Since 1972, recipients of the Commodore Paul Bigelow Memorial Award are outstanding individuals, who have shown great sportsmanship and devoted great energy and time to Bellport Bay Yacht Club over a period of years. Officers and Trustees of the club determine the outstanding member whose significant devotion to BBYC maintains and promotes sailing and racing the club. The award originated on September 25, 1960, when on his 97th and final birthday, Paul Bigelow presented binoculars to the Officers of the Club for a “Sailor of the Year Award”, with the stipulation that it be awarded to an outstanding Bellport sailor who competed in a class of at least 6 boats and in at least 6 races. At a May 7, 1961 meeting, the Board of Trustees intended to continue it as an annual award and appointed a committee to design and have cast a bronze sculpted plaque as a memorial to Paul Bigelow in appreciation of his outstanding sportsmanship and devotion to sailing on Great South Bay for a period of more than 50 years. During his life, 1893-1961, Bigelow served as Commodore of the Club from 1924 to 1926 and again from 1933 to 1936. He raced Bee the P Class boat, Pauline an R Class boat, Kittery an AA Class boat, and Gadget and Aim, both Star Class boats. Haste Redall, Commodore at the time, chaired the committee and worked with members Theodore T. Everitt, Robert B. Lea, William Hanaway, and Dr. Merrill N. Foote to dedicate the plaque in 1961.

 

2018    Karen Maust

2011     Julio Morales

2008     Edmund G. Laviano

1996     Lawrence N. Deering

1996     John W. Everitt

1991     David D. McChesney

1987     Ralph B. Maust

1984     Alastair Anderson

1978     Nancy Tibbs Ljungqvist

1975     Marie Louise McChesney

1972     Lispenard Suydam

1970     Malcolm J. Fleming

1969     Joseph M. Hendrie

1968     Harvey McChesney, Jr.

1967     Peter Paige

1965     Robert B. Lea

1964     H. Hastings Redall

1962     Theodore T. Everitt

1961     Dr. Merrill Foote

1960     Charles R. Dominy