Larimore Trophy

"To encourage the sport of Youth Sailing in the United States".

Larimore Trophy - audio

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In trust from the Larimore Family, the US1 is a scale model of the original Optimist Pram designed by Clark Mills in1947. The Key Biscayne Yacht Club has sponsored the Youth Regatta since1971.

The Key Biscayne Yacht Club has a storied history of supporting youth sailing, and this commitment is epitomized by the Larimore Trophy. Donated in trust by the Larimore family, this perpetual trophy was established with the specific purpose of "encouraging the sport of youth sailing in the United States."

In 1969, the Key Biscayne Yacht Club partnered with the City of Miami to co-host the first National Pram Championship, held at Marine Stadium, marking a historic milestone in youth sailing. The event evolved into the Southeast Dinghy Championship (SED), now a major event in youth sailing. 

Now raced in Optimists - the world's largest youth sailing class - alongside Lasers and Club 420s, the SED has hosted over 4,000 young sailors and continue to shape the future of the sport.

The trophy itself is a piece of sailing history, featuring a scale model of the original Optimist Pram. This iconic boat design was created in 1947 by Clark Mills, a renowned boat builder from Clearwater, Florida. Mills' vision, inspired by a local Optimist Club, was to design a simple, affordable sailboat that children could build with their fathers using common materials like two sheets of plywood. The original Optimist Pram was so inexpensive that it was initially planned to have a sail made from a bedsheet.

The Larimore Trophy was first presented to the winner of the inaugural National Pram Championships, a youth regatta held at the Miami Marine Stadium in 1969. The event was sponsored by the City of Miami. Since 1971, the Key Biscayne Yacht Club has taken over the sponsorship of this youth regatta, continuing the tradition of recognizing and fostering young sailing talent.

The original Optimist Pram, while now a rare sight, was the foundation for the modern Optimist Dinghy. The design was adopted and modified in Europe, and it eventually became the largest one-design class in the International Yacht Racing Union, with hundreds of thousands of boats sailed by children in over 120 countries. The Larimore Trophy, therefore, not only honors the winners of the youth regatta but also serves as a tangible link to the origins of this globally popular sailing class.

The Club holds the Larimore Trophy, a replica of the first pram, awarded to top performers at the Southeast Dinghy Championships who often go on to win international titles.

A note of historical interest: Taylor Larimore, whose family donated the Larimore Trophy, and Commodore Thomas J. Stickney, 25th Watch, were the visionaries who worked together in establishing the initial pram regattas. His son, Commodore Timothy (Tim) Stickney, 50th Watch, continued this tradition, and his family donated the Stickney Trophy.  Around 1990,  Tim recruited and mentored Commodore Hortensia Sampedro Hacker, 58th Watch to continue the SED tradition for over two decades, and her family donated the Corinthian Trophy in honor of the SED's 50th Anniversary. As a result, the Club now has a trio of significant trophies: a historically important trophy for the Overall Winner, a cherished trophy for the KBYC winner, and a meaningful Corinthian Trophy recognizing good sportsmanship.

The 53rd Annual Southeast Dinghy Championship will take place from September 26 - 28, 2025.

For more information please contact us at sedc@kbyc.org or follow this link SEDC.

Location: Seabelle Room on the main floor.

The 53rd annual Southeast Dinghy Championship was held on September 26 - 28, 2025, at the Key Biscayne Yacht Club.

For a list of the winners go to: https://theclubspot.com/regatta/UWhCYFEVDb/results

To participate in 2026 contact us at: sedc@kbyc.org. 

To see the official photographs go to: https://sedc-2025.aixaholt.com/sets