Don White wrote:
The Americas Cup grew to be considered a 'sissy race' by 1919. As a matter
of fact, when the race was called because of a 'twenty-three mile an hour
gale', real fishermen/racers started competing for the Fisherman's trophy.
see http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?ID=10213



That's funny, considered a sissy race by those who couldn't win it? The
fact is that advances in technology made sloops faster than schooners by
the middle 1890s.

But the schooner rig remained the dominant rig for working vessels. We
forget that sailboats were the 18-wheel trucks of the pre WW1 economy.
Literally hundreds of them crowded every waterfront of every sizeable
town in the U.S. and Canada. No wonder that the schooner races were a
matter of big interest... and no wonder that schooners came to be looked
down on as "blue collar" type boats by the super wealthy who could
afford to play in the America's Cup.

There were a number of fast American schooners, mostly from New
England.... mostly from Gloucester Mass in fact... a few of which may
have been as fast... but none of them managed to put together a racing
crew capable of beating the Bluenose. Her captain (Angus Mc-something
IIRC) was a master racing skipper, an unusual skill among blue-collar
cargo & fishing sailormen.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"DSK" wrote in message
. ..

That's funny, considered a sissy race by those who couldn't win it? The
fact is that advances in technology made sloops faster than schooners by
the middle 1890s.

snip
.. Her captain (Angus Mc-something
IIRC) was a master racing skipper, an unusual skill among blue-collar
cargo & fishing sailormen.



The point was...the lace hanky crowd wouldn't go out to race in a 23 mph
breeze. Maybe they knew they couldn't win in a stiff breeze?

Bluenose's captain was Angus Walters.

Don White wrote:
The point was...the lace hanky crowd wouldn't go out to race in a 23 mph
breeze. Maybe they knew they couldn't win in a stiff breeze?


Nah, they were afraid of breaking the boats. It's still the same in a
lot of cases... one club I used to race with always cancelled races if
it blew more than 15 or so. In the last America's Cup the challenger's
series had it written into the race instructions that they would not
hold races in sustained winds over 18 knots or gusts over 22... but that
was so the challengers wouldn't have expensive breakdowns. In the actual
America's Cup match there was no such rule, and they did actually sail a
couple of races in a good blow... and broke stuff!

Bluenose's captain was Angus Walters.


Thanks for the correction. Isn't the captain of Bluenose 2 his son?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"DSK" wrote in message
. ..

Thanks for the correction. Isn't the captain of Bluenose 2 his son?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King



Used to be....now I believe it's a 'Phil Watson'.
http://www.bluenose2.ns.ca/public_ht...g/goodview.php