HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEA SCOUT CUP

The Sea Scout Cup was first organized in the 1930s. It was first held in Chicago, Ill. The event was conducted every year until 1941. When WW II broke out, Sea Scouts over 18 years of age and adult leaders enlisted in the US Navy in great numbers. That put an end to this event. Sea Scouts are a youth program for young people ages 14 through 20 years and part of the Boy Scouts of America now known as Scouting America. This is a program for young people, mainly high school age, to learn seamanship including costal navigation, rules of the road, aids to navigation, boat operation and safety with an emphasis on community service and leadership through seamanship.

In 2002, Jim Elroy, convinced William I. Koch, a billionaire businessman and the winner of the America’s Cup in 1992, to sponsor the Sea Scout Cup for the first time since WW II. Mr. Koch created a trophy that was made by Gerards of London, to be awarded at the event. Gerrards, made the original America’s Cup trophy in 1851. Mr. Koch personally designed the trophy which has inscribed on it the Scout Law. The trophy is made of sterling silver at a cost of over $100,000.00. It is without a doubt the finest Youth Saling Trophy in the world.

 The event was renamed the William I. Koch International Sea Scout Cup and was open to Sea Scouts all over the world. The event was put on every other year, and the chairman of the event was Jim Elroy, a life-long Sea Scouter and Eagle Scout and a US Coast Guard licensed Captain and retired Special Agent of the FBI. In 2016, Mr. Elroy retired from the event and Michael Philbook, a graduate of the US Naval Academy, assumed the position of Chairman of the event. Mr. Philbrook put the event on in 2018. In 2020, the event was scheduled but discontinued due to the Covid pandemic as international teams were prohibited from traveling to the USA.

This is an international invitational event. Sea Scouts from all over the world participate. Usually, the event hosts 80 Sea Scouts from ages 14 through 20 years of age and 20 adult and youth volunteers. Sea Scouts from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey and the United States have participated. The sailors are competing in two-person college competition type sailboats. The sailors are divided by ability in preliminary heat races. The top sailors compete for the INTERNATIONAL SEA SCOUT CUP, and the secondary fleet competes for the KIWI CUP. The KIWI CUP was donated by the country of New Zealand.

The Boy Scouts of America made a decision in 2020 that they would no longer sponsor national events, except for the Boy Scout Jamboree. The Boy Scouts of America informed Mr. Koch that they would no longer be involved with this event. Mr. Koch then demanded the return of his trophy which was displayed at Scouts National headquarters in Irving, Texas. The trophy was returned to Mr. Koch in 2024.

In 2026, Jim Elroy who served as chairman for all the years but one, made a decision to revive the cup and assume responsibility for bringing the International Sea Scout Cup back to life. Jim Elroy spoke to Bill Koch and Mr. Koch agreed to once again allow the trophy to be utilized by the event. The next event was scheduled for June 2027 at the Long Beach Sea Base of the Long Beach Council of Scouting America and is a local Council affiliated event with the cooperation of the Long Beach Yacht Club.

YEAR

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020