W. Starling Burgess CHIPS

Chips Photo credit: Onne van Der Wal

Sail Number: P13

Vessel Type: P-Class Sloop

LOA: 55’2″ / 16.81m – LOD: 50’3″ / 15.31m – LWL: 34′ 0″ / 10.36m – Beam: 10′ 4″ / 3.15m – Draft: 6′ 6″ / 1.98m – Displacement: 10 tons – Built By: Graves Yacht Yard, Marblehead, Massachusetts – Sail Area: Upwind 1,252 ft² / 116.31 m² – Downwind : 1,636 ft² / 151.98 m² – Designed by: Starling Burgess – Launched: 1913 – Original name(s): Onda II – Hull Material: Wood – Yard Number: – Flag: France – Club: NYYC (New York Yacht Club)


 

Historical:

Chips was designed by W. Starling Burgess in 1913 as Onda III, and built by Graves Yacht Yard, Marblehead, Massachusetts for Mr. John Greenough, of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Chips was designed to the Universal Rule, which was introduced in 1903. This Rule calculated a rating for yachts, which was then used to calculate its Time Correction Factor (T.C.F.) allowing disparate yachts to race against each other. The yachts were divided into Development Classes J-K-L-M-N-P-Q. The P Class yachts were considered to be “among the loveliest and most successful entrants in the Universal Rule class of racing sailboats.” Llewelyn Howland’s biography of Burgess, No Ordinary Being.

Between 1907–1920 a new International Rule from Europe replaced the old rule, and Chips, like many other Universal boats, were no longer competitive and she fell into obscurity, until a renaissance for classic sailing swept through the fleet of vintage vessels that encouraged major restoration efforts.

 

Known Racing Record:

2007
Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta 1st Classics A Class
2008
New York Yacht Club Annual Cruise
1st Overall Classic Class
1st Astor Cup – Classic Class
1st US Navy Challenge Cup
Winner Cumberland Cup (Royal Thames Yacht Club)

Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta
1st Overall Winner Sappho Trophy
Winner Lieter Cup Trophy Winner (Gaff-Rig)

2009
New York Yacht Club Annual Cruise
1st / Winner of Rear Commodore’s Trophy Race

2010
New York Yacht Club’s Race Bi-Annual Week in Newport, presented by Rolex
1st / Winner in Classic Class
1st / Winner of “Around the Island” Distance Race – Classics

2012
New York Yacht Club 156th Annual Cruise
Queens Cup Races – 1st / Overall Winner in Classic Class
Sydney Yacht Squadron Bowl Winner
Rear Commodore’s Trophy Winner
U.S. Navy Challenge Cup Winner
Race Committee Trophy Winner
Winner – NYYC Cruising Rule Cup
New York Yacht Club’s Bi-Annual Race Week in Newport, presented by Rolex

2013
Opera House Cup, presented by Panerai
Winner – Robert H. Tiedeman Trophy for the best restored yacht in the fleet

2014
1st in Class – New York Yacht Club’s Race Bi-Annual Week in Newport, presented by Rolex

 

 

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1913-1927) – John Greenough, Gloucester, Massachusetts
Owner/Guardian: (1927-1933) – Malcolm Greenough (relative)
Owner/Guardian: (1933) – Llewellyn White, Marblehead, Massachusetts (Rechristened White Indian, and then 1 year later Wah-Hoo-Wah. )
Owner/Guardian: (1941) – Unknown owner, rechristened Onda
Owner/Guardian: Unknown owner won vessel in game of poker, hence the name chips
Owner/Guardian: (1980) – non-profit organization called Full Sea, run by David Kiremidjian
Owner/Guardian: (1986-1993) – Adrian Pearsall, Full restoration
Owner/Guardian: (1993) – Genevieve Cerf (sold with a money-back guarantee and a right of first refusal for him and his family)
Owner/Guardian: (2007) – Jed Pearsall (exercised his right of first refusal)
Owner/Guardian: (2015?-current) – Bruno Troublé and owners

 

Photo credit: Carlo Borlenghi

 

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