JAMES ROBINSON TAYLORM.I.T MUSEUM/HART NAUTICAL COLLECTIONSJOUR DE FETE
NEW BEGINNINGS
Konrad, or Koni as he was known, already had an
R-Class boat that he sailed in the Eggemoggin Reach
Classics Race with his Boston-based daughter
Wilhelmina, or Willy. They had sailed well enough that
their handicap was probably going to be increased, and
the thought of a new classic to restore and sail was
tempting, one that he could race but also cruise a bit in
Penobscot Bay. He knew that a Frank Paine boat was
bound to be fast, which was important: Koni had been
on the crew of American Eagle in 1964 in the America’s
Cup races, and had sailed on the 73ft (22.25m) S&S
yawl Bolero. His good friend Knight Coolidge tempted
him to go ahead and added his help to the project. Koni
bought the boat for a fraction of the asking price.
Koni had projects tucked away in corners of barns
and fields and relished the challenge, and his daughters
Willy and Cecile were pleased to be involved as far as
they could. It was a major job. There were 88 ribs to
replace, deadwood, every bolt in the chainplates,
keelbolts, all the planking beneath the waterline.
The boat was riding 9in below her waterline when
last measured. Part of this was the outsized 20in
bulwarks around her decks, added to increase her
freeboard to the height specified by rules in the GreatJOUR DE FÊTE
LOA 52ft (15.85m) LWL 33ft 7in (10.2m) BEAM 9ft (2.74m)
DRAUGHT 7ft (2.13m) SAIL AREA 889sq ft (82.6m^2 )Lakes. Part of it too, they later realised, is that the
measurement was taken in the Great Lakes where the
fresh water is less buoyant than salt water.
They also had to work through inconsistencies in
Paine’s drawings and undocumented alterations in the
intervening years. She had done well in races on the
Great Lakes under the ownership of David Pappas, but
they were not sure how she would sail after their work,
or whether they would cure the weather helm they had
heard about. “You gotta be a fantastic screwball to do
this,” Koni commented.
Various people put their effort into the restoration:
Dave Stimson replaced the frames, deadwood and keel
timber, George Emery worked with Koni to design
stronger metal floors and worked on the rudder and
engine, Scotty Rome made custom bronze hardware. A
telescoping ventilator designed by Paine at Lawleys was
added. A rig was designed by Walter Wales – Koni
wanted a larger foresail and later discussed it with Olin
Stephens, who had agreed with him, but suggested the
mainsail should be smaller so a permanent backstay
could be installed: she needed more than just the running
backstays. John Anderson joined in time to replace all
the underwater planking, and remained with the project
until the end. The coachroof is new and everything
below was John’s work too, painted white with much
mahogany trim in classic New England style. A pine
deck was laid and John made all the spars. He has since
restored the Q boat designed by Starling Burgess, Falcon I.
And sadly there was an end, and not the one
expected. The boat was launched and motored around
the harbour to test the engine, but Koni did not live to
sail the boat he had worked so hard on. It was a
poignant loss. There was a beginning too, however.
Koni’s daughter Willy had been committed to the
project from the start and she now left her career in
Boston to help her mother run the family farm in
Warren. She was also starting a relationship with her
father’s new boatbuilder. Now they are married with
two children, Willy running the farm and John building
boats in the workshop. This is where the 1913 Burgess
P-Class Chips is being restored, set for launch in 2017,
and the Q boat Robin awaits restoration there too.In the Med she
has won her
class in Imperia
in 2013, Antibes
2014, Marseilles
2013 and 2014,
and St Tropez
in 2014