''Resolute'' was a yacht designed and built by

Nathanael Greene Herreshoff Nathanael Greene Herreshoff (March 18, 1848 – June 2, 1938) was an American naval architect, mechanical engineer, and yacht design innovator. He produced a succession of undefeated America's Cup defenders between 1893 and 1920. Biography Her ...

for a syndicate of

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

members headed by

Henry Walters Henry Walters (September 26, 1848 – November 30, 1931) was noted as an art collector and philanthropist, a founder of the Walters Art Gallery (now the Walters Art Museum) in Baltimore, Maryland, which he donated to the city in his 1931 will f ...

to contend the 1914 America's Cup.

Design

''Resolute'' was the last Cup defender to be designed by Herreshoff. *Overhang forward - *Overhang aft - *Fore triangle base - *Boom - *Deck to topmast - *Lead - 65tons

History

''Resolute'' was christened by

Grace Vanderbilt Grace Graham Vanderbilt ( Wilson; September 3, 1870 – January 7, 1953) was an American socialite. She was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt III. She was one of the last Vanderbilts to live the luxurious life of the "head of society" that her pred ...

and launched on April 25, 1914. In the 1914 America's Cup defender selection trials, skippered by

Charles Francis Adams III Charles Francis Adams III (August 2, 1866 – June 10, 1954) was an American lawyer and politician, who served as the 44th United States Secretary of the Navy under President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933. He was skipper of the Resolute which ...

, she beat ''

Vanitie Vanitie was a yacht owned by Alexander Smith Cochran that was selected to take part in selection trials for the America's Cup in 1914 against Sir Thomas Lipton's yacht '' Shamrock IV''. History On June 17, 1914 William S. Dennis was replaced b ...

'' and '' Defiance''. In so doing, she beat the America's Cup course record off

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...

by sailing 30 miles in 3:16:41. However, the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

caused the America's Cup races for 1914 to be postponed. The race was finally held during the 1920 America's Cup. RESOLUTE leading VANITIE at start of first elimination race

RESOLUTE leading VANITIE at start of first elimination race

In 1920 the America's Cup was reconvened and ''Resolute'' again prevailed in selection races before successfully defending the Cup in July, once more with Adams at the helm. ''Resolute'' lost the first two matches before recovering to defend the cup 3-2 against

Shamrock IV ''Shamrock IV'' was a yacht owned by Sir Thomas Lipton and designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson. She was the unsuccessful challenger in the 1920 America's Cup. - While the boat was launched in 1914, and soon towed across the Atlantic by Lipton's ...

. Robert Wales Emmons, Jr. was the manager of the yacht in 1920. In 1925 ''Resolute'' was sold to E. Walter Clark of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Her racing career lasted another ten years, and in 1930 ''Resolute'' again participated in the America's cup selection races, albeit as a "trial horse" against which the potential defenders could be judged. Robert F Kennedy named his Wianno Senior Resolute in 1964, after the America's Cup yacht.

References

External links

''The International Yacht Race''
Technical article, ''Marine Engineering'', July 1920 by C. A. McAllister including photos. {{America'sCup Yachts of New York Yacht Club members America's Cup defenders Individual sailing vessels Sailboat type designs by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff America's Cup regattas