Philip L. Rhodes ESCAPADE

Sail Number: 18

Vessel Type: Double-head Yawl Rig “Escapade”

LOA: 72′ 06″ / 22.09m – LWL: 54′ 00″ / 16.45m – Beam: 17′ 00″ / 5.18m – Draft: 7′ 10″ / 2.38m (Board up) 14’0″ / 4.26m (Board down) – Centerboard: Bronze Strapped Teak – Displacement: 110,00 lbs – Sail Area: 2,630 sq ft – Hull material: Wood construction – Rig: Double-head Yawl Rig – Designer: Philip L. Rhodes – Built by: Luders Construction Company, Stamford CT – Year Launched: May 25th, 1938 – Original Owner: Henry G. Fownes – Current Owner: Paul Kaplan – Keefe Kaplan Maritime, Inc – Contract Price: $40,000.00 – Status: * Save this Classic

Historical:

Escapade was designed for Henry G. Fownes, Stamford, Connecticut, who wanted the largest boat that could fit under the size limit for the Bermuda Race, but shallow drafted enough to travel down the Intracoastal Waterway. Escapade was designed to the maximum of the Cruising Club of America rating rule which governed the Bermuda Race and limited entries to a length overall of 73 feet.

Rhodes had to convince Fownes of the keel-centerboard style model, Fownes fearing that it was to troublesome. It would not be until Alondra’s first owner Robert Noyes took Fownes on a tour of his old boat did the keel-centerboard style ring true.

Under Henry Fownes Escapade was not a successful racer, not until Wendell Anderson, and successive owner/skippers did Escapade accumulate many impressive racing wins. Brought to the Great Lakes in 1947 by BYC’s Wendell C. Anderson, it was their that she earned the name “Queen of the Lakes” proving unbeatable winning the Mackinac race 5 times, she would have collected more silver, but there were racing overlaps that made it impossible to do so, at the time. Because of this conflict Commodore Lynn Stedman and Carter Sales did some negotiating with the Chicago Yacht Club and it was agreed that they would alternate the dates with Bayview having their race first on even years and Chicago first on odd years. This is a tradition that has lasted to this day.

* Escapade is in need of a complete restoration, she is currently owned by Paul Kaplan at Keefe Kaplan Maritime, Inc. (KKMI), 530 W. Cutting Blvd., Point Richmond CA 94804; 510-307-7900; paul@kkmi.com

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

• Owner: (1972 Lee Sherman – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• 1965 Peter W. Grimm – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• 1959 Baldwin M. Baldwin – Pasadena, CA
• 1956 James Y. Camp – Bakersfield, California
• 1947 Wendell C. Anderson – Jefferson Company, c/o Corporation Trust Company of Wilmington, Delaware
• 1938 Henry G. Fownes – Stamford, CT

Known Racing History:

“Queen of the Great Lakes”

1980 – Opera House Cup – Overall Winner
1976 – Opera House Cup – Overall Winner
1967 – Port Huron-Mackinac Race – Overall Winner and last time raced in the lakes.
1966 – Miami-Nassau Race – First to Finish ( breaking 26-year-old record set by Ticonderoga)
1965 – Annapolis-Newport Race – Set New Elapsed-Time Record
1963 – St. Petersburg-Venice Race – Overall Winner
1962 – Channel Island Race – First to Finish
1961 – Miami-Jamaica Race – First in Fleet
1960 – Bermuda to Sweden – First to Finish
1960 – Miami to Montego Bay – Overall Winner
1958 – Acapulco Race – Rescued 12-man crew of Celebes still sailed to a second place finish
1954 – Port Huron-Mackinac Race – Overall Winner
1953 – Mackinac Race – Overall Winner
1951 – Rochester Cup – Overall Winner
1951 – Chicago-Mackinac Race – Overall Winner
1951 – Port Huron-Mackinac Race – Overall Winner
1951 – Toledo Yacht Club (Mills Cup) Overall Winner
1950 – Port Huron-Mackinac Race – Overall Winner (set course record 25:47:19, beating the old record by 2 hours)
1941 – Miami-Nassau Race – First to Finish