International Yacht Restoration School to host lecture series

by Cybthia Goss on 14 Oct 2009
Beginning in late October, the International Yacht Restoration School will host a five-part lecture series that will explore the great yachts of today and yesterday.

On five Tuesday nights from October to mid-December, experts will give lecture-goers a look at a series of magnificent yachts and the people behind them—including newly restored classics such as the stunning 104-foot Trumpy design Freedom, the majestic J-Class sloops and the largest Herreshoff schooners ever built, steam yachts that today stand as the megayachts of old, and the historic 1885 Coronet now being restored on the IYRS campus.

The lectures in the series include:

October 27 / Earl McMillen / 'The Restoration of Freedom'
Earl McMillen of McMillen Yachts opens the series with a look at an historic motor yacht that was recently relaunched in Rhode Island. 'The Restoration of Freedom' explores the four-year restoration of this stunning 104-foot yacht, which was designed by John Trumpy and originally built by the Mathis Yacht Building Company (New Jersey). McMillen will describe the monumental task of returning the 83-year-old yacht to its current splendor and will also discuss the challenges involved in restoring historic yachts and managing them for fractional ownership.

November 10 / Halsey Herreshoff / 'The Great Herreshoff Schooners'
Halsey Herreshoff, grandson of the renowned yacht designer and builder Nathanael Herreshoff, brings the magnificent steel schooners designed by his grandfather to life in his lecture on 'The Great Herreshoff Schooners.' Between 1903 and 1915, Nathanael Herreshoff designed seven sizeable steel schooner yachts, including the 162-foot Katoura, the largest sailing yacht ever built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol.

November 17 / Tim Murray / 'The Kingdom Years: Ninety Years of Ownership of the Schooner Yacht Coronet'
Captain Tim Murray explores a fascinating period in the history of the historic 1885 schooner yacht Coronet—the time period from 1905 to 1995 when the yacht was owned by The Kingdom. During those years, The Kingdom used Coronet for trans-oceanic missionary forays around the globe. Murray’s life story is closely intertwined with that of the historic yacht: his father served as captain, and at age 12, Murray moved onboard Coronet with his family. Coronet is currently being restored on the IYRS campus.

December 8 / Elizabeth Meyer / 'The Ongoing Resurgence of the J-Class'
Elizabeth Meyer is known as one of the foremost experts on the undeniable allure of the J-Class racing sloops. Her five-year restoration of Endeavour not only saved and resurrected this majestic J-Class yacht, but many believe this single restoration began a new era of classic-yacht appreciation and restoration. J-Class activity is taking place around the world: Two notable replicas of the 'Js' graced Newport's waters this past summer, including Ranger (a replica of the 1937 Cup winner Ranger) and Hanuman (a replica of the 1937 challenger Endeavour II). Meyer made a recent trip to Europe to gather the latest information on the ongoing resurgence of this historic class.

December 15 / Llewellyn Howland III / 'The Great Steam Yachts'
Renowned yachting historian and author Llewellyn Howland III will bring his vast knowledge of the grand steam yachts of the past to IYRS—as well as the stories of the colorful millionaires who sailed them—for a fascinating evening that will explore these megayachts of old.

All lectures will begin at 7:30 pm at IYRS Restoration Hall (449 Thames Street, Newport). Lectures are free for members of IYRS and the Museum of Yachting, and $7 for non-members. Café Zelda (528 Thames Street, Newport) coordinates their dining schedule with the series on lecture nights.

For more information about the IYRS lecture series, visit www.iyrs.org or call 401-848-5777, ext. 222. To make a reservation at Café Zelda, call 401-849-4002.