[UPDATE, 19:55 CET Thu: After an interesting day of emails back and forth with two longtime friends -- John Rousmaniere, preeminent Cup historian and author; and Tom Leweck, founder and editor of Scuttlebutt -- look for a guest editorial by John to lead tomorrow's 'Butt, which the BOB will pick up and, with any luck, amplify.]


The yacht, not the nation. We see this issue debated in books and articles from time to time. This morning Scuttlebutt (North America) published a letter that is consistent with our understanding of what took place in the final years of the yacht America -- for which, as you will know, the oldest trophy in international sports is named:


* From Dave Gendell, Editor, SpinSheet Magazine: (Further clarification on the sad death of the original Schooner AMERICA) In October 1921, Charles Francis Adams presented the restored America to the Naval Academy on behalf of the Eastern YC. She was accepted by the Academy's superintendent for a nominal purchase price of one dollar. Sadly, there was no preservation fund or program and she was left to rot in her slip on the Severn River.

In late 1940 she was hauled, some say at the direct request of FDR, in Eastport, at the Annapolis Yacht Yard (the Trumpys would not arrive on the scene until 1947). A proper restoration effort began but was rudely interrupted by the events of December 7, 1941. On March 29, 1942, a makeshift shed over her hull collapsed under the weight of snow from a freak spring storm. She was damaged beyond repair.

Throughout the war years, souvenir hunters picked over her remains. AMERICA was finally broken up and her remains hauled away over the winter of 1945-46. Bits of her are scattered throughout the yachting world and a hunk sits on my desk as I type this note. But those holding such pieces, present company included, should bear in mind the words of an old time Annapolis salt: "If you put all the supposed bits of AMERICA together you could build three schooners...."


Annapolis is also the home of Farr Yacht Design, which firm provides a number of the members of our design team -- notably Bruce Farr and his colleagues Brian Baker, Mat Bird, Alon Finkelstein, Dave Fornaro and Britt Ward. When we have a meeting in Annapolis we often make our way to the Charthouse, a popular restaurant with local sailors. What was the Annapolis Yacht Yard (later Trumpy's) where America met her demise in 1942, is today, our FYD colleagues tell us, the Chart House parking lot.

By the way, the Cup had its longest hiatus during those war years, with no defense held between 1937 and 1958. The "modern era" began in '58 with the introduction of the 12-Metre class. Since then, counting AC 32 next year, fully half -- 16 -- of the total number of defenses will have taken place: '58, '62', '64, '67, '70, '74, '77, '80, '83, '87, '88, '92, '95, '00, '03, '07. We must be doing something right; it seems likely Commodore Stevens, George Schuyler and the other members of the America syndicate would be pleased with all their yacht hath wrought, despite it's ignoble demise.


A restored yacht America berthed in the Severn River at Annapolis in this
photo taken 25 Sep 1940, courtesy of the Charles W. Cushman Photograph
Collection, Indiana University Archives / Digital Library Program. (Amazing
color slide/photo from 66 years ago; looks better than the next photo from
five years ago.)


The latest replica of the schooner yacht America, under full sail off
Newport, RI on 6 Sep 2001 -- five days before the fateful events in NYC and
elsewhere in the USA now simply known as "9/11". The replica above was
built in 1995.

The 1995 replica is now a tourist and corporate charter boat in San
Diego, seen here in a recent photo greeting the USS Ronald Reagan
off Point Loma. An earlier replica was built in 1967, is in Europe, and is
expected in Valencia at some point during AC 32.