1979 One Ton Cup

My recent post on Pendragon features a number of photographs taken by US photographer Paul Mello who was active in the Newport area in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He has recently released more of his great black and white prints from the One Ton Cup held in September 1979. I have created a gallery from his photographs and I am grateful for his permission to use them here. 

Mello has noted these photographs on the Sailing Anarchy website as being from the North American One Ton series (held shortly before the One Ton Cup proper). Some of these shots feature various European yachts, however, and so could also be from the One Ton Cup itself, unless some of the European boats had decided to contest the North American series as a warm up regatta. 

Startline action, Indulgence leads away to leeward

Hot Flash, a Gary Mull design, built by Goetz Boats, looks good here during the North Americans

Pendragon to leeward of Indulgence

The tortured stern treatment of the defending champion, the Ron Holland design Tilsalg-Flensburg from Germany (finished 10th overall)

The classic Peterson pintail stern shape of the 1975 One Ton Cup winner Pied Piper (finished 12th overall)

 Tilsalg-Flensburg approaches the weather mark in the lead with Indulgence to the right and Pendragon to the left

The fleet heads off on one of the reaching legs, Pied Piper bringing up the rear

 The Farr design Downtown during the North Americans

US yacht the Bill Cook designed Celebration works up in Narragansett Bay in the prestart of the second race in the One Ton Cup that was waived off due to 40 knot plus winds and a forecast for more. Celebration finished sixth overall.