Thirty- nine foot class sloops designed by William Gardner were met with great enthusiasm in the war years of 1917. Finer and more graceful than the NY 40’s, partly due to it’s intended use as a spirited racer in the calmer waters of the lower Sound.
VARUNA, the 1917 Larchmont Yacht Club’s flagship, was the second boat in a series of six. She was built for, the then Commodore of the club, James B. Ford of Rye, New York. Mr. Ford along with Edmund Fisk were instrumental in establishing this new class for the club, referred to as the “Larchmont O’s.
The first Larchmont O was launched in the Spring of the year 1917, along with three others. Her name was GEORGIA, and she was built for Charles Lane Poor, author of the 1937 Men Against the Rule: A Century of Progress in Yacht Design. Charles Lane Poor went on to explain the 1889 Seawanhaka Rule, which encouraged large spreads of sails for small yachts, but presumed it unpractical on larger designs…their presumptions were wrong!
VARUNA was the first yacht fitted out with the innovative and controversial Marconi rig. The Marconi rig was named after Signor Guglielmo Marconi, born in Bologna in 1874, Italian scientist, gave the world wireless communication, was not a sailor, but when erecting the enormous poles to distribute his wireless transmissions, he erected a complicated system of shrouds and guys. VARUNA was skippered by Butler Whiting and she proved conclusively, for the first time, that the Marconi rig was the fastest. The Marconi rigs came out in force at the close of World War I, and owe their success and use to the Larchmont O VARUNA.
Of the six Larchmont O’s that were sponsored by the Larchmont yacht club, five were launched and commissioned by their owners. The lone 6th was built, but was not commissioned at first like the others, she sat for two years, she had not been commissioned and was waiting for a owner.
215427 “Georgia” – Charles Lane Poor (author of “Men Against the Rule”) – Gaff Rig – L1
xxxxxx “Varuna,” – James B. Ford of Rye, NY (Former Commodore of Larchmont Y C) – Marconi Rig – L2
215428 “Nimbus” – J.F. Feder and sailed by Edmund Fish in the Summer races – Gaff Rig – L-3
215496 “Grey Dawn” – Philip H. Johnson (of Philadelphia) – Gaff Rig – L4
215497 “Maisie” – A. Brian Alley – Gaff Rig – L5
xxxxxx “Betty” – Harold L. Foss – Gaff Rig – L6
Ship Plans:
Larchmont O class sloop
Mystic Seaport
SHIPS PLANS
Plans set
William Gardner & Co.
1 sheet of plans for 59.83 ft. Larchmont O class sloop, designed by William Gardner & Co. Date of design is unknown.
SP.1975.1.34.385