History of the Houghton Cup
Presented by Sidney Houghton in 1911 the Houghton Trophy is the oldest established offshore race sailed in British waters.
Until recent years The Houghton Cup used to be a night race round the Cork and Sunk Light vessels off Harwich and back to the river Crouch. The course presented real dangers due to the heavy commercial shipping to and from the busy port of Harwich which also used the Cork and Sunk Light vessels as turning marks.
John Booth who sailed in the 21st annual race in 1937 remembers one of the competitors being run down by the train ferry out from Harwich. He recalls that crews spent much of the night shining feeble torch lights onto the sails as an aid to visibility.
Sidney Houghton made a memorable voyage to Burnham from America with his newly bought Herreshoff yacht Neith, which he kept and sailed in Burnham. This voyage was single handed from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Burnham and took 25 days to complete in July 1921.
Neith was a wooden cutter rated at 21 tons Thames Measurement, 14.5 tons net, she was 45ft. 8ins. long, 10ft. 6ins. beam, 8ft. 2ins. draft and was built by Herreshoff in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1908.
The Houghton Cup now takes place on the first day of Burnham Week and is organised by the Crouch Yacht Club.
The list below details the winners of the trophy from 1911 to 1999. I will update the list to 2008 when I have discovered the missing information. So far I have the details for 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2008. If you can help with the missing years please let me know. (Rick Waterhouse)
Past Winners: Crouch Yacht Club Houghton Cup |
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| Year | Owner | Name | Desginer |
| 1911 | C. J. Munford | DAWN II | G. U. Laws |
| 1912 | R. Russell & S. H. Lowry | TEWK | Bundock Bros. |
| 1913 | R. Russell & S. H. Lowry | TEWK | Bundock Bros. |
| 1914 | A. F. Challis | PRIMROSE | W. E. Thomas |
| 1921 | P. de G. Benson | NANETTE | Linton Hope |
| 1922 | A. Cross | ALERT | - |
| 1923 | A. Cross | ALERT | - |
| 1924 | S. C. Kiver | CLEONE | - |
| 1925 | S. C. Kiver | CLEONE | - |
| 1926 | S. Brown | GLIDA | J. Gibson & Sons |
| 1927 | S. Brown | GLIDA | J. Gibson & Sons |
| 1929 | H. R. Barrett | BANBA IV | F. Shepherd |
| 1930 | H. R. Barrett | BANBA IV | F. Shepherd |
| 1931 | H. R. Barrett | MUSETTE | Linton Hope |
| 1932 | H. R. Barrett | MUSETTE | Linton Hope |
| 1933 | D. & R. Kemsley | VALA | W. E. Thomas |
| 1934 | T. Vincent Mercer | BLUE JAY | Albert Strange |
| 1935 | Norman Jones | SILVIA | - |
| 1936 | J. Bunting | DIRK I I | W. Fife |
| 1937 | S. Herring | LORA | J. Pain Clark |
| 1938 | S. Herring | LORA | J. Pain Clark |
| 1939 | S. Herring | LORA | J. Pain Clark |
| 1947 | G. Thompson | MARESTA | Guy Thompson |
| 1948 | G. E. Stobert | CORABIA | A. Tans |
| 1949 | G. Thompson | CALLIOPE IV | Guy Thompson |
| 1950 | E.F.R. Handscombe | SAGA | - |
| 1951 | N. Davis | MOONRAKER | H. W. de Voogt |
| 1952 | N. Davis | MOONRAKER | H. W. de Voogt |
| 1953 | W. Robertson | CORRIE | W. Fife |
| 1954 | F. B. R. Brown | CUNDLET | F. B. R. Brown |
| 1955 | F. B. R. Brown | CUNDLET | F. B. R. Brown |
| 1956 | W. Robertson | CORRIE | W. Fife |
| 1957 | N. Davis | MINDY | F. B. R. Brown |
| 1958 | N. Davis | MINDY | F. B. R. Brown |
| 1959 | J. W. Avery | DIONE | W. Fife |
| 1960 | R. Hill | STARLIGHT OF MERSEA | A. H. Buchanan |
| 1961 | V. Powell | GALLOPER | F. B. R. Brown |
| 1963 | K. Trent | VAE VICTUS | A. H. Buchanan |
| 1964 | R. Cohen | STARSHELL | C. R. Holman |
| 1965 | A. H. & P. M. Buchanan | TAITSING | A. H. Buchanan |
| 1966 | G. P. Hedges | LODESTAR | C. R. Holman |
| 1967 | G. C. Farmer | MERIVA | C. R. Holman |
| 1968 | J. C. Berger | JORANAN | Dick Carter |
| 1969 | R. G. Pitcher | WILLI WAW | Guy Thompson |
| 1970 | G. B. Blake | GOLDEN DRAGON | H. S. Rouse |
| 1971 | J. Harrison | RICOCHET | Holman & Pye |
| 1972 | B. T. Moore | BOTTOM | Guy Thompson |
| 1973 | R. Matthews | UFO | Holman & Pye |
| 1974 | R. Matthews | UFO | Holman & Pve |
| 1975 | L. Baker & J. Pugh | D’ARCY SPICE | Ron Holland |
| 1976 | R. Dreschfield & H. Buckley | MUKLUKS | D. Peterson |
| 1977 | P. Clements | CARRONADE | Gary Mull |
| 1978 | T. H. Swann | BRIGHT SPARK | Stephen Jones |
| 1979 | F.W. Reed | TRAMP | Stephen Jones |
| 1980 | T. H. Swann & M. Shaw | BRIGHT SPARK | Stephen Jones |
| 1981 | A. Antcliff & L. S. Rankin | SENTA | Van de Stadt |
| 1982 | T. & V. Jackson | SUNSTONE | Sparkman & Stephens |
| 1983 | R. P. Oxley | SPIRIT | Ron Holland |
| 1984 | R. Matthews | OYSTERCATCHER | Stephen Jones |
| 1985 | J. Breakell | CLARIONET | Sparkman & Stephens |
| 1986 | P. Dyer | HARMONY | Rob Humphries |
| 1987 | G. Walker | INDULGENCE | D. Andrieu |
| 1988 | D. L. Geaves | FIONA | Stephen Jones |
| 1989 | P. F. Lee | THE RED DRAGON | Andrew Stewart |
| 1990 | P. Jackson & R. Stanion | OBLIVION EXPRESS | Van de Stadt |
| 1991 | N. Theadom | ODD JOB | Stephen Jones |
| 1992 | R. Matthews | CRUSADER | Ian Howlett |
| 1993 | N. Theadom | DJINN SENG | David Thomas |
| 1994 | N. Theadom | DJINN SENG | David Thomas |
| 1995 | D. Walters | JACKDAW | Rod Johnstone |
| 1996 | S. J. Gosling | SCARLET | Peter Norlin |
| 1997 | S. & A. Weekes | SIR JASPER | Stephen Jones |
| 1998 | K. Hobday / T. Louis | INDEPENDENT BEAR | John Corby |
| 1999 | P.& N. Elmore | Twist and Shout | Rob Humphrey |
This article based on [http://www.orgo.co.uk/HoughtonCup.php] with the permission of Andrew Wise.
Andy advises that the original text was from a Burnham Week brochure.