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Our boats history

Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:17 am
by Mario G
Well I guess if you sail far enough in an older boat you will get a call on the VHF like we did yesterday from another boater giving you a little history about your boat. As a motor yacht passed yesterday its capt. radio'd to tell me he was the 1st to capt. our E-32 when it was owned by Camp Robinhood in Maine and how it was only day sailed a few times a week during the summer months then stored in a building the rest of the year.

He said it was nice to see it again and how he enjoyed sailing it when he worked at the camp. I told him it hasn't had many changes from original and up to a few months ago still had the original main sail on it.

So now I'm going to get in touch with the camp and see what info and hopefully some old pictures of her.

Re: Our boats history

Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 1:37 pm
by s/v Faith
What a cool thing. I have had folks hail me to tell me about their Ariels, but never about 'Faith'.

I know she was once owned by a long time commodore of the Hampton Rhodes (?) yacht club.
She was custom ordered, and raced against other Ariels for some time...

I bought her in Hayes VA, and the prior owner had spoken to the original owner.. he had some
history but never told me her original name (most of our conversations took place onboard).

Re: Our boats history

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:55 am
by Ric in Richmond
That is so cool to hear from someone who sailed your boat before!!!

I'd definitely follow up with the camp. Bet there are lots of pics of your boat printed and in scrap books as fond memories!!!

I know my boat was first owned by a guy named Raul Frye who was instrumental in developing the first atomic clocks (so thank him for GPS because without an atomic clock it wouldn't work).

He moored it in Connecticut and then moved to Annapolis.

Frye was then a member of Annapolis Yacht club and helped get the Wednesday night races started...literally and figuratively as Andimao served as committee boat for a while and Frye lobbied for the series (when you read this many of the names are still revered in the Annapolis area):

"Mid-week sailboat racing on Spa Creek, smack in the middle of the colonial town, harks back to the late 1950s. Then, a handful of boats would gather in front of the Clubhouse at the lower end of Compromise Street on the north side of the creek; someone would blow a horn and they were off on a short course, always the same one. Little concern was given to the direction of the wind. In other words, the classic Olympic triangle was sacrificed for the sheer joy of friendly nautical competition.

"Bing" Downing (AYC commodore in 1978) noted that in 1958 Gaither Scott (commodore in 1974-75), while attending the America's Cup Races in Newport, R.I., observed the East Greenwich Yacht Club Wednesday Evening Race Series. Scott suggested to then Vice Commodore Jack Martin and Past Commodore H.H. Benson (1950-51) that the Annapolis Yacht Club initiate a similar series. Downing wrote, "Wednesday Night Races were inaugurated in the summer of 1959." Those who remember the first races recalled there was no race committee; a volunteer started the boats from the clubhouse, where they also finished. Informality was the order of the evening. Not only were there no prizes, there was no scoring. Downing added, "The highlight of the evening was a picnic supper on the AYC dock after the race-where the race was sailed over and over."

Early boats to sail in the series included Racing Division boats-"S" boats, H23s, 5.5s, a 6- meter and a Bermuda One-Design. Annapolis sailing entrepreneur Jerry Wood began building Rainbows and secured a start for this class as well. Oral historians of the Wednesday Night Races repeat over and again names of those enthusiastic AYC members who campaigned for early Wednesday Night Races, including Tom Closs, Raul Frye, Ed Hartman, Bert Jabin, Sonny Smith, Mike Ashford, Ron Council and others.

By 1965, interest in the series was waning. Three persuasive members, Larry Newark, Arnie Gay and Al Bruce, suggested opening the series to all classes. Their idea was that the larger, faster boats skippered by sailors with more experience could have their competition and those helmsmen with smaller boats and less experience could take their first steps. Even today, large boats with many layers of "go fasters" race alongside, but not in competition with, small class boats helmed by much less experienced sailors. By 1966-68, boats grew in number from 50 to 112. " (http://www.insideannapolis.com/archive/ ... Races.html )


The second owner also was an AYC member and kept her at the club and at the dock at his house on the Magothy. She wintered typically at Whitehall ashore.

If anyone happens to have any memories or photos of Andiamo from the era I'd love to hear them!!!!