41st annual Tahoe Concours d’Elegance on August 9-10

FORTY-ONE YEARS AGO—when fiberglass hulls began to dominate the American pleasure boat scene—a group of Tahoe Yacht Club members and friends got together to share their passion for wooden boats, which they affectionately referred to as “old girls.”

They displayed a dozen of their wooden boats at an informal get-together at Chambers Lodge on the West Shore. From a modest beginning, the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance has grown to become the nation’s premier wooden boat show.

This year’s Concours d’Elegance is on August 9-10 at the Sierra Boat Company in Carnelian Bay, on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore. It is a quintessential “Old Tahoe” experience, drawing 5,000-6,000 visitors from all over Northern California and the West.

About 80 wooden boats are on display, and they can be viewed up close from the docks. Attendees can meet with the owners, who share their unique experiences.

Visitors also can enjoy gourmet food, wine, beer, cocktails and live music, with gorgeous views of Lake Tahoe.

The show is part of Wooden Boat Week, which includes a slew of social events, such as an Opening Night Gala at the West Shore Café. All events are open to the public.

The marquee class of the 41st annual Concours d’Elegance focuses on the renown boat collection of Alan Furth, a longtime leader of Southern Pacific Railroad Co. in San Francisco.

Furth was likely the largest wooden boat collector ever, with more than 90 boats in the ‘90s. One of them was a 1935 Dodge Model 102-A 17-foot, split-cockpit runabout. Another is the Jerry Daily, a former San Francisco Bay pilot boat crafted in 1928. Oski III, built in 1926, was a former coaching launch for the U.C. Berkeley crew.

“His collection featured the most eccentric, elegant and rarest wooden boats ever built,” says Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation President Dave Olson. “This eccentric collection will truly be a crowd pleaser.”

For tickets and more information, visit LakeTahoeConcours.com

Artist Roy Dryer’s “Woodies”

This is the 30th year that Sierra artist Roy E. Dryer III has created the official poster for the Tahoe Wooden Boat Concours d’Elegance. “Roy’s unique artistic style is perhaps best described as photo impressionistic, which creates a wonderful sense of believability by involving the viewer in the piece.” RoyDryer.com