Tag: ted hood

“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

FORTY YEARS AGO/ FIFTY YEARS AGO

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.

INDEPENDENCE CREW 1977
COURAGEOUS CREW 1977
LOOKING BACK AT COURAGEOUS
COURAGEOUS ON OUR WEATHER HIP
TRIMMED IN HARD
BERNADETTE WINS THE AMERICA’S CUP AT THE DOG TRACK
AMERICA’S DEMITASSE 1977
MEASURING THE 12’S

THE QUIET MAN

TED AND TEDDY
TED AND TEDDY
MARBLEHEAD COLD AND RICK HOOD
MARBLEHEAD COLD AND RICK HOOD
STILL COLD
STILL COLD
TED HOOD ON INDEPENDENCE
TED HOOD ON INDEPENDENCE
LOOKING FROM OFF THE BOAT
LOOKING FROM OFF THE BOAT
COURAGEOUS 1974
COURAGEOUS 1974

Ted Hood passed away this summer. I was traveling and did not have access to me archive of photographs. For me he will always be the quiet man; after nearly a year of sailing on the same boat we only ever exchanged a handful of words. He was a clever man that mostly saw the whole picture and must have have exceptional three dimensional vision. He could make a boat go fast, however, I believe match racing did not fit his personality.