Summary
The Puritan was a 19th-century racing yacht and the 1885 America's Cup defender of the international sailing trophy.
 The yacht Puritan, photographed by John S. Johnston. | |
| Yacht club |  New York Yacht Club |
|---|---|
| Nation |  United States |
| Builder | George Lawley & Son |
| Launched | May 26, 1885 |
| Owner(s) | John Malcolm Forbes |
| Racing career | |
| Skippers | John Malcolm Forbes |
| Notable victories | 1885 America's Cup |
| America's Cup | 1885 |
| Specifications | |
| Displacement | 105-tons Thames Measurement |
| Length | 94 ft 0 in (28.65 m) (LOA) 81 ft 1.5 in (24.727 m) (LWL) |
| Beam | 22 ft 7 in (6.88 m) |
| Draft | 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) |
| Sail area | 7,982 sq ft (741.6 m2) |
Construction and service edit
Designed by Edward Burgess, she was built at the George Lawley & Son yard in South Boston, Massachusetts and launched May 26, 1885. For sails, Burgess chose the Irish-born sailmaker John H. McManus of McManus & Son, of Boston. The sails were of Plymouth duck.[1]: p121 [2]
The Puritan was an early combination of American and English designs with some of the depth of a cutter but beam and power of a sloop. It was built and skippered by John Malcolm Forbes.[1]
She defeated the New York Yacht Club's Priscilla then went on to defend the America's Cup against the British yacht Genesta, a traditional cutter. Immediately following the contest, they began work on an improved version which would be called the Mayflower.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b Dunne, W. M. P.; Patrick, William Matthew (1934). Thomas F. McManus and the American fishing schooners: an Irish-American success story. Mystic, Conn., Mystic Seaport Museum.
- ^ a b Lawson, Thomas W. (1902). "Chapter VII". The Lawson History of the America's Cup. Winfield M. Thompson Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-907069-40-9.
External links edit
- America's Cup Official Website for the 32nd America's Cup in Valencia
- 1890s Yacht Photography of J.S. Johnston
