Category: 12 meter class

How I Learned To Love Math

I don’t know about you, I struggled with math throughout school. I, like so many, could never see the necessity of knowing much math.

I loved sailing and wanted to know everything there was to know about boats. I worked building sails, building boats. I started lofting the designs; drawing them full size, This is the moment where any errors in the initial design appear. We would re-fair the lines. But for me, suddenly there was a reason for math. It all became so clear. I could define the “lines” of the boat with a formula. Math had a purpose, and therefore became a useful tool.

Homework


When I was lofting “Courageous” at Minneford’s on City Island; Phil Rhodes would come around the yard. He was retired from yacht design, but I never met anyone who had been involved in boats to let go just because time had moved on. Boats are a passion. It was clear that for Mr. Rhodes it was no different. We would chat; It must have become clear to him that I shared his passion. He started bringing work sheets with technical problems of various sorts for me to solve. The following week he would collect the “homework” and give me another set of problems to work on. I would receive the corrected sheets with comments. Something that continued until his death.

Call Me "Sir"

Before the America’s Cup Jubilee Prince Michael of Kent came sailing with us aboard “Columbia” the twelve meter in Newport. I recognized him as soon as he stepped aboard. Not quit sure of how to engage him in conversation, after a bit of reflection I had a thought. Uffa Fox had taught him to sail, and had probably helped him get drunk for the first time, in his teens, along with many other adventures. You had to know Uffa.

As we approached the moment when we had to prepare for the day’s racing , I asked Prince Michael how I should address him while racing. His response:”You may call me sir.”
The rest of the day all communication was prefaced by “Sir”.


last snow of 2008


It is snowing. I am waiting to shovel, burning off the calories of the holidays.

It seems Bernie Madoff is the poster child of the unraveling of the economy. perhaps even a candidate for man of the year, he is the manifest icon of what happened.
On to the purpose of my post: Ted Turner at the end of the 1974 America’s Cup trials, In the photograph Ted has just been notified that “Mariner” the Britton Chance design has been eliminated from the trails. The syndicate tried everything even major surgery to the boat in the middle of the summer, all to no avail.The boat was just slow, finishing last in the consolation race, even losing to France 1, sailed by Baron Bic.  I sailed aboard the boat for that race.
During the winter of 1973-74  while I was building “Courageous” at Minneford’s in City Island; I took a class in tank testing at Stevens Institute in Hoboken taught by Peter Desaix. Peter, at the time was exuberant about the results produced by “Mariner” in the tank, claiming a breakthrough. He would later recant his claim realizing a flaw in the test data.
It was a bitter blow for all involved. The relationship between Ted and Brit soured,hence the poster circulated during the Southern Circuit. Ted felt betrayed by Dennis Connor, who had been his tactician, but recruited by “Courageous” as a starting helmsman. Brit Chance’s career was put in jeopardy; although he recovered with his design of the one tonner  “Resolute Salmon”.
These events probably contributed to Ted’s choice of “Courageoous” for 1977; a proven quantity. Not taking any chances. Surrounded by his “inner circle” those who stayed loyal to him.

"My Life" Ed du Moulin

I unexpectedly received at Christmas a copy of Ed du Moulin’s book “My Life”. During the Jubilee in 2001 at Cowes Ed came aboard “Columbia” the 12 meter along with Jim Hardy and presented me with a copy of his book ” The America’s Cup and Me”.

I am a big fan of autobiographies.I have already read the book cover to cover; finding so many familiar names entwined in the stories found there.
I raced to Spain with Rich in 1972 aboard “Charisma” belonging to Jesse Philips. I found the stories that Rich would have told his father in the book. I look back at these events fondly, and have only the best memories of all the crew.
Jesse was in the process of divorcing his wife of 27 years. He spent so much time on the SSB that he would run the batteries down. We told Jesse that he had to be careful. His response was that Huey Long on “Ondine” seemed to have no problem , why was it that he did?
Copies of these books are available by contacting the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol Rhode Island.


more wire tails

The entry about wire sheets reminded me of an incident while sailing on Intrepid in 1979. If you read far enough back in my blog there is an entry about my two seasons aboard Intrepid with Gerry Driscoll. It was an attempt by Gerry to come back in 1980 with Intrepid. It was contingent on finding financial backing. We were sailing against France 3 everyday, as Intrepid belonged to Baron Bic at the time.

We had no budget to speak of, so I would try to get an extra day or two out of the runner tails. They were 1/4 inch galvanized wire and took a great deal of abuse, particularly upwind tacking. Typically a set of runner tails would last 4 days, before they broke down.
Racing upwind on the fifth day of a set of runner tails; the windward tails exploded. Gerry,without a word, calmly tacked the boat. My arm was filled with small “splinters” of rusted wire, it stung. When we sorted out I looked at Gerry, who was still steering, not only was his arm covered with the same spikes, but one side of his face as well.
It was the last time I economized on runner tails.

Jack Sutphen’s book signing

Jack’s book:”Messing About in Boats” was published earlier this year. He was in Newport this weekend for a book signing in conjunction with the 12 Meter North American Championships, at the Seaman’s Church Institute. Lots of people turned out. I first met Jack in the 1960’s, he was working at Ratsey&Lapthorn sailmakers, as was Arthur Knapp. I raced against him on Long Island Sound.

Jack then showed up in Newport sailing 12 meters. He was very good at making a 12 go fast. He now lives in San Diego, and at 90 is having a great time.



wire sheets

When I started sailing rope sheets and guys were normal. The rope was not very sophisticated, it stretched quite a lot. As the boats became more evolved wire sheets and guys became normal. It was 7×19 galvanized, because it was more flexible. It rusted quickly and broke down just as fast. Your hands were constantly torn by the meathooks.

In the photo at the right, we are sailing Independence off Marblehead in March. It is cold. Ted Hood would just keep sailing in a straight line; often we would not return until after dark. For amusement, we would spray the wire on the drum just before casting off. It would flame, from the friction of the wire slipping on the drum in the tack.