Régates Royales, Trophée Panerai- Only for the Dragons...

by Soazig Guého on 22 Sep 2010 Régates Royales, Trophée Panerai - Eole is on strike... Today’s weather was definitely not on the race committee’s side: cloudy, warm, humid, and unfortunately no breeze!

Even though they went out at sea around noon, the seventy-seven Classic Yachts had to give up and abandon the race area at 3pm, as Cannes’ bay didn’t appear keen to provide a stable wind for the races... Tomorrow, the day’s schedule starts at 11am with hopefully more action on the water as weather forecast is for a bit stiffer sea breeze.

Only, the 63 One designs were able to take a start today, in the light and unstable southerly breeze. And the best tactics win the day! Apart from the first placed, the French crew on Child’s Dream IV (Jean-Pierre Gailes) who were over the line ... After a very hardly fought race it was the British trio on Blue Haze (Ivan Bradbury) to win followed by two Russians boats: Dragon (Yuri Bozhedomov) and Sunflower (Victor Fogelson). Unfortunately, only 35 boats crossed the line today, the rest of the fleet being overtime.

Who will end the incontestable and uncontested – as for today- supremacy of Rowdy? The Fighting Forty boat designed by Nat Herreshoff in 1915 was supposed to be the first of a one-design family especially conceived for the New York Yacht Club. Who can beat Rowdy, if not one of her existing fourteen sister ships?

The number of her victories says it all: this One Design has won almost every prizes over three seasons since Graham Walker had Rowdy (NY-49) refitted in Maine, following the steps of her predecessors such as Marilee (NY-50) built in 1926 and re-launched in 2001. That same year, she won, among other, the America’s Cup Jubilee in Cowes. Originally designed for family cruising and amateur sailors who wished to have lunch off Newport’s harbour, the Fighting Forties turned out to be fantastic racing yachts... But the 'Bristol’s Wizard' didn’t like to compromise: when he set his mind on an idea - and he had plenty indeed – he wanted to see it happening, that’s why he designed radically new sailboats for his time. These 40 footers (at the waterline) are particularly extreme, with their impressive width, their original 'V' shaped hulls, and their moderate weight for their large sail area.

This was Nathanaël Herreshoff’s leitmotiv as he explored all sorts architectural ideas, from when he was sixteen (Violet-1864) to the last years of his long life (Belisarius-1935) – he died on June 2nd, 1938 at the age of 90! He designed at least 18.000 plans for more than 2.000 yachts, most of them built by his brother’s shipyard... So when the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) decided to create a One Design Class for its members, the Club recruits the most experienced and awarded designer, who had six America’s Cup under his belt. Vigilant (1893), Defender (1895), Columbia (1899 and 1901), Reliance (1903), Resolute (1920) still remain among the most impressive yachts from that time but the architect, who studied at the notorious MIT, also designed motorboats, catboats, fishing boats, battleships, dinghies, sloops, ketches, motor yachts, schooners... and even catamarans (Amarylis-1875).

The new rule defined some restrictions, but set a single compulsory measurement, a max waterline length of 40 feet, so that Nat Herreshoff imagination could run free and create a truly innovative boat. In 1900, he had already conceived a One Design with 70 feet a waterline, for the NYYC. The light weight construction, the impressive silhouette and the flat deck of these yachts makes them unforgettable for any sailor. Nine other units completed the fleet some years later. 'The main characteristic of Herreshoff’s designs is that they can virtually sail in any sea condition,' said Casper Withney.

From Marilee to Rowdy
Fighting Forties are an instant success: twelve boats are built in 1916, among them, Maisie and Rowdy the last one in this first production and later two more, Marilee and Rugosa launched during 1926. With her gaff sloop rigging and her wide hull, this one design is very stable to a point that an illustrious member of the NYYC declares: 'They’re excellent boats in strong breeze, easy to manoeuvre and steer in windy and choppy conditions. I’ve never seen a Forty reefing…' If one thinks that she was conceived for a crew of three people! On the following years the New York One Design 40s were equipped with a bowsprit and their sail area was increased.

In 1924, Memory rigged as a marconi yawl, wins the famous Bermuda Race, an offshore event she was not designed for by her architect, and in 1930 it’s the last Fighting Forty, Rugosa to write her name in the race’s scoreboard… Nowadays it’s Rowdy to herald Nat Herreshoff’s name on the racecourses, long life to the 'Bristol Wizard'! With as many wins as her predecessors, owner Graham Walker and his crew have collected honors and victories on the classica yacht circuit.

Fighting Forty
Designer: Nathanaël Herreshoff
Builder: Herreshoff Manufacturing Compagny
Overall length: 20,10 m
Boat length: 17,90 m
Waterline: 12,20 m
Width: 4,40 m
Draft: 2,40 m
Displacement: 21 770 kg
Upwind sail area : 225 square metres

http://www.regatesroyales.com