a few good stories told and many of the traditional quiet drinks songs had been sung, with the inclusion of some new verses by international yachtsmen with plenty of experience at quiet drinking. 

Results and Pictures

From Kanahoe Yacht Club, north on Oahau
From Kanahoe Yacht Club, north on Oahau

Syd Fisher's Ragamuffin (AUS)

Ragamuffin was 2nd overall

Syd Fisher
Syd Fisher's Ragamuffin in Pan Am Clipper Cup 1978
Syd Fisher
Syd Fisher's Ragamuffin in Pan Am Clipper Cup 1978
Ragamuffin (AUS) and Sunbird (Japan) Clipper Cup 78
Ragamuffin (AUS) and Sunbird (Japan) Clipper Cup 78
Syd Fisher Ragamuffing Clipper Cup 78
Syd Fisher Ragamuffing Clipper Cup 78

Big Schott

Owned by Marshall Phillips

Additional pictures can be found on the Big Schott page.

Big Schott 12222 - Marshall Phillips
Big Schott 12222 - Marshall Phillips
Big Schott and The Wizard (USA) about to round wing mark of olympic triangle
Big Schott and The Wizard (USA) about to round wing mark of olympic triangle
Bringing Big Schott to Honolulu
Bringing Big Schott to Honolulu
Marshall Phillips, owner of Big Schott
Marshall Phillips, owner of Big Schott
Norm Hyett and Marshall Phillips on Big Schott
Norm Hyett and Marshall Phillips on Big Schott
Big Schott off Waikiki Beach, Oahau, Hawaii
Big Schott off Waikiki Beach, Oahau, Hawaii
Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
Big Schott leaving Waikiki Yacht Club, start of the 800nm "Around the State" race
Big Schott leaving Waikiki Yacht Club, start of the 800nm "Around the State" race
Norm Hyett, Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
Norm Hyett, Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
John Hallett, Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
John Hallett, Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
Toby Richardson Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
Toby Richardson Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
T. W. Thompson (Tweety), Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
T. W. Thompson (Tweety), Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978

James Hardy's Nyamba (KA330)

Following pictures are of James Hardy's Nyamba

Jim Hardy Nyamba off Diamond Head, Honolulu, Clipper Cup 1978
Jim Hardy Nyamba off Diamond Head, Honolulu, Clipper Cup 1978
Jim Hardy Nyamba, Clipper Cup 1978
Jim Hardy Nyamba, Clipper Cup 1978
Jim Hardy Nyamba, Clipper Cup 1978
Jim Hardy Nyamba, Clipper Cup 1978

Other Boats and Crew

Checkmate (USA) 1730 Clipper Cup 1978
Checkmate (USA) 1730 Clipper Cup 1978
Checkmate (USA) 1730 Clipper Cup 1978
Checkmate (USA) 1730 Clipper Cup 1978
Hawkeye (USA) & Checkmate (USA), Clipper Cup 1978
Hawkeye (USA) & Checkmate (USA), Clipper Cup 1978
Bravuru (USA), Clipper Cup 1978
Bravuru (USA), Clipper Cup 1978
Bravuru (USA), Clipper Cup 1978
Bravuru (USA), Clipper Cup 1978
Ceil Malley on Ondine (USA) - Clipper Cup 1978
Ceil Malley on Ondine (USA) - Clipper Cup 1978
Ondine (USA) & Kialoa (USA) - Clipper Cup 1978
Ondine (USA) & Kialoa (USA) - Clipper Cup 1978
Ondine (USA) & Kialoa (USA) - Clipper Cup 1978
Ondine (USA) & Kialoa (USA) - Clipper Cup 1978
Ondine (USA)- Clipper Cup 1978
Ondine (USA)- Clipper Cup 1978
Magic Pudding (ex B195) - Start of the "Around the State" race -  Clipper Cup 1978
Magic Pudding (ex B195) - Start of the "Around the State" race - Clipper Cup 1978
Lovelace (NZ) and Magic Pudding (AUS)- Clipper Cup 1978
Lovelace (NZ) and Magic Pudding (AUS)- Clipper Cup 1978
Lovelace (NZ)- Clipper Cup 1978
Lovelace (NZ)- Clipper Cup 1978
Tom Stevenson - Skipper of Magic Pudding - Clipper Cup 1978
Tom Stevenson - Skipper of Magic Pudding - Clipper Cup 1978
Tom Stevenson - Skipper of Magic Pudding - Clipper Cup 1978
Tom Stevenson - Skipper of Magic Pudding - Clipper Cup 1978
Budgie - Clipper Cup 1978
Budgie - Clipper Cup 1978
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