1950 World Championship - Chicago, Illinois
The following results are from George Elder's book "Forty Years Among The Stars". In common with the early Logs it is interesting to note that in his results Elder does not give the yacht numbers of the boats which participated in the World's, but only just their names. It was not until the 1950 Log that yacht numbers were included in the results. From 1950 through 1976 both yacht numbers and names were given, but starting with 1977 frequently only yacht numbers were given. The last time both yacht numbers and yacht names were given was 1989.
In later years sometimes fleet designations were omitted. In these cases some of the more obvious fleet designations were supplied. Also from time to time only last names were supplied. First names, where known, were added.
Abbreviations etc: Dsa - Disabled. Dsq - Disqualified. Dns - Did Not Start. Wdr - Withdrew.
1950 - AT CHICAGO
Yacht# Yacht name Skipper Crew Fleet Daily Finish Pts. 3002 Sea Robin R. Lippincott Robert Levin West Jersey 1 9 2 2 7 189 2916 Twin Star L. Pirie C. Tuttle Wilmette Harbor 6 2 5 5 8 184 2125 Shillalah Skip Etchells Mary Etchells C. Long Island Sound 14 5 3 1 6 181 2915 Luisa III Tito Nordio L. de Manincor Trieste 5 12 10 6 1 176 2958 Merope A. Straulino Nicolo Rode Se-Ve-Taranto 2 3 1 29 2 173 2570 Hilarius Hilary Smart Paul Smart Milwaukee 3 4 11 9 10 173 1793 Scout II Richard Miller G. Voss Central Lake Erie 12 6 8 12 3 169 2460 Golfinho J. Tito M. Bramao Cascais 8 8 14 14 4 162 2856 Santa Cristina C. de Cardenas Narciso Gelats Habana 11 13 6 10 15 155 2700 Flame Stan Ogilvy James Stephens W. Long Island Sound 4 7 4 Dsa 9 144 3032 Gem III Durward Knowles Basil Kelly Nassau Dsa 1 7 8 11 141 2742 Finagle William Nagle Alec Nagle Jr Moriches Bay 13 16 13 18 13 137 3005 Kathleen Herbert WilliamsDonald Sherwood *S. Lake Michigan 17 10 Dsa 7 5 129 2920 North Star Lowell North Brian Hanzal San Diego Bay 9 Dsa 12 3 17 127 2965 Comanche Jack Price John Reid Biscayne Bay 18 Dsa 9 4 12 121 2553 Jet Florus Black Nicholas KershawMichigan City 10 11 20 13 33 121 2810 Gull Harry Havemeyer J. Hermus Great South Bay 20 15 22 11 21 121 3026 Stampede George Dewar J. Forrington Oakmont-Allegheny 19 14 18 16 24 119 3030 Shooting Star Stan Lippincott A. Seither Barnegat Bay 29 19 15 21 14 112 2828 Fracas Edward Fraker L. Smithline Raritan Bay 28 17 26 11 19 105 2127 Hell's Angel August Stoemer R. Stoefller East River 21 22 23 17 22 105 2613 Bu II T. dePaula Othon Dias Rio de Janeiro 23 21 28 19 34 85 2067 Chaser II Bill Ficker Bergen Hess Newport Harbor Dsq 23 16 26 20 83 2995 Oregon Star J. Cram W. Cram Puget Sound 31 29 30 20 18 82 1992 Urchin J. Killeen Jr Harvey Killeen New Orleans G. 21 21 27 23 31 79 2363 Spitfire George Parsons George Forbes English Bay 37 18 24 21 29 77 3044 Tulla Jul Hansen Larry Sobstad Sheepshead Bay 34 20 17 24 Dsq 73 2366 Desira D. Birks Harold Lankton Illinois River 35 24 31 22 28 70 1945 Lodestar D. Dunigan Jr Robert Jones Chesapeake Bay 15 Dsa 19 Wdr 23 69 2355 Finesse Robert Ferguson William Bennett Gull Lake 16 Dsa 21 Dsa 21 64 1343 Ariel A. Fairhead D. Higgins L. Ontario Canadian 26 Dns Dsq 28 26 46 1789 Duchess Paul Bishop Thomas Murray Boston Harbor 32 28 32 27 Wdr 43 3038 Mohawk Meryl Amo Ronald Sutton Detroit River 27 Dsa Wdr Dns 16 41 2484 Seagull II H. Day II Thomas Nowlen St. Joseph-Paw Paw Lake 38 Dsa 29 31 30 40 2064 Ecstasy Sterling Potter William Kelly Los Angeles Harbor 33 Dsa 33 32 32 38 2106 Idol W. Leirheimer Alvin LeirheimerS. Long Island Sound 22 Dsq 25 Dsa Dns 36 2790 Para I R. Richmiller F. Runnells Belle Isle Dsq 26 Dns 30 35 35 1946 White Shadow William Myers Paul Cox Eastern Shore 7 Dsa Wdr Dns Dns 35 2291 Fiammetta A. Cosentino Carlo Rolandi Naples 24 Dsa Wdr Dsa 27 33 1949 Starduster William Stout Pennewitt Lake Springfield 36 27 Wdr Dsa Dns 21 1910 Flame R. SchluederbergThomas Bundy Southern Lake Erie 30 Dsa Dns Dns Dns 12 Winning yacht No. 3002. B - Lippincott Boat Works, 1950. Ch Meeting - C. de Cardenas. Ch. I.R.C. - G. W. Elder.
Regatta Report
The 1950 meeting was orderly. Charlie de Cardenas presided, while Paul Smart acted as secretary. A roped-off section was reserved for delegates and proxies. They stood, when voting, so there could be no mistake in the count. I was again chairman of the I.R.C. We were all quartered at an hotel, two long blocks away from the club.
Bob Lippincott, of West Jersey, put on the most spectacular performance. He broke his mast a couple of hundred yards from the finish and drifted across the line, under a jury rig, for a ninth. Then he won the series, being the first to have ever done so with a broken mast in one race; nor was Bob protested for not displaying his racing number. Believe it or not that happened to a yacht finishing in a squall under jib only - but not in the Star class. Nevertheless, the rules state that the racing number must be displayed. Now there is a kink for the sea lawyer to mull over.
If anyone thinks that Lake Michigan is a mild little pond, they have another think coming. It blew hard in every race and there was actually a surf pounding on the shore. There was only one exception, the Saturday morning race, held then to avoid conflict with the club's regular regatta. A club is perhaps favored with an international event once in a lifetime, but nothing must interfere with that regular weekend regatta, no sir! The fact that those early morning light airs might completely disrupt the results of a series was not considered, yet it almost happened.
Twin Star put so many boats between it and Sea Robin, at the end of the first circuit, that it seemed as if Woodie would again wear the crown, if they finished. Then something happened, which even the contestants do not know about. The haze lifted and we saw stakeboat number two. It did not bear correctly, making the leeward leg about half a mile too long. We phoned its mark officials, who could see number one, to move it the required distance.
No Star had as yet rounded. The course was exactly the same, but the right length. It was perfectly legal, the same as replacing a mark gone adrift. Had it not been done, the race would never have been finished. That would have spelled trouble. The Coast Guard had other commitments for the morrow.
Tito Nordio, of Trieste, won within the stipulated three and one-half hours. Lippincott, coming from nowhere, beat Pirie, who became runner-up. Skip Etchells had the third highest point score. A different skipper won every race, against that field of forty-one, beating the previous year's record by a single entry.
Bob took the opener and Durward won the second race, but the Bahaman's jubilation was short. Returning to the club, he discovered that his locker had been purloined. All his valuables were gone, including his return ticket to Nassau. We learned later that there had been other locker pilferings that year.
After winning the third race, Agostino ran into his usual bad luck Friday. It was one of those cold gray days; half a gale with intermittent rain and big seas. Starting that race with a substantial lead, he broke a shroud. Lowering the jib, the Italian used its halyard to keep the mast in Merope. It worked, but with mainsail only, he fell back and finished twenty-ninth. It was the only race in which Straulino did not finish third or better. Except for that one mishap, he would have won the series easily. Etchells won. North, whom they feared in light air, strangely enough made his best showing, getting a daily third.
That same day some well-meaning person lowered the red cylinder, to save it from further punishment. It had remained up throughout over one hundred international races and was in sad need of repair. In fact it should have been replaced. Lowering it had never been an official signal to contestants and it was not mentioned in the race circular. It simply meant that course and mark officials could go home.
There were seasoned officers handling those jobs. Suppose the weather mark had been picked up and towed in, what then? The race would have been called and the I.R.C. accused of trying to give those down in the ruck another chance. It was unnoticed, except by a few on the committee boat, but that seemingly harmless act might have caused a lot of criticism.
Another minor blunder occurred at the start of the final race. Because of the way it lay, the line flag was placed on the stern of the committee boat. Our recall officer could not see it from inside the pilothouse and stood on the bridge. The bosun was inside with instructions to sound the whistle if told. It was close, but no one was over ahead of the gun and I so signaled from deck. Our officer said O.K. and walked away. The bosun thought he meant that it was O.K. to pull the whistle cord and did so. A few skippers looked back, but none tried to return. If one had, he would have lost many places in that light air.
Incidentally Nye did not qualify that year and Bert Williams was the defender. Some people thought a start was postponed to give him time to reach the line, but they were mistaken. Kathleen had already been accounted for, but Bert had lowered his mainsail to adjust something. Some locals began to yell, "Wait for Williams." The I.R.C., however, was watching the wind, which had hauled. It postponed the start in order to shift the stakeboats. Otherwise there would not have been a windward leg.
The only criticism that reached my ears was that starts were delayed too long and they were. Let me state here and now that it was no fault of the I.R.C. Even had the courses been in that harbor, there would have been unavoidable delays. Why? Because the I.R.C. seldom was able to get away from the float before the time the first signal should have been given. People simply do not realize that a race cannot be started until, at least, the weather mark is anchored, and placing it takes time. Delays were caused by conflicting shore arrangements.
The I.R.C. had to dispose of all pending cases before the day's race. It did not get to the mess hall until a few minutes after noon. There was always a long line at the buffet lunch table and three or four rows waiting for the bar to open. Yes, some wanted a drink, after a long morning's work, before boarding an arid Coast Guard committee boat. The help, having been kept up late the night before, would not start earlier, nor could you blame them. The I.R.C. had no priority. It does not seek special favors, but it's absurd for spectators to rush out to the line and wait for the officials who start the race to get there.
After the first day, I suggested postponing all signals one hour, but the majority did not wish to interfere with local arrangements. Another solution would have been to bring sandwiches, ice and glasses to the committee room. There probably always will be a certain amount of conflict between race management and shore activities. It usually starts at the annual meeting.
Some commodore decides to throw a cocktail party the same day. His emissary drifts in late in the afternoon. He takes a seat, bites his nails and squirms. When he can stand it no longer, he gets up and says, "Gentlemen, you must break this up or you will offend your host. The commodore and his friends have already been kept waiting nearly an hour."
That does it. Chairs are pushed back and people begin to leave. Some delegate, anxious to submit his motion, shouts it at the chairman. Only a few hear it, due to the confusion. Everyone yells, "Yes. Now let's adjourn."
How can such hasty action be curbed? Do not schedule any parties on the day of the annual meeting. It's the only day in the year that Star fleets meet, through their accredited representatives and they have lots of business to transact. It is useless to warn the one throwing the party, as he soon forgets that warning. Just do not have a party. A second session is legal, but no longer practical. Most delegates and proxies are also contestants. They treasure their day of rest and do not wish to spend it at a meeting.
The foregoing is not said in the light of criticism. Entertainments are necessary to make a World's Championship a success. Naturally the hosts feel their responsibility and wish to do a good job. A little forethought, however, will avoid a lot of quite unnecessary trouble. This statement is made simply to explain those delayed starts. Except for these few little things, which the average person probably never noticed, the 1950 Chicago jamboree was grand.
The waters of Bob Lippincott's West Jersey fleet were not suitable for a standard course. Hence the 1951 championship was held at Gibson Island. (complete results) It is a beautiful spot. Like Havana, however, the focal points are a little too far apart. The writer expected to chairman the I.R.C., but a broken leg and the purchase of a house in the country prevented. Dave Dunigan, international vice president elect of North America, did the honors and made a fine job of it.
These happenings are so recent that they are known to most sailing fans. It is, therefore, only necessary to skim the surface and perhaps mention a couple of incidents not generally known to the yachting public.
