I just can’t seem to move off the Bermuda Race Thread. Here is a remark from Scotty Kaufmann taken from Scuttlebutt. Scotty is of course entirely correct in his statement. He designed a similar surgery to the first “Boomerang”, designed and built by Bob Derecktor and had a serious case of the slows. Scotty’s changes made it a competitive boat.
My fondest memory sailing with Scotty is the St. Petersburg to Ft. Lauderdale race, was it in 1980? It was a fresh breeze from the north. Bob Derecktor was aboard. It was a shy reach at the start. (remember these are the days when everything was big and heavy.) “Boomerang” was 66 feet; so a mini-maxi in the class with “Kialoa” at 80 feet.
We were able to hold the spinnaker with two people steering. It was real work. Jeff Neuberth, Scotty and myself were rotating every 15 minutes steering, while the one out would watch the compass. We were holding the big boats in front of us, pushing water, going 17 knots.
There are many associated stories, some of which might be too colorful for print.
Larry Ellison and the America’s cup were at the White House yesterday. Today they will be in Newport, RI. Newport must be very excited, Larry Ellison also happens to own a house in Newport, which has led to speculation that Newport could be a legitimate contender for the America’s cup in the future. It is unlikely, Space and money are the primary obstacles.
All of these musings should be put in the context ofthe BP oil spill, now 73 days and counting, and the still fragile economy of the world.
I am in California, north of San Francisco, visiting my children, I am reminded each time of the variety and beauty of California. This is wine country, and for many there is the association with France, however these colors and shapes are for me much more like Spain.
Yes, It was the 1980 St. Petersburg to Ft. Lauderdale Race. I did the delivery to Europe and back in 1979 then straight to Derecktors in Mamaroneck NY to have the back 1/3 of the boat cut off and a new SK design attached. We made a quick ‘sail’ check with RD and workman clearing ice in the harbor then down thru NYC Harbor in a snowstorm bolting winches on the deck, arriving on St. Pete a few days before the start of the Boca Grande Race. You might recall RD brought former RI Governor Phil Noel on the St.Pete Lauderdale Race…I have alot of good stories about him and somewhere alot of pics. Great Memories !!