Ranger (Yacht)

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Ranger is the name of a sailing yacht, which was built in 1937 by Bath Iron Works in Bath (Maine) according to the rules of the J- class for the America 's Cup. Your sail number was 5 J or J- US5. Client and skipper Harold S. Vanderbilt was. It was the largest ever built J -Class yacht and was therefore also called Super J.

Construction

The Ranger was built only for one purpose: the defense of the America 's Cup in the 16th edition in 1937 for the United States. Harold S. Vanderbilt has the America 's Cup in 1930 initially defended successfully with the Enterprise. In 1934 he then joined with the Rainbow against the challenger Thomas Sopwith with built by Camper & Nicholson's Endeavour. Thomas Sopwith was to build from the same shipyard Endeavour II, which was again greater than all previously ever built J- Class yachts. The name came from the frigate USS Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones.

Vanderbilt commissioned Starling Burgess, who had already designed the winning yachts of his first two Cup defenses and this time also the designer Olin Stephens. It was driven a hitherto unprecedented effort: Stephens had the Stephens Institute of Technology in Hoboken (New Jersey) with the possibility of there to carry out tests in the towing tank and wind tunnel. Both designers should develop its own design, the model was then tested in the towing tank. In fact, three models were constructed and compared by both in the towing tank and there was at least one more, seventh line crack. Modern computer calculations have shown that the worst model on a nautical mile was only three seconds slower than the fastest that was in the tank testing in 1936 also correctly selected. This model was known as the 77C -20 and a native of Burgess but was further developed together later of the two. In August 1936, the hull shape was then determined definitively.

Construction

The Ranger was laid in December 1936 at Kiel. The shell of the hull was not built as usual with mahogany planks but from flush riveted steel plates. To save weight the deck was not built as usual teak on steel or aluminum but of cedar. The mast consisted of riveted duralumin plates depending on the expected point load had 20 different strengths. The shrouds were made of heat treated Rod. The ship was completed on 11 May 1937. Vanderbilt was the only material costs in the amount of $ 500,000 calculated that he paid out of pocket.

Immediately upon the transfer drive from Cape Cod, the upper shrouds and the mast broke loosened. The ship had to be towed to the Herreshoff yard to Bristol. There was built in 21 days from parts of the Rainbow and the Enterprise a new rig.

16th America's Cup

Vanderbilt described the yacht as a bit slower but superior perfectly balanced when turning and accelerating in obtaining the speed and the wind. Vanderbilt as always stepped up to the 16th America's Cup in 1937 for the New York Yacht Club. He outclassed Sopwith and his Endeavour II 4-0. In the same year, Vanderbilt drove a total of 37 races and won 35 of them

Scrapping

The end of 1937 the Ranger was decommissioned and never sailed again. The ship was scrapped in 1941 and the material was used for the war. The scrap value was $ 12,000. From the yacht only the mirror remained.

Replica

The Ranger was founded in 2004 recreated faithfully from the Danish Yachts shipyard in Skagen. Danish Yachts is a consortium of several Danish shipyards that offer yacht construction with composite materials, steel or aluminum.

The Ranger was built according to the rules of the classification society Lloyd 's Register of Shipping, the MCA - safety regulations and the rules of the J-Class Association. The rangers regularly takes part in classic - and J -Class regattas with Shamrock V, Velsheda and Endeavour.

A remarkable rule of J- Class Association calls for replicas of J- class yachts that they are built according to original designs from the 1930s. Six plans of the Ranger are now owned by Sparkman & Stephens. After one of these plans with the label 77F a yacht by Hoek Design has been built in the Netherlands. It was completed in 2010 and the yacht was named the Lionheart and the sail number J- H1. In 2012, the Ranger and the Lionheart and other J-Class yachts came together in a race as part of Cowes Week, which won the Lionheart.