Mercury Class Perpetual Trophies

Mercury Class 50 Years And Going Strong

The Mercury Sloop was designed by Ernest Nunes of the Nunes Brothers Boat Works, Sausalito, California. In 1938, hull #1 was completed and first displayed in the 1939 World’s Fair at Treasure Island. At that time most small boats were built with plank construction so the Mercury, with its waterproof plywood construction was considered very advanced for the time. The hull was light by comparison and the simplicity of construction drew immediate interest in the new boat. Hulls numbered 2 through 8 were constructed at the same time in the shop at Nunes Brothers. These boats were presold and the owners took an active part in the construction. This gave Ernie Nunes the idea that a kit of the Mercury would be a good way to promote sales. The class grew quickly as home builders assembled these kits in back yards and garages throughout the state of California. A few boats even found their way out to the Hawaiian Islands and Guam. With the boat being easily trailerable, fleets developed at inland lakes so that by 1946 an active racing association had developed throughout the western states. To commemorate the 50th birthday of the Mercury class yacht, a party was held at the San Francisco Yacht Club on June 18, 1988. Over 150 current and past Mercury sailors attended the festivities, which included racing in Raccoon Straits and a barbecue dinner at the club house. Past champions, including our first champion (1947) Jim Wyatt reminisced about their most memorable Mercury racing experiences. Many of the past sailors brought their family scrapbooks with them to provide a pictorial history of the class. Three generations of Mercury sailors were in attendance. Hull #6, still an active racer, had the distinction of being the oldest boat sailing in the day’s races and also by having all of her owners present for the Birthday Party.

Mercury Class Perpetual Trophies 

Homecoming Perpetual Trophy

This trophy was donated by Peter Sutter and designed and built by Leonard Delmas. The Homecoming Regatta was sailed in honor of the Builder, Ernie Nunes and later other builders. Currently the regatta is held at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda.

Joe Logan Memorial Trophy

Dr. Joe Logan was a prominent physician in Fresno and an early member of the Fresno Mercury Fleet. Although his interest in sailing did not develop until later in life, he dearly loved the time he spent on his Mercury. His first boat was hull #104. During the summer months Dr. Logan kept his boat moored off the pier at Santa Cruz. This was in the days before the Santa Cruz Marina was constructed. During a summer storm the boat broke loose from its mooring and was destroyed on the beach. He ordered a new Mercury, built with the salvaged keel of #104. To keep the memory of his old boat alive he christened the new one Wonofora . While preparing his beautiful new boat for its first racing season, Dr. Logan was struck by a heart attack and died. In memory of her husband and to perpetuate his love for the Mercury, his widow donated this trophy. It is a working model of his Mercury #434 down to the smallest detail. The trophy is currently on loan from the Fresno Fleet to the St. Francis Yacht Club where it is on display. Through 1976 the trophy was raced for in Fresno and kept on display at the Fresno Sports Hall of Fame. The new deed was drawn up in February of 1977 and the trophy is now awarded to the winner of an annual series sailed in the waters off the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. The trophy is truly one of the most finely crafted and best looking in small boat sailing. 

Los Angeles Midwinter Regatta

Hosted by the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in conjunction with the Southern California Yacht Racing Association this annual President's Day Weekend event has long been a favorite of sailors from both Northern & Southern California. Along with over a hundred classes and in excess of one thousand yachts, the Mercury Class has a long history of participation in this, the largest yachting event in the world. The regatta is held at the north end of Los Angeles Harbor with occasional sojourns outside the breakwater to the Point Fermin bouy. Most of the competitors lodge at a single waterfront hotel, fostering camaraderie between Northern and Southern fleets. The highlight of the weekend is the annual Saturday night extravaganza at the Palos Verdes Estates home of Park & Lynn Densmore. One of the most entertaining evenings of the Mercury year, the Densmore party makes this winter outing a well attended tradition.

Perry Cup

During the 1950’s and early 60’s, members of the Stillwater Mercury Fleet often discussed starting a winter racing series on the other side of the hill in Montere y. Many members felt that the limited summer season in Stillwater really wasn’t enough. Thomas K. Perry was one of the original advocates of the winter series which now bears his name. Although the idea of a winter racing schedule came up over and over again, nothing was really done about it until a number of Stillwater sailors decided to create a new fleet in Monterey in 1970. The Monterey Fleet, looking for a way to attract new members, yet, also wanting to continue racing at Stillwater during the summer, decided to hold the first winter championship in Monterey. The series was to last all winter, but not wanting to create a series which would drag on, seemingly forever, it was decided that it should be raced only one weekend per month. The first Monterey Winter Championships were won by Tim Condon in 1970-71. Later that year Tom Perry was killed and his widow Pat offered to donate a perpetual trophy for the series to be named after him. Pat Perry passed away in early 1995. Dick Clark, at the 1995 trophy presentation announced that this series would go on forever in Pat’s honor.

Race of Champions / Cinco De Mayo Trophy

Donated by Mr. & Mrs. Lester Baldwin, active Mercury sailors of the 1960's, this trophy is a beautiful silver sailing ship model on display at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. The trophy was originally gifted as a competition between current & past Mercury Class Champions. In recent years the trophy is presented to the winner of a spring regatta sailed in the waters off Santa Barbara. This spring format was chosen to obtain optimum weather and wind conditions. The large fleets and competitive racing has made this regatta a premiere event on the Mercury Class Schedule. 

Nunes Championship Series Trophy

This is the top prize of the Mercury racing year. It is awarded to the top skipper of the Mercury Championship Series. It was donated by Ernest Nunes, designer and first builder of the Mercury Yacht . The list of past winners is printed preceding the story of the last Championship Series.

Ray Johnson Trophy

This beautiful silver pitcher was donated to the Class in 1983 in honor of Ray Johnson’s contribution to the MCYRA. As Secretary of the association from 1961 to 1982, we can safely say that no other individual member of the class has made a more significant contribution than Ray. The trophy is presented annually to the winner of the first race of the Mercury Championship Series

The Park & Lynn Densmore Perpetual Trophy

The Densmores presented this beautiful half model of their Mercury to the Mercury Class Association to be awarded each year to the winner of the second race of the Championship Series. This donation represents a continuation of their involvement in the activities of the Association which goes back more than a few years. For Park, Mercury sailing began many years ago on San Francisco Bay when he raced with John Koenig in a Mercury during the 1942 season. Lynn was introduced to the Yacht in 1960 and together they have been and still are faithful supporters of the class.

The Matt & Mimi Jenkins Perpetual Trophy

This perpetual trophy was donated by several members of the Mercury Class in memory of Matt and Mimi Jenkins. Not only did they own one of the first Mercurys at Stillwater Cove, but they spent their time and money to preserve sailing at this beautiful location. For many years at the Labor Day Weekend Regatta, they hosted a fabulous cocktail party for their friends and all the regatta participants. This half model of the Jenkin’s Mercury will be awarded to the winner of the third race of the National Championship series. 

Holden Sanford Perpetual Trophy

Holden Sanford's involvement with the Mercury Class dates back to the late 1940's when he began racing his Mercury as a member of the Lake Millerton Sailing Association, now known as the Fresno Yacht Club. Holden served as President of the class in 1960 and won the class championship in 1964 with fellow Fresno Mercury sailor, Ken Walsh, as crew at Huntington Lake. Holden's many friends in the class thought it would be a good idea to honor Holden with a perpetual trophy. Ken Gardiner, famous model maker of Newport Beach CA., was commissioned to construct a half model on a plaque of Holden's Mercury number 461. Fittingly the trophy was presented to the class, to be awarded to the winner of the fourth race of the Championship series, at a special ceremony prior to the 1994 Championship series at Huntington Lake on the thirtieth anniversary of Holden’s victory. 

John Koenig Memorial Perpetual Trophy

John Koenig was one of the founding fathers of the Mercury Class. As MCYRA President in 1953 and Class National Champion in 1954, John developed a lifelong love for the Mercury. Following his death, his wife Pat Koenig donated this a silver bowl in memory of John. The trophy is presented annually to the winner of the last race of the Championship Series. 

 Santa Barbara Mercury Fleet Invitational Perpetual Trophy

 The winner of the Mercury Fleet in the Santa Barbara Yacht Club Semana Nautica Regatta. 

Stillwater Labor Day Regatta

Since it’s inauguration in 1950, the Labor Day Regatta hosted by Stillwater Yacht Club on Carmel Bay, has been a highlight of every Mercury year. 62 Mercurys were in the starting line in 1959, an all time record. A great storm then destroyed the old pier, and the event was held in Monterey Bay in 1969-71. By 1972, despite the pull of other classes and other regattas, Labor Day drew 55 Mercurys, second largest record. Special thanks are due Past Commodore Matt and Mimi Jenkins for 40 years of their fabulous Log Cabin cocktail party (1952-91) which helped pull the whole class together, for donating the sterling silver permanent senior trophy and for Mimi's strong personal commitment to the rebuilding of the pier. In 1975 an annual senior championship regatta was established, followed in 1976 by a B division regatta. The three starting lines and three sets of trophies are unique in Mercury racing and afford appropriate recognition to important segments of the class.

OPEN DIVISION

George Rosman Travel Series

One of the most difficult to win, this series is awarded to the MCYRA member who compiles the best overall re c o rd in the best 7 of the 9 designated major Mercury Class regattas. By finishing in the top five places at the Los Angeles Midwinters, Coronado Spring Series, Race of Champions, Nunes-Hart, Huntington Lake,Labor Day,Joe Logan, Monterey Invitational and Turkey Day regattas; a participant will earn bonus points as follows :

First:: 6 Points
Second: 4 Points
Third: 3 Points
Fourth: 2 Points
Fifth: 1 Points

Additionally, each MCYRA skipper receives 2 participation points for each of the 7 regattas in which he or she competes. The winner is announced at the MCYRA annual meeting. George Rosman, MCYRA Chief Measurer from 1961 to 1974, established this event as a means to encourage Mercury owners to travel to major regattas. George felt that by encouraging trailering of their boats, Mercury sailors would become better all around yachtsmen and at the same time build friendships throughout the State of California.

Huntington Lake Regatta

The Race was started in 1954 informally when five Thistles raced a windward leeward around the windward island. With Bill Bradley as one of the founders, the regatta was formally initiated in 1955. The Mercurys and the Thistles were the original classes to compete on this 7000 foot high lake. The lake and it’s surroundings have remained unchanged over the past 36 years. Other than a cluster of condos with tennis courts and a pool, there has been very little new construction. The sailing has also remained perfect. The wind comes up at 10 am and fades at 6 pm daily. The Mercury has been in attendance every year since the regatta’s inception. In the early years, the class raced under the auspices of the Fresno Yacht Club. Due to logistics, the class now sponsors it’s own regatta, which normally occurs on the fourth weekend of July. Bill Bradley’s friends, in 1981, put up a trophy to be known as the BILL BRADLEY PERPETUAL TROPHY. This is to be presented to the winner of the annual regatta. Bill and June Bradley have been kind enough to host a Santa Maria Barbeque at their cabin with the Pat and Jim Bradley Families supervising. Attendance at this great party numbers over 200. Many families travel to Huntington Lake to enjoy what is known as baby beach. This is a lagoon like setting where most of the boats tieup bow to the shore and the young ones frolic in the lake. 

Hart Nunes Trophy

For many years James (Jim) Hart had been reminded of his memories sailing KATAPURA II by the half model of Mercury #33 hanging on his den wall. He has been a member of the San Francisco Yacht Club since 1937 and decided in 1995 to donate his beautiful half model to the Mercury Class and the San Francisco Yacht Club. The Mercury Class has established the Hart-Nunes Trophy to be awarded to the winner of an annual regatta to be sponsored by the San Francisco Yacht Club. The trophy resides at this club. Jim had the half model built in the late forties while he was sailing KATAPURA II. Jim is looking forward to seeing the Mercury Class have many years of good racing out of the San Francisco Yacht Club.