Marblehead Trophy

MARBLEHEAD TROPHY Across Europe in 90 years 3 ACROSS EUROPE IN 90 YEARS THE MARBLEHEAD TROPHY Because)success)depends)on)ac=ons)of)others…) INSEPARABLY LINKED WITH THE DRAGON CLASS AND YET AN ETERNAL MYSTERY IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FASCINATING PRIZES IN SAILING. IT WENT MISSING, IT RE-EMERGED, IT WAS RECLAIMED, NARROWLY DEFENDED, AND THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN LOST FOREVER. AT THE SAME TIME, IT COULD RIGHTLY BE REFERRED TO AS THE “EUROPE’S CUP”, HAVING BEEN ABDUCTED FROM THE USA ALREADY IN 1929 AT THE VERY FIRST RACE BY THE SWEDES AND HAVING EVER SINCE REMAINED IN EUROPE – WHERE THE DRAGON CLASS HAS BEEN COMPETING FOR IT SINCE 1952. Author // Gregor Berz (Commodore of German Dragon Class Association – Deutsches Drachengeschwader e.V.) www.ifamd.com) 5 DEED OF GIFT Anniversary Celebration Program Celebration Anniversary Photo // Town of Marblehead 300th 300th of Marblehead // Town Photo Reproduction of the original deed of gift of the Marblehead Trophy in context of the town of Marblehead 300th anniversary celebration programm. 4 7 It just so happened that in 1929, a certain Erik US boat Tipler III, the German Kickerle, and Lundberg of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club that very Swedish Bacchant –, but did not lack visited the USA with his 30m2 skerry cruiser suspense. In the end, Bacchant with its three Bacchant and proceeded to win wins came first, ahead of Tipler III (2-2-3) and an unparalleled eleven (11) races in a Kickerle (3-3-2). In the third race, the first and row – among which were the three races of the the third boat are reported to have crossed the first Marblehead Trophy. As we know from a line within one minute and seven seconds of The Marblehead Cup was endowed in 1929 just a little while. Yet the class that compe- title page of the Boston Globe, the races were each other, after over three hours of racing – on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of ted for the Marblehead Trophy from 1929 held in the course of the Marblehead Race the Marblehead Trophy made for extremely the town of Marblehead, Massachusetts in onwards may well be regarded as a precursor Week and had only three competitors – the exciting sailing right from the start! order to showcase Marblehead’s pride as a to the Dragon. Though it is often said that the sailing capital. Why the Cup itself is boldly Dragon was modelled on the 6 metre class as engraved “Marblehead Trophy” even though a cheaper and safer alternative for young sai- the deed of gift clearly stipulates that the pri- lors – probably because designer Johan Anker ze is to be known as the “Marblehead Cup” is chiefly revered for his metre boats –, the will probably always remain the first mystery Dragon evidently bears even closer kinship of of the Cup.T In a downright irony of fate, races soul and genes to the skerry cruisers, which known as “Marblehead Cups” have been held also originated from Sweden and which were in the remote-controlled Marblehead class likewise conceived as a cheaper alternative for decades around the world, yet they have to the metre yachts. Just try and overcome nothing to do with our Marblehead Trophy the freeboard of all three designs without the whatsoever. The second mystery, namely aid of a boarding ladder and you will quickly why the original engraving on the Marble- appreciate the kinship. The 30m2 skerry head Cup features the year 1649, was easily cruisers in particular were held clarified by Chris Johnston, Chairman of the in high regard as exceptionally Historical Commission of the town of Mar- fine pieces of sports equip- blehead: The town became independent from ment by sailors and designers Salem only 20 years after the first European alike in the late 1920s and settled there in 1629; nevertheless, the 300th became increasingly popular anniversary was celebrated in 1929. on both sides of the Atlantic. It is therefore no accident that As the readers will be aware, 1929 was also the town of Marblehead in 1929 se- the year when Norwegian Johan Anker de- lected the 30m2 skerry cruisers to compete signed the Dragon, to which we will return in internationally for its newly created trophy. Razina // Elena Photo 6 9 THE SWEDISH ERA – THE TIME OF 30M2 SKERRY CRUISERS Thus, the Marblehead Trophy had come though the cup again bears no engraving for Photo // digitalmuseum.se Photo directly to the home of the skerry cruisers, to that year. The wonderful website digitaltmu- Sweden, where it was destined to remain for seum.se features photos of the Marblehead the next 23 years. Over that period, the prize Trophy in 1942 and 1943, with Korybant was fiercely contested, regularly changing winning both editions. The boat was owned hands among the Swedish yacht clubs. We by a certain Ingeborg Hedlund of the Royal can be reasonably certain that the racing was Swedish Yacht Club. always done in 30m2 skerry cruisers, both along the Baltic coast and on the large lakes. The Cup does not bear any engraving for the period The winning boat of 1939: Fagel Grip, a 30m² skerry cruiser. 1933 to 1937. Either the Cup remained with Wästerviks Segel Sällskap, which had won it in 1932, Bacchant S-227, the boat that won the historic or subsequent winners first Marblehead Trophy in the USA, 1929. simply failed to have their names engraved. The next recorded winner, in 1938, is Gamleby Segel Sällskap, who have promised us to investigate their period. Photo // digitalmuseum.se Photo We thus hope and expect to be able to add some of the missing pieces to the puzzle of the history of the Marblehead Trophy’s jour- ney across Europe after the publication of this article. We know for certain that races were held and the The collection of trophies that Lundberg’s Bacchant won in the course of 1929 in the USA. Marblehead Trophy on the far left. Already in 1929 the cup is engraved „Marblehead Trophy” even Marblehead Trophy was though the deed of gift clearly stipulates that the prize is to be known as a „Marblehead Cup.” awarded in 1943, even Drakenberg, KSSS // Hans Photo 8 11 Sometime they´ll give a war and we go sailing: Marblehead Trophy 1943 in the Sandhamm near Stockholm. Photo // digitalmuseum.se Photo 10 13 The winner of the 1944 to 1946 Photos // digitalmuseum.se Photos races: Trickson II, S-182. S-147. The following year, the Cup went to Lars Lundström of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, whose Vanja VI had been built by Båtbyggeri AB in 1944. For both yachts we have been able to en- sure that they are 30m2 skerry cruisers. 1 Photo finish of a race in 1942, with Korybant S 177 claiming victory. | 2 Korybant S 177 taking a clear lead in a 1943 The Cup again lacks race. | 3 The 1943 winning team: Hans Lindgren, Oscar Plym (helmsman), Conny Looft, Nils Nilsson. | 4 The winning an engraving for 1951. helmsman of 1943, Oscar Plym. According to Hans Drakenberg, the Com- mittee of the Royal The helmsman was, at least in 1943, Oscar Cup, but that the club also held races for the Swedish Yacht Club Plym, offspring of what was then one of the Trophy on lake Vättern in 1946 and 1947, of eventually decided to most renowned boat yards for skerry cruisers. which Olsson won at least the former. This henceforth sail for the It is not easy to reconcile these peaceful sai- means that the statistics (see below) must list Marblehead Trophy in ling pictures with what was going on throug- Olsson among those few helmsmen who won the Dragon, which had hout the rest of Europe at the same time. One the Trophy three times. His 30m2 skerry crui- become an Olympic is tempted to say, “Sometime they’ll give a ser, sail number S-182, was the Trickson II. class in 1948. The first war and we’ll go sailing.” Indeed, racing for According to Kristian Jensen of Motala Segel such races took place the Marblehead Trophy took place in every Clubb, the Marblehead Trophy was not held in 1952 off Sandhamn single year of the Second World War. in 1948 because it was becoming difficult near Stockholm, and to assemble a fleet on the Vättern each year. they also marked the From Motala Segelklubb we know that Arthur The 1949 edition was therefore staged in end of the Swedish Olsson not only won the Trophy in 1944 and Arkösund, where Sten Segerdahl of Linkö- Era of the Marblehead 1945, as indicated by the engraving on the pings Segelsällskap took the title with his Eva, Trophy. MSK Jensen, // Kristian Photo 12 15 THE MARBLEHEAD TROPHY AS A PRERACE TO THE KIEL WEEK Alnwick “Abbi” Harmstorf of Blakeneser the club’s current President), found himself Segel-Club (BSC) in Hamburg, with his unable to invite the Dragon fleet to his home des KYC // Mitteilungen Photo Dragon Bine III (G-111) and his crew Paul on the Elbe. The 1953 Marblehead Trophy Rust and Matthias von Appen Jr., was the was therefore hosted jointly with the Kieler first winner in the Dragon era that began in Yacht-Club (KYC) on the Kieler Förde, 1952 at Sandhamn, and the first non-Swede about 100km from Hamburg. This solution to claim the Marblehead Trophy. Since the was indeed quite fitting in that Almwick BSC is located on the tidal river Elbe, where Harmstorf was also a member of the KYC, Results of the races can only be held around highwater, club and the city on the Baltic was furthermore Marblehead Trophy 1954.

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