Clinton Hoadley Crane (1873-1958) USA

Born in Oyster Bay, New York, United States, a Harvard engineering graduate, class of 1894 and a student at the University of Glasgow from 1897 to 1898.

Crane first opened and operated his yacht design firm from 1900 until 1912. Crane designed for his friends, 6, 8, 12 meters, J boats, various one-designs and a host of famous vessels. The Seawanhaka Cup was presented for competition in small boats, as an international match race series. It remains the oldest, active yachting trophy originating in America. Crane designed a half-rater, which after a series of trials in 1896 was selected to defend. She lost. Crane was to spend over half a lifetime endeavoring to bring the Cup home. In 1928, in 6 meters in Scotland, he succeeded. Crane designed in 1900 the schooner “Endymion,” which set the record for the Atlantic crossing in 13 days, 8 hours; which was broken 1905, and held for nearly 100 years by the schooner Atlantic.

Upon the death of his father in 1912, he left his design office to run the family mining business, St. Joseph Lead Company, serving as president for 34 years, and as its first chairman for 10 years until 1947. Returning part time to his passion of yacht design in 1922, where by, assisted by the Cox and Stevens office, Crane designed the J-Class yacht “Weetamoe” in 1929. And in 1937, for his own personal use with the intent of reviving the 12-metre class, Crane designed “Gleam” to the highest specifications, she was built at the famous Henry B. Nevins Yacht Yard in City Island, New York in 1937.

1 December 1958, Clinton Crane passed, leaving a will which stated that all of his design drawings will be destroyed.