Above Side 1 – Either Front or back
of trophy with Two Crossed burgees
Below side 2 – HINGHAM-WINTHROP 15 FOOTERS
SPECIAL RACES 1913 on three lines over
Won by POLLYWOG, Harry C. Grafton, Jr., Aug 23 – 1913 on three lines
Side 3 – Presented by Commodore Barnard, HYC on
three lines
Side 3 – Two crossed yacht club burgees
PRICE $695.00 plus shipping to 48 |
Presented
is a three handled mug with two crossed yacht club burgees made in cloisonné on one side and the inscriptions
on the other two sides. It is a relic of two older Cape Cod yacht club’s sponsorship of an open
class race for sailboats in 1913 with a waterline length of 15 feet. It was common in those days to classify boats based
on their waterline length, rather than the length overall. This would allow entry of designs from New England’s naval
architects such as John G. Alden and Nat Herreshoff. The trophy was made by N.G. Wood & Sons of Boston a known silversmith.
The 8 1/2″ X 6″ mug has been recently re-plated and its finish sparkles. =left>=left>The winning skipper was Harry C. Grafton, Jr., in POLLYWOG. Grafton was a
Boston investment banker and bond trader.
THE HERESSHOFF &
ALDEN 15 FOOTERS: Two of the most famous designs at this rating were the Heresshoff 15 Footer which had a length
overall of 24’6″ and a beam of 6’9″ and displaced 2800 pounds. And, John G. Alden’s Corinthian
15 Foot Class which was 24’9″ long.
THE HINGHAM and WINTHROP YACHT CLUBS:
The sponsoring clubs, Hingham Yacht Club and Winthrop Yacht Club were established in 1895 for the former and 1884
for the latter. Both continue in operation today.
The Hingham YC is located on the northern tip of Crow Point in Hingham, MA and is a vibrant,
family oriented sailing club. HYC is well-known for its long tradition of sailboat racing and its highly regarded junior
sailing program has produced many fine racers who have gone on
to success in college sailing and beyond.
The Winthrop YC was originally founded by eight men as a sailing and racing club. It
is across the Bay from Logan International Airport. The present clubhouse was built in 1904 after a fire. After the Second
World War with the advent of cheap gasoline, powerboats began to be seen. Now the club consists of a variety of boats of all
types. There is an ongoing, friendly rivalry between the “stink potters” (powerboats) and the “rag baggers”
(sailboats)!