Four legends of America’s Cup sailing – Tom Whidden (Essex, Conn.), Brad Butterworth (New Zealand), the USA’s Hank Haff and Scotland’s William Fife III (both deceased) – have been named as the 2004 inductees to the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. The inductees will be honored on the occasion of the Rolex America’s Cup Hall of Fame 12th Annual Induction Ceremony to be held Thursday, June 10, 2004. The black-tie affair, sponsored by longtime supporter Rolex Watch U.S.A., is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Rosecliff, the Newport (R.I.) mansion modeled after the Grand Trianon in France.
Presiding over the Induction Ceremony will be Halsey C. Herreshoff, President of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. Tickets are available to the public by contacting the America’s Cup Hall of Fame at 401-465-7610 or e-mailing j.russell@herreshoff.org. Proceeds from the ceremony will benefit the America’s Cup Hall of Fame.
Bradley William Butterworth OBE (1959-) - In the Cup’s long history, no other afterguard member has won so many races in succession as Butterworth. As tactician aboard three winning boats (New Zealand’s Black Magic in 1995 and 2000, and Switzerland’s Alinghi in 2003), Butterworth set a new Cup record with 15 consecutive America’s Cup race victories.
William Fife III (1857-1944) – The designer of two of Sir Thomas Lipton’s early Cup challengers, as well as hundreds of other beautiful, fast yachts, William Fife III (sometimes referred to as William Fife, Jr.) was born into his trade in his father’s and grandfather’s shipyard in Fairlie, Scotland. By the age of 30 he was designing and building noted racing boats for clients who included many Americans and Canadians. With G. L. Watson, Fife dominated the design of large sailing yachts in Britain in the 1890s before Watson turned his attention to the design of steam yachts.
Henry Coleman Haff (1837-1906) – Nobody in America’s Cup history has sailed in the afterguard of more successful Cup boats than Hank Haff, skipper or tactician of four winners between 1881 and 1895. As of 2004, only Nathanael G. Herreshoff, C. Oliver Iselin, and Dennis Conner have matched his remarkable record.
Thomas A. Whidden (1948-) – Tom Whidden was the most successful America’s Cup tactician of the 1980’s, helping to win three of the contests (1980, 1987, and 1988). He has been active with the Cup ever since. “When I was 16 my dream was to become a sailmaker and race in the America's Cup,” said Whidden of his years as a junior sailor on Long Island Sound. He fulfilled both wishes: as a sailmaker he became President of North Sails, and, after he earned Dennis Conner’s respect by besting him in ocean races, Whidden was asked by Conner to help out with the ultimately successful Freedom campaign as trial-horse helmsman and sail trimmer.
About the America's Cup Hall of Fame: The America's Cup Hall of Fame was created to honor the challengers, defenders, and legendary personages of the world's most distinguished sporting competition. The present prototype Hall of Fame was established in 1994 in an historic building on the grounds of the former Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol, Rhode Island, where yachts were constructed for eight consecutive America's Cup defenses between 1893 and 1934. The Herreshoff Marine Museum, situated on this historic site, operates the America's Cup Hall of Fame. Commencing with its first induction ceremony in 1993, 59 legends of the Cup have been invested with membership. Candidates eligible for consideration include skippers, afterguard, crew, designers, builders, organizers, syndicate leaders, managers, supporters, chroniclers, race managers, and other individuals of merit. Each nominee is judged on the basis of outstanding ability, international recognition, character, performance, and contributions to the sport. The 22 members of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee bring a wealth of knowledge to the selection process. They are persons intimate with the America's Cup tradition of yacht racing and committed to the integrity of the Hall of Fame.
The Herreshoff Marine Museum and America's Cup Hall of Fame are dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting the accomplishments of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and demonstrating the influence of America's Cup Competition, for the purpose of education, research, and the inspiration of excellence in the world of yachting. For more information, visit www.herreshoff.org, or contact the Museum at P.O. Box 450, One Burnside Street, Bristol, RI 02809-0450, Phone: 401-253-5000, Fax: 401-253-6222.
BOATU.S. 2004 ISAF Women’s Match Racing
World Championship Comes to
the Chesapeake Bay
Skill and Tactics Count - Not Money or Strength - in this Battle for the World Championship
Sixteen of the world’s best female skippers and crews will battle it out on the Chesapeake Bay at the BoatU.S. 2004 International Sailing Federation Women’s Match Racing World Championship on June 5-12, 2004
The race is sponsored by BoatU.S. and hosted by the Eastport Yacht Club.
The race is sailed on the Chesapeake Bay adjacent Annapolis, MD.
The event is held in match race format that pits boat-against-boat, skipper-against-skipper. Unlike sailing races where big budgets and expensive, hi-tech boats can have an advantage – match racers take to the course in identical J-22 (22-foot) sailboats. The winners are determined through skill, tactics and finesse, not money or strength.
This is the first time this top-echelon race has come to the Chesapeake Bay and is the pre-eminent women’s match race event – the “superstars” of women’s sailing from around the globe vie to gain entry to the race through a difficult and challenging invitation process. In racing circles, this competition is viewed as near Olympic status.
Cheyenne Still 4 Days Ahead of RTW Record Pace
575 miles W/SW of Praia, Cape Verde Islands: After 52-1/2 days on their Round The World record attempt, Steve Fossett and Cheyenne continue on their push North / Northwest up the Atlantic, benefiting from steady wind from the E/NE throughout today. A 206 nm run since 0510z this morning (avg 17.2 kts) keeps them 4 days ahead of record holder Orange's 2002 RTW pace. A sub 60 day record run seems tantalizingly possible.
Tom Mattus of Commanders Weather reports: "This wind will be pretty steady, and 'clocking' towards the E, then the SE over the next 2 days, and Cheyenne will turn towards the N and then NE by Thursday evening, when they hope to pick up the Low pressure system to their NW and ride it NE through Saturday. This Low will then dissipate and a cold front should be there to carry them towards the finish line. A Tuesday (Day 60) finish is possible".
Monday's close call with the front beam nearly coming away from the starboard hull could have put paid to all such optimism, but immediate reaction and repairs have meant that progress has only been slowed a little, at least in mild seas. The repairs of yesterday are holding, and are being improved today. As Dave Scully reports:
"We're making 17-20 kts as conditions have improved, the seas are smoothing and the sky is clear. Moose has made a splendid pin of old battens (110mm x 500 mm) and as soon as the glue dries we'll slide it in."
For more information visit www.yachtracing.com.