STORM FORCE
Classic Boat|April 2020
Kirawan famously won the windy 1936 Bermuda Race – now she’s restored and ready to do it again
CHRIS MUSELER
STORM FORCE
The steady thrush of a radiused, heavily planked bow and hull shouldering into the pitched, green waves of a gale will draw either high anxiety or faith from one 300 miles from any point of land. The crew aboard the cutter had only faith, and not fear during the 1936 Bermuda Race. Strong, southeast winds blew gale force for a week. Ten boats were disabled or withdrew, and most were blown 75 to 100 miles off the rhumb line from Newport. With enough of a forefoot to “keep a grip on the water”, according to The Rudder magazine that year, Kirawan never sagged more than 40 miles off.

The Philip Rhodes-designed 53-footer (16.2m) stood up to what is considered one of the most gruelling races to the ‘Onion Patch’ in history. Her deep hull and broad shoulders, combined with a unique hard dodger called a ‘dog-house’, allowed her crew to stay strong and efficient over 635 miles of ocean racing.

She was third across the line, though she was given time by 27 yachts in the fleet. Just an hour and change behind the much-larger Vamarie and Brilliant, she bested Olin Stephen’s masterpiece Stormy Weather, and won the overall trophy with owner Robert Baruch on the helm. This solidified the boat’s and designer’s reputation. The fractional cutter showcased design features that would have S&S (the pre-eminent yacht designers of the day) looking at the rare sight of a transom that wasn’t theirs.

In the 2000 race, Kirawan’s crew were in that same faithful position as her crew was 64 years before. “It was a close reach in 20 knots,” says yachting historian and author John Rousmaniere of the race. “With a double head rig and a full main, boy, was that boat stable.” But hours later, Kirawan’s planks began to spread open. “She’s a great boat in the Gulfstream. The only problem was she leaked like hell.”

Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av Classic Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av Classic Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CLASSIC BOATSe alt
Classic Boat

The Need For Speed

Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2021
ROW YOUR BOAT
Classic Boat

ROW YOUR BOAT

There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2021
Traditional Tool
Classic Boat

Traditional Tool

JOINER’S NAME STAMP

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2021
Classic misuse of a word
Classic Boat

Classic misuse of a word

Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2021
Classic Boat

SCUD MISSILE

Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2021
BOSUN'S BAG
Classic Boat

BOSUN'S BAG

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Classic Boat

DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man

Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Classic Boat

CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl

Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
Classic Boat

AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls

A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2021
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
Classic Boat

Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!

A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2021