Larchmont Yacht Club's Clash of the Titans:
The Classic 12-Meter Regatta
feature and photo essay by Ned Benton
(October 13, 2002, aboard Race Committee
Boat Patricia) Some of America's greatest racing
yachts turned out for the Larchmont Yacht Club's 12-Meter
Regatta this weekend. There were five 12-Meter class
sailboats contending - including several America's
Cup victors - each with local skippers and crews.
It was like a rematch of the century's best prize fighters,
with local coaches and trainers supporting Ali, Frazier
and Lewis.
Mother Nature was not as impressed as our local sailors,
serving up dangerously high winds that forced a cancellation
on Saturday, followed by a combination of rain, fog
and listless winds on Sunday. However, the Race Committee,
headed by George Parthemos, managed to carry off two
races when Mother Nature wasn't making mischief.
The Weatherly, skippered Sunday
by Larchmont Yacht Club's Anthoy Leggett, is one of
the world's three surviving wooden America's Cup defenders.
Back in 1962, the Weatherly successfully defended
the America's Cup against the Gretel - Australia's
first challenge for the cup. In today's field of fiberglass,
the Weatherly stands out with its African mahogany,
white oak and bronze.
|
The Intrepid, a two-time Cup defender
in 1967 and 1970, is one of the most famous racing
yachts of all time. The last classic wooden boat
defender, with a hull of double planked mahogany
on white oak frames, the Intrepid represented
a design breakthrough because its rudder was separated
from the keel. Intrepid's Sunday skipper was Jack
Curtain.
American Eagle, Ted Turner's ocean-racing boat
from 1969 to1974, was skippered for this Regatta
by Kenneth Schoenfelder of the Huguenot Yacht
Club. Expected to claim the Americas Cup in 1964
based on a string of victories including the first
World Ocean Racing Championship, Eagle was bested
by Constellation which went on take the cup.
Nefertiti was Ted Hood's first America's Cup
design, and she came very close to defending the
America's Cup in 1962, but was bested by Weatherly
in light breezes somewhat like those during the
Larchmont Yacht Club Regatta's second race.
|
 |
 |
The Owana, skippered by Casey
Fasciano, is another classic wooden 12-Meter.
Overcoming its less famous racing pedigree, the
Owana provided one moment of high drama during
the first race when a halyard got caught in the
rigging, and a member of the crew was hoisted
up the mast to make adjustments.
At the end of the day, the top three places went
to Intrepid Nefertiti and American Eagle. The
final scoring was:
1: Intrepid - 2 points
2: Nefertiti - 6 points
3: American Eagle - 7 points
4: Weatherly - 7 points
5: Onawa - 8 points
Fortunately for everyone who appreciates wonderful
sailboats, these results will not be the last
word. The Yacht Club plans to make the 12 Meter
Regatta an annual event. Perhaps LYC's Regatta
can become 12 Meter racing's version of the PGA
Senior Tour for older but still-competitive golfers.
Eventually LYC will have to find a very large,
ornate and ugly silver cup...
|
Send
this page to a friend
Discuss this topic in our forums,
or send a letter
to the editors.
|
