History Corner: Historic Grand Lake Yacht Club
Special for Sky-Hi News
The Library of Congress/Courtesy photo
Founded in May 1902, the Grand Lake Yacht Club stands majestically on the shore of Colorado’s largest natural lake.
A short 10 years later, on the cold evening of Dec. 3, 1912, Grand Lake Yacht Club members excitedly waited at the Denver Club for their world-famous guest, Sir Thomas Lipton, British supermarket magnate, tea merchant and celebrated yachtsman. After an elegant meal and plenty of fine French Champagne, combined with sailing stories and nautical camaraderie, Lipton announced he would sponsor a trophy for Grand Lake’s annual sailing competition.
True to his word, the next summer, in time for the club’s annual Sailing Regatta, the ornate sterling silver cup arrived in Grand Lake. That rare Lipton Trophy is still presented annually to the winning sailor.
Sir Thomas never personally journeyed to Grand Lake but his “sailing spirit” is manifested at one of the world’s highest elevation registered yacht clubs.
The photograph is from the Library of Congress archive. This story is included in Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America Grand County,” a 150-year history of Grand County, by Penny Rafferty Hamilton, Ph.D. Available online at ArcadiaPublishing.com, local retailers and museum gift shops, and for library check-out through our Grand County Library District branches.
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