In 1921, Commodore Herbert M. Sears of the Eastern Yacht Club at Marblehead, MA placed in competition a Cup bearing his name for competition among juniors of Massachusetts yacht clubs. The next year eligibility broadened to include clubs such as Larchmont and Seawanhaka Corinthian on Long Island Sound and Cedarhurst on the south shore of Long Island, NY.
How racing has changed since then is reflected in a comment about the 1923 & 25 victories of the Duxbury Yacht Club team on which C. Raymond Hunt (designer of the 110 and 210 classes and the Boston Whaler) was helmsman, “Boys in those days were required to wear caps, neckties and jackets while sailing and girls dresses.”
In 1930, Commodore Sears of the Eastern Yacht Club at Marblehead, confident that NAYRU was here to stay and deeming it desirable that the competition be national in scope, deeded the trophy to NAYRU for triple-handed sailing among juniors over 12 and under 18 whose parents or guardians are members of some Yacht Club in the United States recognized by the Union. Under the deed, the Cup is “for the purpose of promoting the sport of yachting by encouraging proficiency in seamanship and sportsmanlike conduct in sail yacht racing on the part of boys and girls of school age”. Also, the finals were to be held in home waters of a yacht club on the Atlantic Coast north of Sandy Hook – both conditions mirroring those for the Adams Trophy. As Member Associations of NAYRU proliferated to include all parts of the continent, the Sears Cup likewise became trans-continent. By the 1950’s. NAYRU was inviting the Associations to make selections of teams to compete. Until the US Yacht Racing Union was formed in 1975, teams from Canadian Yacht Clubs also competed. The Cox Trophy is awarded to the Sportsmanship winner. In 2010, a Shipshape Trophy was added for that team who maintained their borrowed boats in the best condition during and after the championship.
Today, the Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded Championship for the Sears Cup is US Sailing’s National Championship for three-person (triplehanded) youth teams, and serves as a pathway into keelboat racing.
Previous Award Recipients
Sears Cup
- 2023 – Kaneohe Yacht Club/HYSA- Makani Andrews, Bryce Huntoon, Noelani Velasco, Jaxon Hottinger
- 2022 – Kaneohe Yacht Club/HKBC- Makani Andrews, Bryce Huntoon, Noelani Velasco,
- 2021 – Hampton Yacht Club – Kyle Pfrang, Parker Moore, Pierce Brindley, Dingkun Li
- 2020 – Event not held
- 2019 – Balboa Yacht Club – David Wood, Daniel Pegg, Kenny Sherb
- 2018 – Sheboygan Youth Sailing Center – Douglas Wake, Ashley English, Noah Bartelt
- 2017 – Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club – Cameron Feves, Tristan Richmond, Brock Paquin
- 2016 – Annapolis Yacht Club – Porter Kavle, Jake Vickers, Will Comerford
- 2015 – Lakewood Yacht Club – Dane Byerly, Howdy Hughes, Collin Scoville, Carson Shields
- 2014 – St. Petersburg Yacht Club – Liam McCarthy, Josh Dochoda, Greiner Hobbs
- 2013 – San Francisco Yacht Club – Jack Barton, Sammy Shea, Alex Moody, Sam Barton
- 2012 – San Francisco Yacht Club – Jack Barton, Sam Barton, Sammy Shea, Corey Lynch
- 2011 – Mystic River Mudhead Sailing Association, CT – O.J. O’Connell, Ben Wilkinson, Kyle Seniff
- 2010 – Mission Bay Yacht Club, CA Scott Hoffmann, Evan Hoffmann, Reece Bernet
- 2009 – Mission Bay Yacht Club, CA Scott Hoffmann, Evan Hoffmann, Colleen Hackett
- 2008 – Sarasota Youth Sailing Program, FL Will Stocke, Max Famiglietti, Matt Dowd
- 2007 – Mission Bay Yacht Club, CA Scott Hoffmann ,Evan Hoffmann ,Eric Alamillo
- 2006 – Team FOR, FL – Fred Strammer, Katrina Salk, & Zeke Horowitz
- 2005 – Annapolis Yacht Club, MD – Ted Hale, Evan Aras, Joe Morris
- 2004 – Venice Youth Boating Association, FL – Fred Strammer, Dalton Tebo, Charlotte Sims
- 2003 – Southern Yacht Club, LA – Baker Potts, Allan LeBlanc, Edward Levert
- 2002 – Santa Barbara Yacht Club, Ca – Ted White, Alex Bernal, David Harris, Duncan Shea
- 2001 – Malletts Bay Boat Club, Colchester, VT – Erik Johnson, Karl Johnson, Bretton Gardner
- 2000 – St. Petersburg YC, St. Pete, Fl – Rick Korab, Ryan Druyor, Kevin Reali
- 1999 – King Harbor YC, Manhattan Beach, CA – Colin Campbell, Brian Angel, Ryan Houston
- 1998 – Bay Waveland YC, New Orleans, LA – Robert Conrad, Marcus Eagan, Cardwell Potts
- 1997 – St. Petersburg, FL – Sean Doyle, Nick Hartney, Andrew Nelson
- 1996 – Pass Christian YC, Pass Christian, MI – John F. Dane, Oliver Peneguy, David Taylor
- 1995 – Toms River YC, NJ – Allan Terhune, Jr., Coury Yetman, Ronald Vignone
- 1994 – Shilshole Bay YC – Dalton Bergan, Mike Visser, Kevin Oliverio
- 1993 – Mystic River Mudhead SA – Morgan Connor, Graeme Woodworth, Kyle Shattuck
- 1992 – Baview YC – Dean Balcirak, Mike Bianco, Peter Feldman, Adam Lowry
- 1991 – Southern YC – Charles Meade, John Alden Meade, John Moss
- 1990 – Houston YC – Scott Elting, Carter Perring, Sam Pyne, David Thomas
- 1989 – Coconut Grove SC – Patrick Downey, Mark Ingraham, Chris McGrath
- 1988 – St. Francis YC – Morgan Larson, Haley King, Brandon Paine
- 1987 – Coconut Grove SC – Kevin Downey, Greg Enos, Kim Logan
- 1986 – Cowan Lake SA – Jeff Irvine, Bill Barrett, Steve Rittmeyer
- 1985 – St. Petersburg YC – Royce Rarik, Marty Kullman, Michelle Profant, Chris Bardes
- 1984 – Houston YC – Todd Hudgins, Mitch Brindley, David Calverly
- 1983 – Alamitos Bay YC – Ron Rosenberg, Mike Goyan, Mike Kortz
- 1982 – Alamitos Bay YC – Ron Rosenberg, Jim McLeod, Rich Palarea, Chris Redman
- 1981 – Richmond YC – John Kostecki, Albert Boyce, Mark Hempstead, Rand Arnold
- 1980 – Long Beach YC – John Shadden, Mike Pinckney, Bobby Frazier
- 1979 – American YC – Bill Lynn, Tom Mundinger, Bobby Capita
- 1978 – Pymatuning YC – Mark Thompson, Mike Werley, George LeBrun
- 1977 – Buckeye Lake YC – Will Petersilge, Dan Roshon, Dan Dressel
- 1976 – Potomac River SA – Andrew Menkart, Jeff Stamper, Berkeley Shervin, Chris Mason
- 1975 – Coconut Grove SC – Mike Alexander, Reid Hutchinson, Freddy Hutchinson
- 1974 – Minnetonka YC – Tom Burton, Chris Thompson, Fritz Van Nest
- 1973 – Houston YC – Glenn F. (Bud) Brown, Paul Thompson, Paul Wells
- 1972 – Houston YC – Clark Thompson, Jr., Paul Thompson, Glenn F. (Bud) Brown
- 1971 – Annapolis YC – Charlie Scott, Larry Leonard, Eddie Holt
- 1970 – Houston YC – Dan Williams, Clark Thompson, Jr., Ed McFarlan
- 1969 – Noroton YC – Manton D. Scott, Christopher P. Wilson, Steven B. Heath
- 1968 – Galveston Bay Cruising Assn. – John Kolius, Jay Williams, Dan Williams
- 1967 – Southern YC – John Dane, III, John Cerise, Mark LeBlanc, Bill Smith
- 1966 – Monmouth BC – Robert Held, Robert McCutcheon, David Allen
- 1965 – Corinthian YC – Robert E. Doyle, Robert McCann, Bruce Atkins
- 1964 – Corinthian YC – Robert E. Doyle, Robert McCann, Joan Thayer
- 1963 – Milford YC – Whit Batchelor, John Cordes, Dave Brown
- 1962 – Newport Harbor YC – Henry Sprague, III, George Twist, Bill Symes
- 1961 – Pleon YC – Stephen Wales, Lee Harris, Tex Mason, Rennie Greenlaw
- 1960 – Royal Vancouver YC – David Miller, Colin Park, Kenneth Baxter
- 1959 – Hudson YC – John Welch, Barbara Thomas, Ian Richie
- 1958 – Noroton YC – Kevin Jaffe, Carolyn McCurdy, Peter Wilson
- 1957 – Pequot YC – John Merrifield, Peter Clark, Thomas Munnell
- 1956 – Seattle Corinthian YC – Alan Holt, Fred Ray, Stephen Banks
- 1955 – Royal Canadian YC – A.R. Lennox, D. Day, P. Carver
- 1954 – Kingston YC – Harry Jemmett, Hendry Connell, Barrie Gilbert
- 1953 – Sandusky SC – Dave Ortman, Ellen Seaman, Forbes Hotchkiss
- 1952 – Indian Harbor YC – Martin A. Purcell, Constance M. Neher, Carolyn E. Neher
- 1951 – Rocky Point Club – George Reichelm, James A. Blattman, William B. Osgood, III
- 1950 – Pleon YC – Stephen M. Smithwick, George Stephenson, Nelson W. Aldrich, Jr.
- 1949 – Cohasset YC – Kingsley Durant, Francis V. Cohouet, Edward C. Bursk, Jr.
- 1948 – Vineyard Haven YC – Douglas Cassel, Robert Villings, James Norton
- 1947 – The Buzzard YC – Michael Jackson, Nicholas J. Baker, Allen K. Chase
- 1946 – Stage Harbor YC – William R. Maclay, H.T. Woodland, Jr., Andrew Griscom
- 1945 – No Contest
- 1944 – No Contest
- 1943 – No Contest
- 1942 – No Contest
- 1941 – Eastern Yacht Club – Robert Coulson
- 1940 – Eastern Yacht Club – Robert Coulson
- 1939 – Annisquam Yacht Club – Richard W. Machem
- 1938 – Pequot Yacht Club – Robert E. Gordon
- 1937 – Pequot Yacht Club – Charles P. Stetson
- 1936 – Vineyard Haven Yacht Club – John H. Ware, Jr.
- 1935 – Vineyard Haven Yacht Club – John H. Ware, Jr.
- 1934 – Vineyard Haven Yacht Club – Frank B. Jewett, Jr.
- 1933 – Vineyard Haven Yacht Club – Frank B. Jewett, Jr.
- 1932 – Eastern Yacht Club – Chandler Hover, Jr.
- 1931 – Beverly Yacht Club – Michael M. Cudahy
- 1930 – Vineyard Haven Yacht Club – Willaim S. Cox
- 1929 – Bar Harbor Yacht Club – Willaim B. Cudahy
- 1928 – Beverly Yacht Club – Willaim B. Cudahy
- 1927 – Pleasant Bay Yacht Club – Charles Ashley Hardy
- 1926 – Duxbury Yacht Club – John S. Wilbor
- 1925 – Duxbury Yacht Club – C.Raymond Hunt
- 1924 – Pleon Yacht Club – Harry B. Thayer, Jr.
- 1923 – Duxbury Yacht Club – C.Raymond Hunt
- 1922 – Larchmont Yacht Club – Arthur W. Knapp
- 1921 – Pleon Yacht Club – Richard S. Thayer