LYRA Boat of the Year
The LYRA Boat of the Year award recognizes performance at the LYRA Annual Regatta and other top regattas in LYRA waters. To qualify for consideration, boats must race in at least seven counter events, including the Annual Regatta Course Racing Series and two other "Tier I" events. Selection of the winning boat from among the qualifiers is made by the LYRA executive committee, taking into account subjective factors such as the level of competition at various events. The list of 2013 Boat of the Year Counter Events is HERE. The most significant change on the list for 2013 is that the Susan Hood Trophy Race is now a Tier 1 event.
The LYRA Boats of the Year for 2012 are Blaze, a J/30 skippered by Brendan Benson from Oswego Yacht Club, and Panther, an Olson 30 skippered by Bryan Sims from Bronte Harbour Yacht Club. This is the first time that the Boat of the Year award has been shared. The LYRA Executive Committee decided that it would be unfair to choose only one of Blaze and Panther as Boat of the Year, given their outstanding performance and the very different environments in which they competed.
 |
 |
|||
| Blaze | Panther |
Blaze was first in the Founder's Cup feeder race from Henderson Harbour to Oswego, the site of this year's LYRA Annual Regatta, as well as in the round-the-buoys racing at the Regatta. In other events at the eastern end of the lake, Blaze took firsts at the Eastern Yachting Circuit Annual Regatta held at Collins Bay, Sail Oswego, the Sodus Bay YC Challenge Cup, and Henderson Harbour. (All results are within division.)
Panther made the journey from BHYC to compete in the LYRA Annual Regatta, where she placed first in division in the Freeman Cup and the Centennial Cup feeder race from Rochester to Oswego. In competition at the west end of the lake, Panther placed first at Royal Canadian YC, Port Credit YC, Etobicoke YC, Bronte Rocks, and Oakville YS.
Recent LYRA Boat of the Year recipients include: Dave Smith's Take Notice (1996); Chris Steer's Maggie Kelly (1998); Bob Porter's Harrier (2000); Jay Tovey's The Fish (2001); Peter Pape's Blue Knight (2002 & 2004); Kiki Voss' Silver Bullet (2005); Bob Porter's Hiawatha (2006); Adam Farkus' Flak (2007); Kris Verner's Mullet (2008); Judy Button's Rags (2010), and Gary Tisdale's First Today (2011).