THE “TEN-TEN”
Briggs Swift Cunningham II (January 19, 1907 – July 2, 2003), American sportsman, entrepreneur, and heir to the Proctor & Gamble fortune. Was an accomplished car and yacht racer, having been inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame in 1993, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1997, and named to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2003. Skipper of the first AC campaigned 12 metre yacht “Columbia” due to Cornelius Shields health concerns. Cunningham and his afterguard won the 1958 America’s Cup race in four straight races off Newport, R.I., each time with a margin of victory of no less than half a mile.
“Mr. C” was an accomplished Star, and 6 metre class sailor, having won numerous races world-wide. By early 1939, having sold Lulu, Fun and Lucie, left Briggs Cunningham without a six-meter for the first time in ten years, at this time Cunningham ordered sailed and raced his C. Raymond Hunt “Lawley 225” out of the Pequot Yacht Club, Southport, Connecticut.
Through Cunningham’s association with C. Raymond Hunt he decided to have a new yacht designed and tank tested. According to James H. “Sham” Hunt, Mr. Cunningham, “wanted a 110 type boat long enough to beat a 12 meter.” Briggs Cunningham funded the project, “the tank test results came back and said there was too much leeway so the quest ended but later the tank test results (were reevaluated) and said they made an error by not taking into account that the chines on healing gave the necessary force!!!!! the boat would have trounced a 12!”
Hunt designed 1010 Known Specifications:
LOA: 55’0″ / 16.76m
Beam: 8’0″ / 2.43m
9″ of bottom curve at mid section
*Note: The keel bulb is missing on the model. Being detachable it allowed CRH to test iterations.
Credit:
1:12 scale 1010 Tank Test Model: Courtesy of James H. “Sham” Hunt
References:
James H. “Sham” Hunt (Son of C. Raymond Hunt)