STORY OF WHIRLWIND

Category: WHIRLWIND

Cup defender Whirlwind at Lawley'sIn answer to Lipton’s challenge of 1929 the Americans designed four J-Class yachts as possible defenders. Enterprise, Whirlwind, Yankee and Weetamoe were launched within a month of each other; Weetamoe and Enterprise from the Herreshoff yard and Yankee and Whirlwind from Lawley & Son’s yard in Bristol.

Whirlwind, the second J, was the most revolutionary of the four.

Francis L Herreshoff had moved away from conventional yachts and designed a boat, which took the new rule to its extreme.

Whirlwind combined many new ideas and Herreshoff experimented with hull shape and rig. She was the longest of the early J’s at 86ft on the waterline and remained so until Ranger and Endeavour II were built in 1937. She was built of semi-composite construction (the other three American Js were built out of the highly expensive Tobin bronze), was double-ended and had a permanent backstay.

Uffa Fox described her profile as: “Very pleasing to the eye, the stem sweeping down to the keel in a very sweet line, and to a man who, like myself, believes that a pointed stern is a logical ending for all vessels, her stern is a joy to behold.” He predicted, “If the Yacht Racing Rules govern well and wisely, we shall see Whirlwind racing 50 years hence. If they do not she will probably be cruising then.”

But Whirlwind met an early demise. Her building was delayed as she didn’t meet Lloyd’s A1 scantling rules and she wasn’t chosen to be the 1930s defender.
She was often out-performed when close hauled, her steering gear making her difficult to steer.

She was eventually scrapped along with Enterprise in 1935. However, her unusual double-headsail rig was later adopted by the rest of the Js.

 

WHIRLWIND IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

LAUNCHING OF THE WHIRLWIND, AMERICA'S CUP CONTENDER, AT NEPONSET.

BOSTON, May 7.--Sliding down soft-soaped ways with unusual ease and smoothness, Whirlwind, the New York-owned America's Cup defense ...

158-FOOT MAST SET IN THE WHIRLWIND.

BOSTON, May 24.--The mast of the Thorne-Hammond-Pynchon America's Cup candidate Whirlwind was stepped at an early hour today by a derrick lighter at the George ...

WHIRLWIND LEAVE FOR CITY ISLAND

May 29, 1930.-- Whirlwind to Leave Neponset for City Island Today if Rigging Is Completed.

WHIRLWIND LEAVES NEPONSET TODAY

BOSTON, May 29.--Rigging the Whirlwind was nearly completed late today and with her managing owners, Landon K. Thorne and Paul Hammond, on board, it is expected that the America's Cup candidate will leave the Lawley shipyards at Neponset for Long Island Sound about noon tomorrow. Plans to leave today had to be abandoned.

WHIRLWIND SAILS 2 HOURS ON SOUND

June 03, 1930.-- Whirlwind, the America's Cup defense yacht designed by L. Francis Herreshoff, was taken out on Long Island Sound yesterday from City Island for a two-hour spin. It was a sail setting to observe the cut of her canvas and the set of her rigging. It was her first tryout in New York waters.

 

WHIRLWIND : Plan de voilure WHIRLWIND : Plans