ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 2019 TED TURNER PRESENTED THE NEW YORK YACHT CLUB WITH A FULL RIGGED MODEL OF “TENACIOUS” THE 61 FOOT S&S DESIGN IN WHICH TED WON THE FAMOUS 1979 FASTNET RACE.
TED AT 80 YEARS OLD IS SUFFERING FROM LEWY BODY DEMENTIA. EACH OF THESE REUNIONS ARE SPECIAL AS WE ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER WITH THOSE WITH WHOM WE SHARED SPECIAL MOMENTS.
IN NEWPORT WE HAVE THE EXTRAORDINARY PRIVILEGE OF NARRAGANSETT BAY.
THIS PAST SUMMER HAS BEEN FULL A EXCITING EVENTS IF YOU LOVE BOATS; AND THE SEASON IS NOT DONE.
THE TWELVE METER CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE COMING UP SOON.
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the launching and first successful defense by the 12 meter “Intrepid”. It also marks the second successful defense by the 12 meter “Courageous”. Each boat successfully defended the America’s Cup twice. Only one other boat can lay claim to that fact. That was “Columbia” 1899 & 1901. She is no longer with us.
The film produced by NBC sports is well done and a perspective I had not previously considered.
Forty years ago about this date we towed to Newport for the start of the selection trials to defend the America’s Cup.
We had had a small regatta in Marblehead over the Memorial day weekend in which “Courageous” was faster on every point of sail. Reggie Pierce looked up from the grinder handles and quipped: “It’s going to be a long summer”. Those words proved to be prophetic.
“Independence” was supposed to be the anointed defender. The rest is history.
“Intrepid” will celebrate 50 years.
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.
I am working on a book of photographs of the Newport Waterfront from the 60’s and 70’s. Today I walked the waterfront to the extent I could and took photographs from as close as I could to the spot where I had taken images all those years ago.
