Mystic 1877

 Of all aspects of the New England fisheries of the 19th century, probably none was more distinctive and colorful than that of the mackerel purse seine fishery with its specialized gear, its exacting and carefully-timed techniques, and the fast, handsome schooners built specifically for this seasonal work.

Speed was the critical ingredient for a successful fishing trip: a vessel had to make a fast passage to the grounds, the crew had to be alert in their search for elusive mackerel schools, the boats and gear were designed for setting and pursing the seine with utmost speed and efficiency.
Speed was of the greatest importance in cleaning and salting the catch, for fresh-caught mackerel can spoil very quickly. Finally, the vessel had to get the fish to market in the shortest possible time, beating as many of her market-bound rivals as she could in order to get a good price for the catch while demand was high.

We could have been forgiven for thinking for a moment that the impossible was possible, without really believing in it, but no: Intrepid was not chosen to defend the Cup in 1974. But the venerable old wooden Twelve very nearly beat the new aluminium Twelve Meter to defend the Cup for the third time in succession ! But there was no miracle.

Courageous, the  new Sparkman & Stephens aluminium Twelve finally beat Intrepid, the old S & S wooden Twelve, considered to be the fastest of her era.

Dave Pedrick was closely involved with the design of the new candidate. Courageous only took shape after numerous tank tests. The line of the boat were less radical than those of Intrepid or Valiant: Courageous seemed more conventional in her design and nearer the lineage of Vim or Columbia. In fact, the new boat was a splendid compromise, with her full, soft lines, and she was still quite light.

In 1974, Courageous easily beat the Australian challenger Southern Cross. This was Olin Stephens’ fifth success in the Cup since 1958.