D. Verner Smythe was a long‑time chairman of the Sears Cup Committee (the tradition‑rich triplehanded youth championship). An active member of the Pequot Yacht Club at Southport, Conn., Smythe also served as Chairman for the Coordinating Committee of the NAYRU championships. In 1974, the growing number of sailors in singlehanded boats led to the addition of a national singlehanded championship and the donation of the Smythe Trophy. The first junior singlehanded championship was sailed in Sunfish in conjunction with the triplehanded.
Similar to the Triplehanded and Doublehanded Junior Championships, the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship was a ladder competition starting at the yacht club level. In 1999 it was expanded to include two teams per Area (groupings of Yacht Racing or District Associations) with the exception of AREA H and L, each of whom sent one team. Two‑time winners have been Kevin Hall representing Pacific Corinthian and Ventura Yacht Clubs, CA, and Steven Hochart from the San Diego Yacht Club. Scott Young won the Smythe in 1976, a year after he was winning crew in the inaugural Junior Doublehanded championship.
In 2023 the Smythe Trophy was rededicated as the top “new sailor” award at the U.S. Youth Championship. The Smythe Trophy is now awarded to the top new singlehanded sailor (sailing in their first U.S. Youth Championship) in the largest singlehanded fleet at the U.S. Youth Championship.
Previous Award Recipients
Smythe Trophy – US Junior Singlehanded Champion (1974 – 2022) – US Youth Championship Best New Sailor (2023 – present)
- 2023 – St Thomas Yacht Club – Tanner Krygsveld
- 2022– Austin Yacht Club- Lucas Tenrreiro
- 2021 – Houston Yacht Club – Hamilton Barclay
- 2020 – Event not held
- 2019 – San Francisco Yacht Club – Will Foox
- 2018 – Balboa Yacht Club – David Wood
- 2017 – Stamford Yacht Club – James Paul
- 2016 – Newport Harbor Yacht Club – Joseph Hou
- 2015 – St. Thomas Yacht Club – Sam Morrell
- 2014 – FAST Sailing Foundation – Henry Marshall
- 2013 – St. Petersburg Yacht Club – Nic Baird
- 2012 – St. Petersburg Yacht Club – Addison Hackstaff
- 2011 – Wet Pants Sailing Association – Nick Valente
- 2010 – San Diego Yacht Club – Nevin Snow
- 2009 – Mission Bay Yacht Club – Kevin Laube
- 2008 – Sarnia Yacht Club – E.J. O’Mara
- 2007 – Lake Geneva Yacht Club – Clifford Porter
- 2006 – Newport Harbor Yacht Club – Charlie Buckingham
- 2005 – American Yacht Club – Cameron Cullman
- 2004 – Riverton Yacht Club – Patrick Curran
- 2003 – Brant Beach Yacht Club – Kyle Kovacs
- 2002 – Rochester, NY Mike Wilde
- 2001 – Toms River Yacht Club – Clay Johnson
- 2000 – San Diego YC – Andrew Campbell
- 1999 – Honolulu, HI – Andrew Lewis
- 1998 – Carpinteria, CA – John Diskant
- 1997 – Mission Bay YC – Steven Hochart
- 1996 – Mission Bay YC – Steven Hochart
- 1995 – Seattle YC, WA – Dalton Bergan
- 1994 – San Diego YC – Jon Baker
- 1993 – Lakewood YC – Bruce Mahoney
- 1992 – Coral Reef YC – Evan Zinn
- 1991 – Corpus Christi YC – Elizabeth Kratzig
- 1990 – Coronado YC – David Houser
- 1989 – Lakewood YC – Marc Schneider
- 1988 – Tiverton YC – Stephen Majkut
- 1987 – Coconut Grove SC – Peter Dreyfuss
- 1986 – Ventura YC – Kevin Hall
- 1985 – Pacific Corinthian YC – Kevin Hall
- 1984 – U.S. Optimist Dinghy Assn. – Rob Vanderkreeke
- 1983 – Winnetonka YC – Scott Kyle
- 1982 – Alamitos Bay YC – Michael Sentovich
- 1981 – Coconut Grove SC – Louis Verloop
- 1980 – San Diego YC – Brian Ledbetter
- 1979 – Coconut Grove SC – Baird Lobree
- 1978 – St. Petersburg YC – Richard Merriman
- 1977 – Stockton YC – Paul Yost
- 1976 – White Rock BC – Scott Young
- 1975 – Ocean Gate YC – Shawn Kempton
- 1974 – Huron-Portage YC – Richard Lyons