The first Bullship Race was April, 1954. Charles O’Gara and Lynn Pera set out to prove the merits of sailing to Barnaby Conrad, author and bullfighting expert, by racing from Ondines in Sausalito to the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. O’Gara lost the race (and by tradition has been the last skipper ever since) but Conrad was convinced that the El Toro class was worthy of a trophy to perpetuate the event. The trophy was the tail of a bull awarded each year to a last place sailor.