Category: admiral’s cup

1971 trans-atlantic

In 1971 we cruised “Carina” to England for the Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet Race. we sailed from Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Ct. to Harwichport, on Cape Cod; where David Steere the owner of “Yankee Girl” had a summer house, compound might be a better description. A big party the night of our arrival and we left across the ocean along with “Yankee Girl”, “American Eagle” owned by Ted Turner, and “Carina” belonging to Dick Nye.

We sailed the more northerly route, closer to the great circle, crossing in fourteen days , which would have likely won a race had we been competing .
A few days into the crossing, still on the Grand Banks, but not having had a sun sight in a few days, we only had a dead reckoning position. we calculated that we were perhaps 20 miles south of Sable Island, more or less. That night, I was off watch, we hit a whale that had been sleeping on the surface. I ran on deck, in a panic, thinking we had hit the island, just in time to see the whale pop to the surface behind us.

Fastnet 2003



This was my fifth Fastnet Race,(My first was in 1969) I have a fondness for this race; the challenges of the tide gates, the weather, the changes and obstacles.The fireworks the night before, the charm and bustle of Cowes, contribute to this feeling.

We actually led out of the Solent, past Hurst castle, only to anchor at Portland Bill for dinner. The photo of us passing Fastnet Rock continues to be one of my favorite memories. I am at the helm, Dan Cianci on the rail,furthest forward, was lost at sea a year later, only adding to the significance of this photo.
The final photo shows us at Bishop Rock, we missed the tide by a minute or two, in a dying breeze, allowing the boats behind to sail up to us.( also showing just how far ahead we had been.)
We still finished 11th boat for boat, however not achieving silver.


1973 continued


I eluded to the breath of events for 1973, My wedding was one whose date was a established after consulting the sailing schedule. With Admiral’s Cup and the Fastnet behind me I could concentrate on my future wife. We were married in Aste, a small village in the Pyrenees mountains, which separate France from Spain.

Never has there been such a wonderful event at least as far as I am concerned. Not only was I welcomed into my wife’s family, It was the best party I ever attended. Since then I have come to know this region of France, and it has become part of me.
Although it is not near the sea, I brought the first windsurfer to France, sailing it in the lakes in the Mountains. At the time I was reviled by the fishermen, today the fishermen are gone and there is a fleet of windsurfers.


1973


sometimes it is difficult to find a header that covers the events. 1973 was such a year. I sailed all the spring Long Island Sound races on “Charisma” She then left for England,

I then sailed the Annapolis to Newport race with Ted Turner aboard “Lightnin” probably the last one tonner designed by S&S,  we built it at Minneford’s in City Island. Peter Bowker navigated and cooked.  Rounding out the crew were Ted’s regulars; Richie Boyd, Bunky Helfrich, Max O’Meara . We won our class by a full day, beating many larger boats, boat for boat.Ted took the boat to England to Compete in the Admiral’s cup as well having to find ways to increase her rating to meet the minimum for the series.
I then re-joined “Charisma” who was also part of the American  Admiral’s cup Team, along with “Salty Goose” belonging to Bob Derecktor. In those days the admiral’s cup(three boat teams from one country) was sailed as part of Cowes Week, which meant that you started in your respective class of race week. and were scored both ways. The Channel race, in those days started in Southend, near Portsmouth, usually 220 miles, followed by the day races of cowes week and ending with the Fastnet Race (605 miles) Incidentlt, the cover photo is “Charisma” at the start of the Channel Race.
Bill Ficker skippered the boat, John Marshall was aboard( you want john with you) The real drama of the race was our finish. Anchored within 100 yards, alongside our sistership from Brazil “Saga”. It was a race to see who could get their anchor up first. “Saga” won and we finished second.

Fall 1975

Following Cowes Week aboard “Gitana VI” I raced the Fastnet with “Guia” belonging to Georgio Falk. “Guia” had been built for the previous Admiral’s Cup as “Ginko” a 44 foot Bob Miller/Ben Lexan design. A light fast boat, having scored well in 1973 and had won an inshore race in 1975. Again, a mixed crew of talented Italians and French, and again English was the language on Deck, except when faced with a crisis.

It was the ride back from Fastnet Rock, where this occurred, the Wind freshened, to 30 plus knots. We were scudding along at 15-17 knots; A spinnaker change was necessary, I opted to steer staying out of the language barrier problem. From here our fate took a turn for the worse; as I watched the competition shrink on the horizon ahead. Both spinnakers were wrapped around the headstay and required cutting away.
I returned to the United States, to sail the One Ton Worlds, in Newport, with Ted Turner on “Vamp” a Peterson design. A hard series, we faired well, however, being beaten by Lowell North in “Pied Piper” also a Peterson design, so Ted bought Lowell’s boat. which we sailed in the 1976 One Ton World’s. a story for another installment.

1974-1975 England

In the fall of 1974, We moved to the Isle of Wight, England, where I started work at Souter’s Shipyard, lofting and buildiing cold-moulded boats. The face at the right is of a by-gone era. I skippered a boat, the prototype of the Swan 41, called “Gunfleet of Hamble”, We were vying for a spot on the English Admiral’s Cup team. We practiced, the selection trials were fiercely competitive. Going into the final 200 mile race, we were tied for third with Yeoman, Robin Aisher’s boat. All we had to do was beat them and we were in. we could effectively ignore the other boats. The owner, got nervous and changed three of the crew, who had helped us get here, and listened to an “expert” weather consultant, claiming there would be light air all weekend. we left our heavy air sails ashore along with our steady crew. We did not make the cut.

I left shortly after that race to join “Weald” Frank Cummiskey’s Swan 48 for the trans-atlantic race from Newport to Cowes, Isle of Wight.
Shortly after the start, we encountered a strong low, 50 knots plus. We were just settling in to the conditions when our headstay came down. Sailing to Marblehead , a new headstay was installed and we restarted, managing to chase down a few competitors, however without hope of winning . Greeted along the way by the usual sea creatures.
After arriving in Cowes I joined “GitanaVI” a 66 foot S&S, belonging to Baron Edmond Rothschild, which had also taken part in the trans-atlantic race; for Cowes week racing.It was a culturally mixed crew ,comprised of Italians, French, and myself. In moment of crisis each would revert to their native language, English had been established as the language on deck. This led to some amusing moments. I should add that the food and clothes were without equal.



america’s cup jubilee 2001

the America’s Cup Jubilee held in 2001 in Cowes, England. The Woodstock of sailing as it has been described. Was truly a remarkable event. The Royal Yacht Squadron set the standard of how to make people happy. 38 twelve meters assembled in one place for the first time ever; along with so many other fabulous boats. For those of us who love sailing it truly was the best of the best, with no end of the “eye candy”.

White Crusader and Ecosse(USA) sailing upwind. Vanity V with 5 Vargas girls spinnakers;
the crew photo is Olin Stephens with a smile from ear to ear posed with the crew of Nyala sailed by Troben Grail
Columbia, the 1958 defender in the America’s cup aboard which I sailed, in a foul tide with the cliffs of the needles in the background.
Finally a photo of a water spout with Corsica in the background. taken while sailing Columbia from Sardinia to Monaco.
The hardest thing about this post was to limit the photos, I smile to myself every time I think of this event and how fortunate I was to have been able to take part in it.



trans-atlantic 2005

the 2005 trans-atlantic race from New York to Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. aboard”Tempest” the 80 foot S&S ketch, sistership of Kialoa. A crew of sixteen pictured here.

the race took us just short of 15 days. we won our class losing to Leopard of London by a minute and forty seconds on corrected time. one can find a lot of places where we squandered that time.
other crew have written eloquently about the race.
the chart shows our track and that of “Snow Lion” in the 2003 race from Newport to Hamburg, Germany. the significance here is the similarities in the early stages of the race.
lastly, my watch, I was the watch captain, and blessed with the best group one could wish for. naturally we were always faster the the other watches.