The Newport of my youth was a working waterfront. fishing boats, commercial boats and yachts co-existing side by side in the same water and the same docks.
Today, the is not a shred of evidence of this life.
Category: courageous
12 METER RACING IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY ?
It will be interesting to see if this idea gains traction.
Bold plan to return America’s Cup style racing to San Francisco
12 metres racing in the 1983 America’s Cup. Australia II is covered by Liberty in Race 1 of the 1983 America’s Cup
There will be smiles around San Francisco Bay with the announcement that America’s Cup style racing is set to return to the venue of the 34th America’s Cup.
A bold plan by Tom Ehman, whose experience with the Cup dates back to 1977, will see racing resume on an annual basis in updated 12 Metre yachts – which were the preferred Cup class from 1956 to 1987.
The new event will reflect the true spirity of the America’s Cup Deed of Gift, with competition being between yacht club teams comprised only of nationals from that club’s country.
The new event is being masterminded by Tom Ehman who is currently the Vice Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, the body charged under the 19th century Deed of Gift, which governs the conduct of the America’s Cup, with the organisation of the 35th America’s Cup.
The America’s Cup Events Authority is the body responsible under the Protocol for the organisation of the next Match, but it created a great deal of angst amongst the San Francisco sailing fraternity when it decided not to Defend in its home waters, and took the Cup Defence to Bermuda.
That frustration has spawned the new event, coupled with the desire of San Francisco sailors to maintain their place on the international sailing vista.
Unlike the America’s Cup the new San Francisco event will carry half a million dollars in prizemoney, and will be a lot lower costs of entry, with a figure of $1million being touted as the annual cost to run a team.
The benefit for sponsors is that they will get annual exposure for their outlay, as opposed to the once every three/four years with the current Cup plus what can be obtained from the America’s Cup World Series – a three day event which will be sailed three times this year, and with only three venues announced for 2016
Speaking with Associated Press, Ehman said he envisions the Golden Gate Challenge as the Wimbledon of yacht racing in that it will be held every year at the same venue. Unlike the America’s Cup, all teams will be challengers, meaning they’ll start on equal footing each year.
To be named the Golden Gate Yacht Racing Challenge, the new event is being launched at a time when many in the sailing world have questioned the vision for the 35th America’s Cup of Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts, which has so far lost two of its Challengers of Record in the first 18 months of the 35th America’s Cup cycle.
Ehman said he hopes to attract team owners who have been priced out of the America’s Cup or turned off by recent turmoil.
‘This is an opportunity to do something for the sport and the former cup community,’ Ehman said from San Francisco.
Ehman told Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press that he’s working to secure event sponsors and teams.
‘I think this is the best venue in the world for showcasing yacht racing and that was shown in the last cup,’ he said. ‘There’s a crying need in the world of yacht racing for such an event, especially in monohulls and especially in a lot of breeze. We’re seeing that because of what’s happening or not happening in other parts of the sport and in other parts of the world.’
The move is sure to raise the hackles of the America’s Cup Events Authority, a privately owned company charged by the Golden Gate Yacht Club with the commercial and event management activities surrounding the 35th America’s Cup, now removed to Bermuda.
Technically Ehman is part of a management structure to which ACEA reports, however his position is also understood to be voluntary, and ACEA would have few options open to shut down this new initiative or Ehman’s involvement in promoting a new sailing event in a venue deserted by ACEA.
Ehman remains vice commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, which is the America’s Cup trustee. He said his regatta is not affiliated with the GGYC and won’t compete with the America’s Cup. It is believed the new event will be hosted by all Bay area yacht clubs, and existing facilities will be used for team bases
‘I think the America’s Cup is off on its own and always has been,’ Ehman said. ‘The America’s Cup will survive the current situation. There is obviously strong interest in monohull racing with strong teams, in boats everyone has heard of and loves. There is a nostalgia and romance with the 12-meters, and to have those boats racing in a lot of breeze on San Francisco Bay where people can watch it, it will remind people of how great the America’s Cup was in Fremantle in 1987 in windy conditions in 12s.’
Ehman told AP that he’s having designers look at modernizing the 12s and hopes to keep the cost below $3 million per boat. All boats would have the same hull shape, which would make the regatta a test of sailing skill rather than a design competition, helping to hold down costs.
12 METER CLASS 1958-1986
I have been working making short videos lately. I have made others that have nothing to do with sailing. Sailing is what people expect to find here.
SAILING THROUGH LIFE
This is in response to those who asked:”Who are you?” It is a least a dimension.Boats have always been a part of my life. Naturally interwoven with the story of Newport.
1964 / 1974 CUP DEFENDERS, TALES OF THE PAST
A reunion of the crews from 1964 and 1974 America’s Cup defenders was a wonderful event filled with tales of the past. All made possible by Jimmy Gubelmann, as I like to call him the glue that binds. I heard stories that I had not heard before and a few I knew.
Mariner, Courageous, Intrepid, Valiant were represented from 1974 and Constellation and American Eagle from 1964.
12 METERS IN NEWPORT
PRETTY BOATS
Twelve meters are elegant yachts. It is practically impossible to photograph them poorly. I had a long relationship with the 12 meter class; having lofted and built “Courageous” and having sailed on “American Eagle”, Weatherly, “Easterner” and “Intrepid” in the sixties and seventies.
They are still eight knots boats and after the last America”s Cup we will never be satisfied with anything that does not foil and sails at less than thirty knots.
GOODBY STRETCH
We are in San Diego racing in the International Masters Regatta with a contingent from 1977 when we received a telephone call with the news.
Eight Bells for Stretch Ryder
We are very sad to report from Port Washington, New York, the passing of a wonderful friend and sailor- Gould “Stretch” Ryder. Stretch is best known as the winch grinder for Ted Turner aboard Courageous for the 1977 Americas Cup defense against Australia (one).
Stretch fought cancer for the past ten months and leaves behind wife Gerry, sons Michael and Christopher, and many family and friends.
Over the past few weeks Stretch received visitors and calls from all over the country. Every member of the Courageous crew called or visited Stretch. A highlight was last Friday’s visit by half the crew of Courageous, flying in from Montana with Ted Turner on his jet. Ted, Gary Jobson (tactician), Bill Jorch (navigator) and John “LJ” Edgcomb (bow) exchanged hysterical stories (mostly true) about the 1977 Cup.
Stretch was his communicating and humorous self up to the end. Stretch grew up sailing and playing football and basketball. Winning the Bacardi Cup racing a Star with Frank Zagarino was a major sailing highlight. At AlfredUniversity he was a tight end. While serving in the Army, Stretch coached football and flew helicopters in Southeast Asia. Since 1982 Stretch worked with John Thomson, running marinas, the famous “Barge” Restaurant, and Ventura Aviation. He raced for decades on John’s famous series of ocean racers and Farr 40s named “Infinity”. Stretch has been a longtime member of the Storm Trysail Club.
There will be a celebration for Stretch at the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club at 2 pm next Friday afternoon November 1. All his friends are invited.
COURAGEOUS 35TH ( or the way we were)
This week was the 35th re-union of the “Courageous” crew; celebrating their successful defense of the America’s Cup in 1977. Commodore Harry Anderson made some remarks bemoaning the present state of the Cup. I always feel that Ted is so nice to have included me in the event over the years. I was not part of the crew; I have sailed quite a lot with Ted over the years and was part of the same syndicate in 1977. What was announced as an event for 50-60 people swelled to over 225.
Courageous was the first aluminum 12 meter, the last two time defender of the America’s Cup. I lofted and built her in 1973-74 at Minneford’s.
There was another re-union of sorts this evening. Duby Joslin reminded us Richie Sayer, Jimmy Gubelmann, Duby and Myself have know one another for 52 years this month. We have all sailed together or against each other on 12 meters, big boats and dinghys since before high school and college.
1974 america’s cup the beginning
Here is where the 12 meter story becomes more personal for me. 1972 Bermuda race, Transatlantic race to Spain, delivery to Sardinia aboard “Charisma”. November I sailed the first Windsurfer Championships in Mission Bay San Diego, a week later back on “Charisma” in Rio de Janeiro for the first Rio Circuit, upon return I picked up and moved to City Island and started work at Minneford’s for Chuck Sadler.
“Lightin’ ” was perhaps the last one tonner from Sparkman & Stephens, was complete, “Namis” a Gary Mull design, was well underway. I started lofting “Sorcery” a 56 foot sloop from S&S with Jay Selden, who coincidently had been at St. George’s with me. During this time Phil Rhodes, now retired, but had boats in his blood, started coming by and bringing me “homework” which he would correct the following visit. It is now 1973. We as a group are taking design courses at Long Island University.
I sail the Annapolis Newport race on “Lightin” with Ted Turner and most of the crew who had been with him for some time and would be aboard “Courageous” in 1977; but we are not there yet.
I get married after the Admiral’s Cup on “Charisma”, we finish second to “Saga” the sistership of ” Charisma” in the Fastnet Race; it is August of 1973. We all feel that Minneford’s will get to build the next S&S twelve meter, and it will be the first aluminum twelve meter ever.
We are again taking a course as a group, this time at Stevens Institute, a tank testing course, taught be Peter DeSaix. He is excited about the results from Brit Chance’s design. Remember the as yet to be named “Courageous” is being towed at Stevens as well.
Brit Chance might never have continued on the path he started, had not the results encouraged him. Hindsight would show that the data had been mis-read/mis-interpreted. I will note the “Mariner” was being built at Derecktor’s in Mamaroneck and I am pretty certain certain from each yard had seen what the other was building when the designs were on the loft floor.
The Fall Series in Annapolis,”Charisma”, skippered by Bill Ficker, would serve as the tryout platform for potential crew for the 12 meter we are building. We are not sailing on “Charisma” we are all pushed over to “Yankee Girl” the sistership to “Charisma”. We beat them for the series.
We built a mock up of a preliminary deck layout which we could heel, for Bill and his crew, who came to try it. An oil crisis would derail this Syndicate, who to their credit, felt that they could not in good conscience go forward with a 12 meter when the rest of the people in the United States were waiting in line for gasoline. This decision was based on the fact that the budget for fuel for the 4 months of tender for the boat was $50,000.00
Olin Stephens asks us to continue building and he will find a new syndicate. There would be no second-in-row for Bill Ficker.
This is the first aluminum twelve meter ever. LLoyd’s of London has been the guardian of the twelve meter rule and the scantlings or material standards for nearly 100 years. In addition to lofting “Courageous” my job was to co-ordinate with the representative from LLoyd’s as to our proposed ideas for building. He came once a week and would return with a yea or nay.
One day before we finished the lofting, Olin brought a guest, the man who had lofted “Constellation” and “Intrepid”;now elderly and could not see well, but he put his hands on the lines and gave them his blessing.