Category: Latest Classic Yacht News

Historical:

GOLDEN HIND (named after the Sir Francis Drake English galleon) was designed by John G. Alden and built and launched in 1926 by the Dauntless Shipyard Inc. She has a fine hull with full quarters, with a ballast to displacement ratio of 41 percent. Her original owner had replicas of the Sir Francis Drake crest on all china and glassware.

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

Owner: (1926 – 1935) Charles. A. Goodwin, Hartford, Ct
Owner: (1935) – F.M. Haines, commodore Fisher’s Island Yacht club

Historical

Sandeman Comments www.sandemanyachtcompany.co.uk

GLEAM was designed by the famous naval architect, Clinton Crane, for his own personal use with the intent of reviving the 12 Metre class. She was built to the highest specifications by the equally famous Henry B. Nevins Yacht Yard in City Island, New York in 1937. The original name on the Crane drawing board was AKABA (this the name of his own very successful 6 Metre built in 1927). During construction however the name was changed to GLEAM as noted on the original plans because Mrs Crane had read the Alfred Lord Tennyson piece “Merlin and the Gleam” and thought it would be appropriate to name her GLEAM after reading “All but in Heaven hovers the Gleam. Follow, follow, follow the Gleam.”

Crane designed her using the then innovative concept of tank testing and was tested against a model of SEVEN SEAS. Crane made his studies available both to Olin Stephens and Francis Herreshoff – but only the former accepted.

GLEAM proved influential in the development of the Twelve Metre class in the United States and for its eventual use in the America’s Cup. She was loaned to many notable yachtsmen including Briggs Cunningham, Lee Loomis and Harold Vanderbilt, who so enjoyed the experience, they each went out and built their own Twelve Metres to join the class.

When America’s Cup racing resumed after the war, the Twelve Metre class was chosen for the competition largely because of Vanderbilt’s success with his Twelve in England during 1939. During the 1958 America’s Cup, GLEAM had the unique distinction of serving as a trial horse for both the defence candidate, VIM, and the challenger SCEPTRE. She then went on to compile an impressive race record under the ownership of the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club.

In 1975, GLEAM pioneered the concept of chartering a Twelve with the late Bob Tiedemann. The success and admiration of his program has created a second revival and raison d’être for this America’s Cup class.

GLEAM has been featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, The Discovery Channel and PBS. She has also graced the pages of countless magazines such as Town and Country, WoodenBoat, Sailing World, Classic Boat and Yachting World, just to name a few. Her interior was selected to appear in the book Classic Yacht Interiors.

The late Bob Tiedemann was only 27 years old when he decided to buy GLEAM and charter her. He was considered crazy as the charter business of the moment was looking for luxury and comfortable boats and not for thoroughbreds. He was a successful pioneer however and the charter of racing Twelves started thanks to his initiative and his decision to transfer his activity from Greenwich to Newport, more easily identified with the Twelves and their presence in the America’s Cup.

Her race record is legendary, including four first places and one second in the recent and prestigious New York Yacht Club sesquicentennial regatta and she is a three time winner of the prestigious Opera House Cup held annually in Nantucket, MA. GLEAM was placed ninth in the classic division in 2001 during the World Championships in Cowes. She took second in the Classic Vintage division of 2005 in Newport and was the winner of the Vintage division during the 2009 World Championships also in Newport.

Gleam is probably the only 12 Metre in the world that has never been restored but maintained through her 78 years. She has not been on the market or for sale for 40 years since the late Bob Tiedemann bought her back in 1975. Her history is rich as she was the reason for the 12 Metre class being chosen for the America’s Cup class in 1958 – and the reason why NORTHERN LIGHT was built in 1938. She is USCG certified for 13 day passengers and 3 crew.

GLEAM is one of the 12s featured in the famous historic Rosenfeld image, “Flying Spinnakers” taken in 1939. The owner has several volumes of scrapbooks and the original blue print plans.

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

Owner: (1937-1942) – Clinton H. Crane, New York
Owner: (1946-1949) – B. Devereux Barker & son, Marblehead MA
Owner: (1950-1952) – John N Potter – renamed CHARLOTTE II, Darien CT
Owner: (1953-1969) – W. Mahlon Dickerson – renamed GLEAM, Oyster Bay, N.Y.
Owner: (1969-1975) – C. W. Ufford
Owner: (1975-2006) – Robert Tiedemann, Greenwich, CT – (Gleam Charters, Inc ) Newport, RI
Owner: (2006-current) – Elizabeth Tiedemann (bequeathed)

Sail Number:

Type: Germanischer Lloyd 100A5 Sailing Yacht

LOA: 196′ 0″ / 59.80m – LOD: 157′ 0″ / 47.80m – LWL: 116′ 0″ / 35.43m – Beam: 27′ 0″ / 8.16m – Draft: 18 ′ 0″ / 5.51m – Ballast: – Displacement: 179 tonnes – Yard Number: – Hull material: Steel – Sail Area: 1308 sq.m. – Designer: Max Oertz – Built by: Factoria Naval Marin, Spain – Year Built: 2011 – Current Name: GERMANIA NOVA – IMO Number: 9613800 – Port of Registry: St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda

Historical:

The original GERMANIA

Yachting sport came to Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. The German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, led the way with his METEOR III which he purchased in England. The German businessman and industrialist, Dr. Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, saw the advantage of sailing as a social arena to promote his fast growing steel business. He asked the well-known Hamburg designer Max Oertz to produce the largest and fastest sailing ship seen to date in Germany. The ship was built in 1908 by the Germania Shipyard in Kiel within only 7 months, from high-tensile steel, riveted to the frames. There was no electric lighting and no main engine.The owner’s area was very comfortable with a boudoir including a piano, a living room with an open fireplace and a dining room for 10 guests. There were two guest cabins and a comfortable owner’s cabin.

The large schooner was a world-class racer and won Cowes Week in 1908, setting a new course record. GERMANIA won almost all the races in which she participated except, for obvious reasons, when she was competing against the Kaiser’s METEOR IV … GERMANIA was fast and could reach speeds of up to 19 knots. For regattas the crew was increased to 32. In 1912 she participated in 19 regattas, winning 10 and coming second three times. When war broke out in 1914 she was seized as a prize of war and later sold to Norwegian banker C. Hannevig. She crossed the Atlantic and was renamed EXEN, subsequently sold again several times before – under the name HALF MOON – succumbing to a storm and sinking off Key Biscayne in 1930, becoming Florida’s Seventh State Underwater Archaeological Preserve.

GERMANIA NOVA, built in 2011, is a replica of the Dr. Max Oertz designed and Krupp built racing schooner, Germania, from 1908.

identical hull lines as well as the same sail- and deck-plan. The skylights, companionways and deckhouse are true replicas of the original. Extensive research was undertaken in order to achieve this. A main engine and generators were added, modern navigational and communications equipment was installed with the extra weight involved being compensated with hollow masts and a hull made of high-tensile steel.

The interior was constructed using lightweight materials which nevertheless convey a traditional appearance.

GERMANIA NOVA combines modern comfort with the high performance standards of the original GERMANIA. She is back … and she will rule the waves again!

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

Historical:

One of the “Grand Dames” of the Swedish fleet, this type of yacht is not suitable for sailing in high and open seas but is built for more sheltered waters, and would think that she will perform extremely well in places like the US westcoast (San Diego, LA an SF), the great lakes and the US northern eastcoast as well of course in Scandinavia, Germany, Holland and the Mediterranean.

S/Y Gerdny is a Swedish 95 square meter Class built 1920 to the 1918 square meter rule. She was built at Hasselströms WarF in Sweden after drawings by Erik Salander, one of the most famous Swedish naval architects of our time. She has a modern Bermuda 7/8 rigg, an inboard diesel engine and is richly equipped.

The Current owner has owned her for 10 years. During 1997–2001, she was on land and totally restored by professional boat builders. She is in mint condition and stronger than when she was new. Gerdny is RE-designed to be sailed by two persons, she is normally raced by a crew of 6-8 and sleeps 5-6 persons. Her dead weight is 10 metric tons.

Known Racing Record:

2005 – Royal Swedish Yacht Squadron 175 years Jubilee Regatta – 1st prize (more than 220 classic yachts).
2004 – Swedish National 95 sq m Championship: 1st prize
2004 – Royal Swedish Yacht Squadron Classic Regattas – 1st prize
2003 – Royal Swedish Yacht Squadron Classic Regattas – 1st prize
2003 – Classic Week in Svendborg, Denmark – Classic Boat of the Year Award (200 classic yachts).

Known Restoration History:

1997-2001 – Owner’s Comments – Construction ~ Hull and deck
30 mm mahogany (original) and pine (new under the water line) on original steel (every third) and oak frames. New stem- and stern posts in oak. New keel plank and deadwood in oak. Original keel weight of lead (about 4000 kilograms). New floor plates of stainless steel throughout. New deck beams of oak through out strengthened by plates of stainless steel in certain areas. New solid Oregon pine deck planking (30 mm) with plank-sheer, trimmings and bulwarks of mahogany. The cabin has new beams of mahogany, new inner lining of Oregon pine and the original outer cover of mahogany, a new skylight and the original hatch.

The underwater body is waterproofed with red lead under yacht primer and anti fouling paint. The free boards are proofed with linseed oil under white enamel paint. Deck planking is proofed with Coelan and all mahogany on the outside and in the interior is varnished. The insides of the freeboards are varnished and covered by varnished Oregon pine planking throughout. Two cockpits in mahogany (one separate for the helmsman). The main cockpit has two self bailing outlets in a GRP floor covered by teak duckboards. Forward pulpit in stainless steel.
Gerdny is in a premium shape and has no faults that we know of. She was totally renovated 1997-2001 by professional boatbuilders at a cost of well over 870 000 USD.

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

Owner: (1920) – Georg Wrange
Owner: Kristoffer Melinder

Historical:

The Class Symbol is an “L” Inside a Circle.

Edmond Fish was instrumental in getting the Larchmont Yacht Club to form and build this one-design class boat which was designed by William Gardner to the Universal Rule. Six boats were initially ordered by the Larchmont Yacht Club, but 4 were launched and tried out first in the Spring of 1917.

All boats were built by Wood & McClure (Woods), and were favorably commented on by those who have seen them sail. But as it was the Larchmont Yacht Club had suspended all of its open regattas in 1917.
 

1. 215427 GEORGIA- Charles Lane Poor (author of “Men Against the Rule”) – Gaff Rig – L1
2. xxxxxx VARUNA – James B. Ford of Rye, NY (Former Commodore of Larchmont Y C) – Marconi Rig – L2
3. 215428 NIMBUS – E. P. Alker and sailed by Edmund Fish in the Summer races – Gaff Rig – L-3
4. 215496 GREY DAWN – Philip H. Johnson (of Philadelphia) – Gaff Rig – L4
5. 215497 MAISIE – A. Brian Alley – Gaff Rig – L5
6. xxxxxx BETTY – Harold L. Foss – Gaff Rig – L6

 
One of the original 6 boats built was still not commissioned after 2 years and was seeking a purchaser in 1919, possibly due to World War I lasting until 11 November 1918

GEORGIA carried around 270 sq ft more sail area than the P class racers. More area in proportion to their displacement the Os should be relatively faster. With finer more graceful lines than the NY 40s, but with less sail area, still should be relatively faster than the 40s as well.

For further reading…the Larchmont O’s

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

Owner/Guardian: (1917) Charles Lane Poor
Owner/Guardian: H.M. Cowperthwaite
Owner/Guardian: H. Earl Kimball