1960 World Championship - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The following results are from the Star Logs. In common with the early Logs 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.
1960 WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP - RIO DE JANIERO No. Yacht Skipper Crew Fleet Daily Places Pts. 3877 North Star III Lowell North Thomas Skahill Mis 1 1 9 1 5 218 4039 Deacon Donald K. Edler Kent Edler NH 4 4 1 6 4 216 4258 Fierce Rob. Lippincott Frank Hogg WJ 5 12 6 4 10 198 4207 Dingo Ding SchoonmakerRead Ruggles Bis 17 2 5 5 9 197 4241 Glider Richard Stearns Robert Halperin WH 3 18 14 7 3 190 4115 Esquire Richard G. Hahn Ted Munroe LB 11 6 8 9 13 188 3981 Chatterbox Malin Burnham Peter Peckham SDB 9 5 7 11 20 183 4077 Pimm W. von HütschlerJorge Carneiro RdJ 6 10 16 13 7 183 3954 Ma' Lindo Mario Quina Jose Quina Lag 14 9 2 17 18 175 3740 Malihini Anson Beard Samuel Beard GSB 20 11 19 10 1 174 4195 Illusion Paul E. Fischer Daniel Schwartz HF 26 3 17 15 6 168 3870 Faneca Duarte Bello Oliveir Cas 21 7 21 14 12 160 3911 Ninotchka Jorge Pontual Cid Nascimento Gua 13 15 13 19 16 159 3089 Ouija J. Scarborough Frank Caraher Ric 10 23 25 8 15 154 3910 Clementine Harry H. Adler Luis Ramos Sal 12 dnf 3 3 19 151 4164 Ta Fatt V Jacob Engwall Arne Akerson Gef 15 19 28 18 11 144 3913 Lindoya C. W. Lyon Jr Frank Lyon AH 19 13 11 26 23 143 4125 Shandon E. W. Etchells Mary Etchells CLIS 2 40 dnf 2 2 142 4147 Clambambes V Peter Adolff Jurgen Adolff Sta 16 20 15 16 27 141 3867 Creepy II Foster Clarke David Kelly N 27 14 10 20 26 138 3925 Espadarte Joaquim Finza Manuel RicciardiFdeL 7 22 33 21 22 130 4259 Crocus H. Lippincott Kitchenman ER 18 26 18 31 14 128 4253 Twinkle Roberto Mieres Victor Fragola SOL 31 16 22 23 21 122 3869 Sirene Kenneth Smith Gerald Swanton HB 8 8 39 22 dnf 111 3680 Bu Roberto Bueno Carlos Cairo Cop 24 43 4 25 28 111 4225 Mechtild Joseph Pankofer Franz Heilmeier Chi dnf 29 24 27 8 100 3401 Nuvola Rossa Dario Salata Luigi Croce Lar 23 24 26 32 33 97 4173 Hokunani Harry C. Uhler Robert Hiatt KH 25 35 20 28 32 95 4254 Susan II Dieter Laubmann Karli Laubmann Teg 29 21 27 36 29 93 3365 Xodo Michel Gautier Fernand Thieck S dsq 30 12 12 dnf 87 4097 Fram III Ernst Gautschi Christa GautschiBod 28 33 36 30 24 84 4112 Flamingo IV Paul Woodbury Axel Schmidt CA dnf 25 dnf 24 17 75 4294 Chamakina Carlos Braniff Antonio RecamierPM 30 32 34 34 30 75 3430 Pukki III F de Andrade Carlos de BrittoSet 33 31 23 40 34 74 4167 No Izquierdo Charles H. Dole Ric Carpenter W dsa 34 29 29 25 71 3070 Noni A. Correia Henrique Hall VF 22 17 dsa dsq 31 71 3822 Gamine Edmund Daser Pauline Daser LL dnf 28 32 37 35 56 4298 Mariang Hector Schenone A. Pekelharing OL 36 38 31 39 dsa 44 4213 March Hare James O. Jones T. de Paula MS dnf 27 30 dnf dsa 37 4192 Nippe Jan Dellborg Gernard Hobohm Kat 34 36 35 dsq dns 36 4051 Arrayan III Jose Zambruni Rob. Travesaro Ros 32 41 41 42 dsa 32 4094 Covunco IV Ovidio Lagos Jorge Curutchet BA dnf 39 38 35 dns 29 4292 Spook Herb Witte Gerd Schroeder Tig 35 44 dsq 33 dnf 29 3228 Malabar Henr. Fischer Barborsich SP dnf 37 37 38 dnf 29 3472 Cordobes A. Macchiavelli Carlos Terragno LSR dnf 42 40 dsa dns 12 3931 Greta II N. S. Pexider Joao J. Anger GA dsq 45 dsq 41 dns 8
1960 World Championship Regatta Report
by Anson Beard, 1961 Star Class Log
If anyone thought that a trip to remote Rio de Janeiro might prove to be an easy route to some gold awards, he was very much mistaken. The 1960 World's Championship collected 46 contestants representing 11 countries, and among them were many fine pedigrees: five previous Gold Star winners, seven continental champions and numerous other chevron holders.
The annual meeting was held on the Saturday before the series started, on the beautiful outdoor dance floor of the yacht club (spelled Iate Clube and pronounced Yatee Cloobie), later to be the scene of far more frivolous nocturnal activities. Besides the usual transaction of business, a well-wishing cable from Moscow signed by our Olympic champion was read, and a motion was passed to wire former International President Charles de Cardenas in expression of our unanimous regrets that circumstances prevented his presence. With the meeting adjourned, the flags raised, the boats rigged and in some cases waxed with "classified" formulas, the stage was set for the series to begin.
But first a word about Guanabara Bay. For one who sails out of the Great South Bay on Long Island, N.Y., this body of water was Utopia, and sailors of diverse origins shared these sentiments. The southern extreme of the bay is punctuated by famed Sugar Loaf and Corcovado, the city of Rio lies along the western shore, and the harbor is studded with ships waiting to unload. After a six-mile tow to the starting line, mandated daily by the southeast wind direction, the Bay provided plenty of room and excellent racing conditions.
First Race
The first race began in about 15 knots of wind, which increased somewhat the second time around, and, as those of us who showed the misjudgment to go offshore the first time soon discovered, a strong flood tide. The majority who went directly toward the shore came out well ahead. The race was won by the defending champion, Lowell North, closely followed by two other familiar craft, Shandon and Glidcr.
Monday the wind was less enthusiastic- we raced mostly from inside the cockpit. North and Schoonmaker, who for most of the first leg appeared safely ahead, led the inshore boats. However, Paul Fischer in his German built Illusion, after what turned out to be one of the best starts of the week, had a good lead on the group that was re-challenging the tide. Ken Smith was there too, deftly tacking on headers; and when the wind took one of its rare lasting headers, they appeared in the lead. This put Schoonmaker fourth, and in consternation he tacked to go farther inshore.
Yesterday's lesson paid off, and Ding found that fresh wind which proved to be a permanent easterly shift at the top third of the weather leg every time. Flying in rail down, Dingo just managed to nip North Star at the mark, followed by Fischer and Edler. Order at the front end remained unchanged except for one slight inevitability: North slid downhill just a little, but just enough, faster than Schoonmaker to gain the lead, which he then managed ably to protect.
Second Race
Two firsts and impressive speed made the blue-sailed incumbent everyone's favorite. However, another Californian, heretofore unmentioned, Don Edler, was not giving points away. Don did nothing flashy in the first two races: he showed a pair of fours; but as everyone knows, in a hot fleet of 46, that pace generally wins.
Third Race
One of the peculiar qualities of the wind in Guanabara Bay was its ability to change velocity rather abruptly without changing direction. Before the start conditions were similar to the first day, with the air moving at about 15 knots. With 15 minutes left to the start, it abated to about half that velocity; a few people had the wrong sail up! Tactical strategy took the same pattern again, and almost everyone raced for shore.
To be honest, we on Malihini were so far out of it that we never did find out the details of the race. However, we did see Edler in the lead, and from about 25th we could see Lowell maybe nine boats ahead of us at the first weather mark. Instead of using this as a condolence, we decided to follow him and witnessed his second round recovery, somewhat to our advantage, of course.
Probably the most difficult task on each weather leg was to know when the lay line had been reached. The temptation was always to continue inshore, seeking ever more breeze and a greater lift from the new slant at the top. Few sailors of this fleet's caliber should overstand marks: but this maneuver was so difficult that, even though the mark was clearly in sight, a number of boats had to ease sheets to reach off each time.
By calling the lay line, shift included, to within five lengths on the short side, Lowell maximized use of his speed and nailed down a respectable ninth place in this race. This was not enough to win the Vanderveer Trophy, however. Don Edler, by taking first, boosted his daily average to third and moved into the series lead, two points ahead of North. Another Californian, Malin Burnham, spent rest day in series third position.
For many, rest day proved to be the most tiring of all. It followed an unforgettable evening, including a fantastic buffet (with a shrimp tree, for instance), a floorshow, and a captivating dance to the beat of Latin drums. The contestants divided their day among a variety of activities that ranged from ascending Sugar Loaf or Corcovado to shopping, wandering around tourist style with cameras, taking in the Footchi-Ball game (soccer), at famed Maracana Stadium, or just sitting around capitalizing on an easy liquor situation (beer was 50 per cent cheaper than water). At any rate, little activity was seen around the hoist.
Fourth Race
The wind was still from the southeast, ranging this time around 10 knots. For the first time, however, the tide was ebbing, and there was much conjecture as to whether or not port tack might be the way to go for a change. As it turned out, there was less difference, but there still seemed to be enough extra wind on the starboard tack side to give those boats the advantage. The race evolved into a speed contest among three very fast boats. Harry Adler, from the local host fleet, gave both North and Etchells a real battle before settling for third, well ahead of Bob Lippincott in fourth place. By capturing her third victory North Star entered the final race with a three-point lead over Deacon, who stayed alive by finishing sixth.
Mañana
As we towed out for the final race, nature decided to take her turn at "reacting to local conditions" by blasting in with some puffs upward of 25 knots. Sails were difficult to hoist. One U.S. West Coaster, obviously unaccustomed to such conditions, was heard to query the race committee: "You're not going to start us in this stuff?" But of course they did.
As we started, boats at the committee end heard two recall shots fired, but everyone continued to race on. After perhaps a five-minute organization period, the patrol boats were coordinated to corral us back to re-start the race. In the ensuing quarter-hour there were two significant occurrences. First, Lowell North rearranged his rigging, and by using backstay number 5 or 6 as a headstay was able adequately to replace a broken juniper strut and prevent his boat from floundering as she had before. Second, the wind abated to about 18 knots.
Starting again, with everyone behind the line this time, most boats went inshore to seek shelter from the waves. At the first mark, Walter von Hütschler in Pimm nosed out the Beards in Malihini, closely followed by Lippincott's Fierce. Pimm couldn't hang on downwind and dropped back to third at the next mark. At the end of the first round Edler had enough boats between him and North to win the series for Deacon; but the wind was lightening all the time.
With several personal duels taking place for series positions the second time up, we managed to increase Malihini's lead and went on to win. Skip Etchells also avoided tacking duels and moved up to a healthy second - his third one of the week. However, not far behind the leaders, North again displayed his ability to recover by catching up to Edler and, by finishing fifth just behind him, managed to win his second straight World's Championship, his third in four years.
Almost as interesting was the fight for series third between Schoonmaker and Bob Lippincott. On the last run, after many luffs, Ding managed to pass Bob, but failed by one foot to put the necessary boat between them, so that third went to Lippy.
To sum up: Lowell North continued to demonstrate his supremacy over the Class; the Californians showed outstanding speed, filling four of the first seven positions, all of which went to American (U.S.) entries; and most important, the Brazilian hosts provided excellent facilities and a wonderful place to sail, and outdid themselves in hospitality.
