Category: 12 meter class

1974 MARINER, INTREPID

Every syndicate that vies to defend the America’s Cup invests all it’s hopes and desires in their boat. The manifestation of everything leading up to an America’s Cup summer. “Mariner” was no different. Every sailor also wants an edge, generally that is translated into an extra margin of boat speed. Every boat has a good crew; but without a good boat under them, there is little anyone can do. “Mariner” was in trouble in that department from her first day sailing.  No matter how many times “Mariner” was in a controlling position, she could not hold it.
“Intrepid” rebuilt by Gerry Driscoll from San Diego, coming back for another try. Since she was built of wood and therefore at least 3,000 pounds heavier than her aluminum rivals,and woefully short on budget, no one expected her to be a legitimate contender.
“Interpid” had been largely abandoned, Gerry Driscoll rebuilt her essentially to her original lines, a bigger rudder, A low profile crew, focused on sailing. Having sailed with Gerry(I will write about this later) he owned the starting line. This is an example of a crew out sailing the other boats, The selection committee continued racing between “Courageous” and “Intrepid” until practically until the start of the America’s Cup itself. I believe the Selection Committee was under pressure to select the new boat, the racing sharpened both boats. I also believe “Courageous” was a faster boat, just not as well sailed.

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.

the challengers, 1970 America’s Cup

1970 was the first time there were multiple challengers, Baron Bic paved the way for what would become the norm in America’s Cup racing; a challenger elimination series. He also introduced the America’s Cup to  the French, and trained a crew many of whom would go on to long careers in the America’s Cup.  Bic, who had been enormously successful in business, considered that there would be no reason he could not apply the same principles that brought him success in business would equally apply in sailing. It would prove to be his achilles heel.
The Australians returned with the new thinking of Alan Payne, a soft spoken, polite and kind man, who in my estimation was never fully appreciated for his abilities. “Gretel II” was likely the fastest boat in 1970, additionally full of progressive ideas.  “Gretel II” probably suffered from the same steering difficulties as did “Interpid”; note the small rudder behind increasing bustle.
Sailmaking and the crew training were the critical differences between the Americans and the rest of the world still. We had an intense elimination series, which really sharpened everyone’s skills and pointed out weaknesses, which in cases could be corrected. ( Constellation in 1964 is a prime example)
This proved to be the closest America’s Cup yet and probably gave a small fright to the America’s Cup selection committee.

If a little is good, more is better America’s cup 1970

1970 brought more changes to the America’s cup. The story merits to be broken into segments, chapters if you like. The Americans have three boats: “Intrepid”, “Valiant” and “Heritage”. Ted Turner brings “American Eagle”, however she is not a real contender. Turner has raced her hard across the Atlantic, SORC, Annapolis-Newport; she was an ocean racing boat with milage.
     As alluded to previously, Olin Stephens and others noted that displacement seemed to be good, while also recognizing that wetted surface was not. The eternal battle in displacement boats.  “Valiant” represented the latest thinking by S&S, heavy, lots of bustle, short ends. This proved to be wrong, and S&S subsequently backed away from this direction.
     Britton Chance, probably best known for his 5.5 meter successes at this point, re-designed “Intrepid” again, increasing the bustle, shortening the keel, and reducing the size of the rudder.
    Charlie Morgan designed, built, skippered, and made the sails for “Heritage” Too much for one man to handle in an America’s Cup season.
      As we all know “Intrepid” went on to become the second two time defender in 1970. The story of how she arrived there is an interesting one. Bill Ficker the skipper and helmsman it took all of his concentration to sail “Intrepid” with such a small rudder. The top half of her mast was titanium (the top two-thirds of “Valiant’s mast was titanium) with no jumpers. Low windage and low weight. The need for more control of both the mast and steering the boat would be re-visited later.
   I must have photos of “Heritage”, as I worked on the shore crew under Paul Coble.  1970 was my final year in college, where we were ranked number 2 in the country, we certainly won our share. I arrived the morning of the Bermuda race from Wisconsin, site of the Intercollegiate national championships. Won the Bermuda Race aboard “Carina”; returning to Newport to work on Heritage.
   I have not talked about the Challengers and will do  in the next installment.

more 1958 america’s cup

Since the 12 meter era reunion was announced. I have been asking anyone who has photos and stories if they might be willing to share them. Here are some photographs taken by Beken of Cowes in 1958 of “Sceptre”; courtesy of my good friend Anna Templeton-Cotill.
My particular favorite is the crew photo which includes the syndicate and if you look carefully, the mascot, Archibald Baldwin Warren (the dog)
Another subject of note for me is the sails.

TRIM TABS AND BUSTLES 1967

Remember that 1958 saw the first 12 meters built since before world war II. Now the America’s Cup is into it’s fourth event since 1937.
    Tank testing has shown that the concept of a trim tab with a rudder much further aft would be a breakthrough. Other boats would add bustle, ie. additional displacement aft but S&S who carried out design modifications on ” Columbia” could not reveal what they had done in the design for “Intrepid”.
“Columbia” was capably steered by Bill Ficker, who kept her in the game until the end.
   “Intrepid” would loose only once during the entire summer. She could outmanoeuvre the competition with ease. As far as I could tell most of the starts I saw, she would “sandbag” and still get to the weather mark first.  It should be noted the Bus Mosbacher was helmsman and probably the finest of his generation.
       “Dame Pattie” designed by Warrick Hood, might have been a worthy challenger had the defender been more like “Constellation”

      With each defense came new ideas.  As new information was developed, the problem was how to interpret properly that new information.

more 1964

The color photos are courtesy of Dick Enersen, crew of “Constellation” in 1964. Each photo is a story in itself. Dick looking very young indeed under the Connie shed sign. The final photo of Eric Ritter the helmsman, who stepped aside in the interest of the boat, greeting Harry Morgan, head of the selection committee bringing the good news that “Constellation” has been selected to defend.
   The black and white photo I believe was taken on a day when most of the other 12 meters lost their masts.
     I would like to hear from more of the crews out there. Thankyou Dick.

Another look at the 1964 summer

Looking back from today’s perspective makes the gear and sails in particular look primitive. I is hard to imagine that the 12 meters of the era were the cutting edge of sailing.  Look at the boom vang in the earlier post. The mainsheet winch, practically the smallest winch on the boat for the largest sail; and four parts. Just think what that must have been like at the leeward mark.
    Hanks were still used on headsails. I believe an argument could be mounted defending hanks, tactically, look at the photo of the bow of “Constellation”, Buddy Bombard is standing in the forward hatch, a jib would be stopped and hoisted through this hatch; sheets attached, at a leeward mark, a boat could carry the spinnaker right to the mark, breaking out the genoa at the last possible moment.
     Wooden boats built to lloyd’s scantlings. Designers and builders did what they could to save weight. I would not be until 1974 when aluminum would be allowed and 1986 when the first fiberglass 12 meters came into being.
    Weather, was not much beyond the farmer’s almanac. Statics accumulated over time were the only analysis available.
    Ash blocks with bronze bearings were still common. Lines were still large and heavy. Change came slowly

America’s Cup 1964

      With each new challenge the design race increased. “Constellation” the newest Sparkman&Stephens design was only second best entering the August trails. “American Eagle” the Bill Luders design and build, was up  21 and zero, appearing unbeatable and in the difficult position of not having lost a race; not knowing what if anything to change.
       Eric Ridder stepped aside as skipper of “Connie”being replaced by Bob Bavier. Along with a few other changes and she went on to be selected to defend. Leaving Bill Cox the skipper of “American Eagle” stunned.
      The American trials were the highlight of the summer, the English challenger “Sovereign” was hopelessly outclassed.
     Olin Stephens, I believed, liked to make small incremental changes, As the season of 1967 would show; “Constellation” exhibited some of the genes that would become “Intrepid”.
       The energy and enthusiasm ratcheted up with each challenge. The world was emerging from World War II, coupled with that was the easing of Taxes on the rich. America was truly on top of the world; and feeling that way.
     There are more stories connected with the summer of 1964 and this challenge deserves more time.