Wartime designation: Highland Light (IX-48)
Sail Number:
Type: Auxiliary Cutter
LOA: 61’8″ / 18.79m – LWL: 50’0″ / 15.24m – Beam: 15’4″ / 4.67m – Draft: 9’3″ / 2.81m – Displacement: 32 tons – Ballast: – Sail Area: 2,324 – Original Owner: Dudley Francis Cecil Wolfe – Original Name: Highland Light – Year Launched: 1931 – Designed by: Paine, Belknap & Skene – Built by: George F. Lawley & Son, Neponset, MA – Hull Material: Wood – Documentation or State Reg. No.: 230827
Historical:
Highland Light, was built by George F. Lawley & Son for Dudley Wolfe for long-distance ocean racing. Launched just weeks before the 1931 Trans-Atlantic race start, where Dorade (charting a bold course far to the north) finished first demolishing a 60-year coarse record, setting in motion the illustrious career of Sparkman & Stephens.
Upon her return trip from Europe Highland Light became the first boat to complete the Bermuda Race in less than 3 days (25 minutes less, in fact, averaging 8.8 knots) under charter to her designer, Frank C Paine, who reputedly always had a soft spot for her.
Wolfe was lost while trying to conquer the summit of K2 in the Himalayas in 1939. The estate of Dudley Wolfe donated the boat with a large maintenance fund in 1940 to the US Naval Academy Annapolis for sail training. President Roosevelt accepted the gift via U.S. Congressional Bill 3098 and Highland Light became USS Highland Light, Naval Ship IX-48, performing in U.S. east coast and Bermuda races. As part of the sail training program, many midshipmen
WWII service
Awards: American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal – 2 awards
Following her bequest to the Annapolis Naval College, Highland Light was raced and sailed heavily, including entry to every Bermuda Race until 1958, generally performing well in her class and becoming beloved by many a Navy-man that passed through the college. Among these sometimes fledgling sailors and voyagers were future Apollo astronauts, Jim Lovell and Wally Schirra as well as Admiral Halsey, while some recount that every US President between 1933 and 1953 had been entertained aboard.
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Notable Guest, and Reunion Information):
Owner: (1931) – (1940) Dudley Francis Cecil Wolfe
Owner: (1940) – (1965) Annapolis Naval Academy
I’m hoping my last contact came through –
Here it is again
In the late to mid 1970s I along with a senior recreation leader from Pacific Palisades recreation center part of LA Rec & parks took approximately 20 children on the Highland light on an excursion to Catalina Island. On the way back, it began to rain and the captain who was incredible, did make the decision that we would go forward across the San Pedro channel back home. Unfortunately, a storm whipped up like no other, and the highland light became slightly handicapped. One of the children almost slid off the boat and we made sure everyone had their lifejackets on and we’re tied down to the boat. The captain and crew did an incredible job and if it wasn’t for the massive keel. We would not have made it home. The swells were literally higher than the sale itself and probably were 40 to 60 feet high. We just crept along those rails going up and down and when you were at the bottom of the sail you would have a massive wall in front of you. You can imagine the freight that we all felt. We miraculously made it back home, but it was a story that needs to be told and a incredible memory.