The Meier Trophy for highest-finishing female helm to debut at the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship
by International Melges 24 Class Association 13 Jul 15:42 BST
Chelsea Simms' Straightarrow USA830 - Lake Geneva - Melges 24 U.S. Nationals 2023 © Morgan Kinney / Melges Performance Sailboats
The 2026 Melges 24 World Championship will introduce a new perpetual trophy next September that recognizes excellence at the helm while celebrating a family's enduring connection to sailing and maritime tradition.
The Meier Trophy, established through the generosity of Regatta Chairman Tom Meier and the Meier family, will be awarded annually to the highest-finishing female helmsperson at the Melges 24 World Championship. Beginning in Harbor Springs, the perpetual trophy will become a lasting part of the championship's history, with each recipient's name engraved alongside future winners in the years to come.
"Our family wanted to create something that would become part of the Melges 24's history long after this championship has concluded," said Regatta Chairman Tom Meier. "This clock has been part of our family's sailing story for generations, and it's incredibly meaningful to see it begin a new chapter honoring the talented women who continue to shape and strengthen the Melges 24 Class and the sport of sailing as a whole. We hope every future recipient sees the Meier Trophy as a symbol of excellence, sportsmanship, and the enduring spirit of competitive sailing."
More than simply another championship award, the Meier Trophy tells a story spanning generations.
At its center is an original Chelsea clock, built in 1907 and first purchased by renowned Detroit clockmaker Frank Meier Sr. Chelsea clocks have long been regarded as icons of maritime craftsmanship. Often referred to as the "Timekeepers of the Sea," they became famous aboard yachts and commercial vessels for marking the traditional watch intervals that have guided sailors for generations.
For well over a century, the clock has remained in the Meier family, passing from Frank Sr. to his son, Frank Meier Jr., and ultimately to his grandson, Tom Meier.
Combined, the two generations of Meier sailors who cared for this family heirloom have accumulated more than 120 years of sailing experience and participated in more than 760 races. Now, that same clock begins a new chapter—as the centerpiece of a perpetual trophy that will forever recognize outstanding women at the helm of one of the world's premier high-performance one-design classes.
The Meier family has dedicated the trophy in honor of the women of the sea, recognizing the skill, leadership, and competitive excellence demonstrated by female helms throughout the Melges 24 Class.
As the names of future recipients are engraved onto the trophy's three-tiered base, the Meier Trophy will become part of the living history of the Melges 24 World Championship, linking generations of sailors through a shared commitment to excellence on the water.
"On behalf of the International Melges 24 Class Association, I'd like to sincerely thank Tom Meier and the entire Meier family for this extraordinary gift," said International Melges 24 Class President Duncan Stamper. "One of the things that has always made our class special is that our members continue to invest in its future while honoring its past. The Meier Trophy joins a distinguished collection of perpetual awards that celebrate achievement at the highest levels of our sport, and it will inspire generations of female helms to compete for one of the most meaningful honors in our class. We are deeply grateful to the Meier family for creating a legacy that will become part of Melges 24 history."
Beginning in 2026, each new recipient will add another name to the Meier Trophy-and another chapter to a story that began more than a century ago with a Chelsea clock and a family's enduring love of sailing.
Registered female helms at the Melges 24 Worlds 2026:
Full Entry List
The 2026 Melges 24 World Championship will be hosted by Little Traverse Yacht Club (LTYC), in cooperation with the International Melges 24 Class Association and the US Melges 24 Class Association.