1952 Olympics

July 19 - August 3, 1952

DISTRICT: ISCYRA

HOST

Helsinki, Finland     Finland
Scroll to view all race results.
Nation Skipper Yacht R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 Total
Italy Straulino Merope 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 7635
United States Price Comanche 1 7 1 1 3 1 8 7216
Portugal Fuiza Espadarte 4 8 3 3 5 6 3 4902
Cuba de Cardenas Kurush IV 5 12 4 4 6 3 7 4535
Bahamas Knowles Gem III 3 6 6 10 2 8 9 4405
France Chabert Eissero 6 11 7 7 4 4 10 3866
Sweden Melin Lotts IV 7 9 5 5 9 10 4 3785
Holland Mass Bem II 9 3 9 11 8 5 11 3510
Switzerland Bryner Ali Babe IV 13 2 14 9 7 7 18 3400
Canada Woodward Whirlaway 12 13 11 16 10 14 2 2889
West Germany Fischer Paka 8 10 nf 14 21 11 5 2367
Brazil de Paula Bu III 11 4 13 19 12 16 15 2350
United Kingdom Banks Fortuna 15 5 nf 20 15 18 6 2178
Austria Musil 30 Februar 16 15 18 8 13 9 14 2092
Greece Timoleon Marie-Tim 19 16 10 6 18 17 13 1983
Argentina Vrilebona Arcturus 10 19 nf 13 11 12 17 1833
Finland Nyman Lucky Star 17 17 15 17 14 19 16 1522
Yogoslavia Fafanceli Primorka 20 18 12 15 17 20 21 1218
Monaco de Sigaldi Hirondelle nf nf 17 21 19 21 19 560

 

Winning yacht, No. 2958 built by Old Greenwich Boat Co. Old Greenwich, U.S.A., 1949
NOTE - Premium point and throw out system.

The 1952 Olympics, after a wait of twelve years, were held at Helsinki, Finland. The yachting was on more or less protected waters. The start was about four miles from the harbor, where excellent facilities were provided. The yachtsmen were housed in clubs on small islands near the mainland. They were divided according to nationality, not classes, hence the Star members did not see too much of each other. The point and throw out system was the same as in 1948. Everyone agreed that the races were most efficiently conducted.

The Star course would have been over the same triangle as the one for the one man monotypes, had it not been for Jean Peytel’s strenuous objection. As instructions had already been printed, the only thing that could be done was to send the Stars over the next larger triangle, a total of about thirteen and one-quarter miles. It was longer than the regular Star championship course, but a great improvement over the wild scramble of 1948. As a result of the longer course there were no disqualifications. There were no dismastings and only five did not finish, although there were twenty-one entries - a new Olympic record for a class bringing its own boats.

The U.S. finals were sailed on the Great South Bay, with the Bay Shore Y.C. sponsoring the event and the Bayberry Point Y.C. providing the anchorage. Owing to the early shipping date, comparatively few clubs were as yet in commission and we only had just enough powerboats to handle the marks. Shoal water eliminated the help of the Coast Guard and its telephones. Establishing reasonably accurate courses and starting on time was not easy. I know, as I was chairman of the special R.C., but weather conditions were good.

The series quickly developed into a duel between the two Florida entries. Jack Price and Jack Reid, of the Biscayne Bay fleet, won by four points. Jim Schoonmaker was runnerup and became alternate skipper. To avoid misunderstanding, he also lives in Miami, but belongs to the Nassau Star fleet. Nye, Ulmer and Smart followed in the order named. Paul Smart, however, finished ahead of anyone else seeking a substitute berth and became alternate crew. Thus the U.S. was fortified with a second string Star combination at Helsinki that was almost as good as its first.

Commanders Straulino and Rode, of the Italian navy won an impressive Olympic victory. They would have won under any point system the writer has ever heard of, never bringing Merope in worse than second in any of their seven starts. Agostino Straulino deserved to win. He was finally able to shake off the ill luck that pursued him for years and his tendency to take rash chances. As a result, he won the three major Star championships held in Europe in 1952.

Price and Reid came nearer winning than most people realize. Had Jack been able to place on the final day, regardless of Straulino winning, he could have thrown out Comanche’s seventh and won the series. That sort of thing can happen under the premium point and throw out system. At that the Italian and U.S. entries finished with over two thousand points more than anyone else.
It is interesting to note that of the first five entries to place, Price was the only newcomer to the Olympics. Fiuza and de Cardenas, a Star veteran of twenty-seven years, placed third and fourth respectively. Knowles was fifth and gave the Bahamas their first Olympic points, as the Bahamas only recently had been granted recognition as a separate nation.

An eyewitness reported a twenty mile wind in the first and third race, with fair seas and whitecaps. The other races were sailed in from medium to light weather. It is also reported that the final race was started in no more than a five mile zephyr. The light going may have somewhat cramped Price’s style, as he was never an outstanding drifter. My own feeling, however, is that Straulino was finally hitting on all fours in 1952 and that no one could have beaten him. In the second race, Straulino sailed through all seventeen Dragons and all except five of the 5.5’s, which classes started ten and twenty minutes, respectively, ahead of the Stars.

I have only spoken with three Star members who were at Helsinki and cannot add much in the way of sideline gossip. Charlie de Cardenas seemed to be more impressed with the fact that women masseurs were in attendance at the steam baths, which he took, than anything else. fPerhaps this will add a splash of color to an otherwise rather drab routine account.