“COURAGEOUS” 50TH ANNIVERSRY, FIRST ALUMINUM 12 METER, LAST TWO TIME DEFENDER

 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of “Courageous” the first aluminum 12 meter and the last two time defender of the America’s Cup. She had a difficult birth as circumstances lento the first syndicate abandoning the cause. We kept building while Olin Stephens assembled a new syndicate.

The trials were so interesting, because “Intrepid” the other two time defender, in wood pushed “Courageous” to the wire. It was the story of the summer. The margins in the actual defense showed how very superior “Courageous” was.

https://youtu.be/Zr0kgiOrETY

MY LIFE IN BOATS

I assembled this a few years ago because even I forget some of the boats and events I sailed. Still fond memories; and still making more.

HISTORY 40 YEARS AGO & 50 YEARS AGO

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.

CONSTELLATION & INTREPID 1967

INTREPID 1967

INTREPID

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
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL May 7, 2015, 19:28:00 (EDT)

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.

EIGHT BELLS FOR GERRY DRISCOLL

I will keep fond memories of sailing with Gerry as, I am sure, will many others. The words of the obituary seem meager to describe a life that was so much fuller.

The attached photos were taken by Paul Mello in 1979. “Intrepid” belonged to Baron Bic; we were a trail horse for “France III” being sailed by Bruno Trouble. We, or I should say Gerry won every start and we failed to reach the windward mark ahead only once all season. The hope was that if Gerry could find the financing, he would come back as an American contender. I will add that while the miracle of 1974 was not likely to be repeated, but Gerry as always could push the competition hard.

EIGHT BELLS

John Gerald Driscoll III, Gerry, passed away Saturday evening (March 12th)

in his sleep at his apartment in La Jolla, CA. He was 87 years old.

His sailing career highlights include winning the Star Class World

Championship in 1944 and winning the Congressional Cup match racing

championship in 1965 and 1966 with an 18-0 record those years. Gerry’s

involvement with the America’s Cup began as tactician for New York Yacht

Club Commodore Robert McCullough on the twelve meter Vim12-US-15, which was

the trial horse to Columbia 12-US-16 in the 1964 America’s Cup trials. He

then went on to sail the twelve meter Columbia in 1967 in the America’s Cup

trials and was skipper of the twelve meter Intrepid 12-US-22 in the 1974

trials.

Gerry was instrumental in the organization and fund raising for Rod Davis

and the twelve meter Eagle 12-US-60 syndicate in 1987, and in 1992 he was

San Diego Yacht Club’s liaison to the challengers for the 1992 America’s

Cup.

The Driscoll name is prominent in the San Diego marine industry. Gerry

founded the family’s first boat yard in 1947, and now there are multiple

repair and maintenance facilities, marinas, and brokerage services

throughout San Diego and Mission Bay.

AMERICA’S CUP 1978-1979

   The 1977 America’s Cup was done and dusted. Already plans for the 1980 cup were underway.  Baron Bic built “France III”, designed by Johan Valentin. (who would co-design “Australia” with Ben Lexan for 1980)
     Bic also owned “Intrepid”, which was being used as a trial horse against “France III.” In the summer of 1978 “Intrepid” had a host of skippers: Bill Ficker, Lowell North, Gerry Driscoll. “France III”also had a series of tryouts for skipper, including Bruno Trouble.
  Gerry Driscoll arrived at an agreement with Baron Bic, who agreed to lease “Intrepid” to Gerry for the 1980 America’s Cup if he could find financing for the program.
    1979, I was crew boss, downwind helmsman, and tactician. I was also responsible for maintenance of the boat; the actual work being carried out by the French shore crew.
   In over 100 starts, we lost one. Gerry owned the starting line, and was the most consistent helmsman I ever sailed with, every tack was the same, which meant the crew could always have the same timing.
     Many good stories came from this season, but no money was found for Intrepid’s comeback.

  

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.

12 US 22 Intrepid

1978-1979 I sailed aboard Intrepid about 100 days each season. I was the crew boss, responsible for scheduling crew as we were having tryouts. I was also the tactician, and sometime helmsman. additionally I had to make certain the boat was prepared each day.

Gerry Driscoll was the skipper, as good as I have ever sailed with. We raced France 3 again and again, Bic had visiting skippers, Bill Ficker, Lowell North and others. Gerry would quietly say to me , were do you want me to put them, He never lost a start and we failed to be first at the windward mark only once in the two seasons.