Ryan Seago wins 2018 Richardson Trophy

The Richardson Trophy, established in 1912 for match racing among clubs of The Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes, attracted seven teams for the 2018 edition on September 29-30 in Detroit, MI.

Fair skies with moderate wind and warm air set the stage for the 106 year old trophy which has seen 78 competitions allowing for breaks during WWII and other determining events.

This year’s field included two experienced past Richardson winners, Chris VanTol and Steve Lowery. Others were Ryan Seago, immediate past winner of this year’s Detroit Grand Slam Grade 2. Lance Fraser represented RCYC was also considered as a contender. Rounding out was new and a young skipper representing Wayzata Yacht Club and Lake Superior Yachting Association, Sam Bartel.

Light and moderate wind on the first day allowed for rapid progress through one full round robin and four flights into the second before racing ceased for the day. With rain starting during the night and persisting in the morning, racing resumed on day two to finish the second round robin.

Skies started to clear with a light NE breeze allowing for immediate move into the finals. This put the four top finishers in order, Chris VanTol, Steve Lowery, Ryan Seago and Lance Fraser in competition and establish this year’s winner.

With quick succession of these elimination, the final winner of this year’s Richardson Trophy was Ryan Seago representing Bayview Yacht Club and the Detroit Regional Yachting Association. In descending order, the final standings for this year were: Ryan Seago, Chris VanTol, Steve Lowery, Lance Fraser, Evert McLauglin, Sam Bartel and Paul Currie.

Source: Scott Spaeth, president Yachting Racing Union Great Lakes