Waikiki Yacht Club - Waikiki Yacht Club | Honolulu, Hawaii 96815 USA

When you enter the Club between the two trophy cases, at the end on your right is a beautiful half model of S/C Don “DJ” Johnson’s 60 foot Lidgard Final Approach. DJ as he was known had a major heart attack on 13 July 1983, which ended his flying career. Rather than just sit around he decided to build Final Approach and sail the world. He had to interrupt this circumnavigation for a Heart Bypass operation, but once recovered he continued on.

The final leg of his voyage was the 1995 Transpac race where he stacked the crew with WYC members Michael Rothwell, Les & Bruce Vasconcellos, Jim Maynard, and Bruce Burgess for the climax of an epic voyage. DJ made his mark on Yacht Clubs around the world and some to this day still tell stories about his visit. I heard a story about him at Campagnia Della Vela, the Yacht Club in Venice Italy when I visited there in 1995.

On DJ’s death in June 2000 S/C Mike Welsh proposed renaming the 3-Day Around Oahu Memorial Day race in honor of S/C DJ Johnson. The Board approved the change. Lynn Brown donated the Final Approach half model to the Club in late 2000. Don Clothier on his Lidgard 50’ Tower won the first DJ Johnson regatta. Few will ever forget DJ’s "Viking Funeral" in July of 2000. His ashes were placed aboard a replica of a Viking boat and set afire as it sailed off.

Each Memorial Day the Waikiki Yacht Club runs the DJ Johnson 3- Day Around Oahu regatta. Day one is from Waikiki to Kaneohe. Day two is Kaneohe to Kaena point. Day three is Ko’Olina to Waikiki. The winner of the three races combined in ORR or PHRF is the overall winner of the Memorial Day regatta. PHRF was used up to 2001 and returned in 2010. Some of the past winners are missing from our files. If you any have information about this trophy please contact me at 595-4124.

2011                Ikaika Tony Miller

2010                Heartbeat James McDowell

2009                Heartbeat James McDowell

2008                Boomerang John Spadaro

2007                Ho’Okipa Michael Rothwell

2006                Ho’Okipa Michael Rothwell

2005                Fins Todd & Cindy Wyrick

2004                Boomerang John Spadaro

2003                Noa                             Geoff Borne

2002                Tiare James McDowell

2001                Tower                         Don Clothier

2000                Desperado                   Skip Winterbottom

1999                Desperado                   Skip Winterbottom

1998                20/20                           Tony Miller

1997                Urban Renewal           Les Vasconcellos

1996                20/20                           Tony Miller

1995                20/20                           Tony Miller

1994                Medicine Man Jeff Hill / Michael Rothwell

1993

1992

1991                Kaimiloa                      Dave Nottage

Waikiki Yacht Club • 1599 Ala Moana Blvd • Honolulu, HI 96814

phone: 808•955•4405
fax: 808•941•5026
email: wyc@waikikiyachtclub.com