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1893
Vigilant was the first victorious defender designed and built by the ingenious American designer, nicknamed the Wizard of Bristol, Nathanael Greene Herreshoff. Nat Herreshoff repeated this success in 1895, 1899, 1901, 1903 and in 1920.
Vigilant won the 1893 American selection trials for the Cup defence and had beaten Colonia, Jubilee and Pilgrim.
America's Cup races: Sailed October 7 to 13, 1893 in New York
Best three out of five races.
Vigilant vs. Valkyrie II
Alternating courses: the first one, 15 miles to windward off Scotland Lightship and return; the second one, equilateral triangle, 30 miles.
Races: three sailed.
Results:
Vigilant beats Valkyrie II by three wins to nil!
- October 7, 1st race, 30 miles, Windward-Leeward Course: Vigilant beats Valkyrie II by 8 minutes 48 sec in corrected time.
- October 9, 2nd race, 30 miles, Triangular Course: Vigilant beats Valkyrie II by 10 minutes 35 sec in corrected time.
- October 13, 3rd race, 30 miles, Windward-Leeward Course: Vigilant beats Valkyrie II by 40 seconds in corrected time.
1894
Vigilant was sold to Howard Gould. It was the first defender to sail in Europe to race the British yachting season. The boat's reputation was harmed. It raced sixteen times against the already famous Britannia (1893), the future royal cutter designed by George Lennox Watson. Vigilant was beaten twelve times by Britannia in the Solent!
1895
Vigilant raced the elimination trials for the 1895 America's Cup defence won by Defender the last new Nathanael Greene Herreshoff Cup craft.
1896 - 1906
Five different owners for Vigilant. It was only sailed for cruising.
1906
Bought by William Iselin who sailed it until 1910.
1910
Vigilant was sold to a junkyard in New London. It was broken up in 1910…
J.T.
VIGILANT
1893
USA
Yacht Club: New York Yacht Club, New York, USA
Victorious defender of the eighth America's Cup (1893). Winner over Valkyrie II (GBR).
Owner: Syndicate led by C. Oliver Iselin, and formed by Edwin D. Morgan, Augustus Belmont, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Charles R. Flint, Chester W. Chapin, George R. Clark, Henry Astor Carey, Dr. Barton Hopkins, E.M. Fulton, Jr. and Adrian Iselin.
Centerboard sloop
Length and sail area rule
Rating: 96.78
Designer: Nathanael Greene Herreshoff
Builder: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
Sailmaker: Herreshoff
Year of building: 1893
Launched: June 14th, 1893
Skipper: Nathanael Greene Herreshoff
Captain: William Hansen
Afterguard: Edward A. Willard, Herbert C. Leeds, Newberry Thorne, Woodbury Kane, W. Butler Duncan, Jr. and Captain Norman Terry.
Data:
Construction -
Construction: all metal
Frames: Steel
Its under-water body was of Tobin bronze. Its top strakes were of steel.
Centerboard: Tobin bronze made.
Dimensions -
L.O.A.: 38.50 m
L.W.L.: 25.90 m
Beam: 7.92 m
Draft: 3.96 m, centerboard up
Displacement: 138 tons
Centerboard weight: 7.7 tons
Sail area: 1014.50 m2
Mast: 26.67 m
Boom: 29.60 m
Bowsprit: 9.80 m
Topmast: 17.90 m
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Year of building
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1893 |
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Launched
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14/6/1893 |
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Edition 8(1893)
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Crew
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Hull
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Steel |
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Mast
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Steel |
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L.O.A
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38.5 |
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L.W.L
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25.9 |
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Mast
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26.67 |
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Beam
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7.92 |
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Boom
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29.6 |
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Sail Area
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Displacament
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138 |
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Draft
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3.96 |
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Rating
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Ballast
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