Vigilant 1893

Hand-crafted plank-on-frame wood hull with white topsides, gold cove stripe . Varnished stained wood hull.

Hull size: 60cm.

Board size: 75cm X 20cm

In 1879, the brothers John and Nathanael Herreshoff set up  the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. From this partnership was born the legend of John "the Blind Genius" and Nat,  " the Wizard of Bristol". For ten years, production consisted mainly of steamers of all types. 

Then, Nat revolutionized the design of sailing ships in 1891 with Gloriana.

The owner of Gloriana, E.D. Morgan commissioned Nat to build Vigilant, the 1893 winning defender.

William Starling Burgess no doubt inherited his love of boats and sailing from his father as well as  his sharp analytical mind. He also acquired his precise and sensitive feeling for lines and forms from Nathanael Herreshoff, his “Uncle Nat”. But when the young Starling informed Herreshoff of his intention to become a naval architect, “the Wizard of Bristol” took umbrage.

When Mike Vanderbilt contacted him to build a new defender for the 1934 challenge, time was very short. No matter ! He started on the rough drafts of the plans at end of 1931 and Rainbow very nearly failed in the face of a faster challenger, Endeavour.

Starling Burgess came out of it quite well, Charles Nicholson even offering him the plans of his champion. His gesture was to prove quite unwise.