red jacket yacht club

Red Jacket Yacht Club - Regatta & Interclub Party

• When 08/22/2020

RED JACKET YACHT CLUB - INTERCLUB DINNER - Aug 22, 2020

Seneca Falls, NY 13148

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Red Jacket , by George Cuthbertson

Red Jacket 's crew: (back row) David Osler, Bill West (navigator), Jack Beatson, Don Tyler, Loran Gowe (front row) Gordon Fisher, Perry Connolly (owner), Peter Mackinnon

A celebrated sailboat that revolutionized the construction of boats in her day, won lots of races and resulted in a little known Canadian boat designer vaulting to almost instant success. The boat is called Red Jacket and was designed by George Cuthbertson of the design team of Cuthbertson and Cassian Ltd., (later to become C&C Yachts Ltd.). The boat was launched in May 1966 and was found docked at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto for many years

Red Jacket was designed for Perry Connolly and featured a first in sailboat construction – an extremely light weight balsa core, which allowed the vessel to compete with – and beat – other 40-foot boats in the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC), or "the circuit." It was the first Canadian boat to win against a fleet of about 85 others, many being the cream of American racers.

Designer George Cuthbertson recalls a batch of orders for racing boats after the big victory. "She came out of the north completely unknown," he said. "The Americans sat up and paid attention".

Red Jacket also made use of a spade rudder instead of hanging the rudder on a skeg, and also featured a bow sprit as a lighter way to reduce pitching. Red Jacket , which draws 7 feet and has an 11 foot beam, weighed 17,455 pounds at launch, which is heavy by 21st century standards, with some low-density foam cored boats of comparable size weighing in at at under 10,000 pounds.

But in her day, Red Jacket was very light. And very fast.

Boat builders at the time were worried about the balsa becoming wet and deteriorating, and Red Jacket was pulled out of the water and weighed each year, along with core samples being taken, but no damage to the core was discovered. Eventually, the testing stopped.

The boat changed hands over the years, and was owned for more than 20 years by Paul Phelan. When he reached his eighties, Phelan no longer raced the boat but watched a hired crew, led by Bryan Gooderham, sometimes from a motorboat nearby as Red Jacket rounds the weather mark.

Red Jacket , by Peter Rindisbacher , CSMA ; oil on canvas, 16" x 20".

"He likes a good gybe set," said Gooderham of the boat owner. "He's terrific with his crew. He refers to us as his young bucks, although some of us are in our mid 50s." Gooderham said that the boat was still competitive "which says something for the workmanship" and the design of the 33-year-old racer.

In her heyday, Red Jacket won 11 of 13 races in her first season, including the Freeman Cup and the Lake Ontario International. In the 1967 SORC race from St. Petersburg to Venice in Florida, Red Jacket finished first, and so began the spotlight on the boat. Over the years, Red Jacket has had some redesign work, including the addition of a teak deck and a more comfortable interior, a shaved down keel, a hydraulic backstay and boom vang, a larger rudder and a few other changes.

After Paul Phelan passed away in 2002, Red Jacket was owned by Peter Milligan, a Vice Commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, and was superbly maintained, sailed and raced.

N aval M arine A rchive – The Canadian Collection 205 Main Street, Picton, Ontario, K0K2T0, Canada Telephone: 1 613 476 1177 E-mail: for comments, queries and suggestions.

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Copyright © 2024 N aval M arine A rchive The Canadian Collection ™ Revised: 31 January 2019

Wanting to get away, come take several hours and get a breath of fresh air. Get outside; play 9 or 18 holes at Silver Creek Golf Course, hike a trail at the Bishop Nature Preserve, rent a boat at one of our marinas or stop for a taste of wine at winery or two. Enjoy our scenic roads and views of rolling farmland to pristine lakes as you travel through the town and take in our ever-changing seasonal views, your bound to say “Fayette is a beautiful and peaceful spot”.

Sportsmen’s Clubs

Kuneytown sportsmen’s club.

3735 Hoster Road Seneca Falls, NY 13148

Dedicated to preserving our hunting and fishing heritage. Members are dedicated to educating and involving our youth in the outdoors so generations to come.

MacDougall Sportsman Club

3800 MacDougall Rd Waterloo, NY 13165

Private Club

Waterloo Rifle & Pistol Club

1392 West River Road PO Box 48 Waterloo, NY 13165 Phone: (315) 539-3361

Located on 27 acres of property that was a former stone quarry. This club boosts a history, tradition and a variety of activities for its members and the publYACHT CLUBS & MARINAS

Yacht Clubs & Marinas

Barrett marine.

485 West River Road Waterloo, New York 13165 Phone: (315) 789-6605 Fax : (315) 781-2401 [email protected]

In-season hours: 8:00am to 6:00pm on Monday – Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday Complete Marine Service Shop with a large parts inventory, 25 & 35 ton travel lifts, winter storage, service and repair, transient docking, pump-out and more.

Stivers  Seneca Marine

401 Boody’s Hill Road Waterloo, N.Y. 13165 Phone : (315) 789-5520 Fax : (315) 789-0377 [email protected]

Much more than docking in the summer and storage in the winter. Pontoon, Paddleboat and Kayak rental available as well as fuel for your boat.  Pump outs station available.

Red Jacket Yacht Club

3953 Red Jacket Drive Fayette, NY 13065

The perfect place for families to spend their summers whether it’s boating, camping, fishing, sailing or swimming.

Seneca Yacht Club

Boody’s Hill Rd, Geneva, NY 14456 Phone : 315-789-4564

Home of an annual regatta and learn to sail camp for youth.

Cayuga – Seneca Canal Trail

An affiliate of the Canal-way Trails Association of New York, a proposed nineteen-mile multi-use trail that will follow the Cayuga-Seneca Canal from Seneca Lake to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The trail will link natural and historic sites of statewide and national importance and pass through picturesque Finger Lakes scenery. It will serve the recreation  and fitness needs of residents and assist visitors in exploring the region’s tourist destinations. West River Road Geneva, NY 14456

The Bishop Preserve 

West River Road Geneva, NY 14456

This 35 acre preserve adjoins forested State land, which in turn borders the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, providing an excellent access point to the Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail.  Numerous birds and other creatures attracted to this diverse oasis of food, water, shelter, and nesting places can be found. Several seasonal streams traverse the preserve, emptying into wetlands.

Silver Creek Golf Course

1790 East River Road Waterloo, NY 13165 Phone : (315) 539-8076

A course that is friendly and family oriented.  A relaxing 18 hole course with beautiful scenery and challenges sure to create fun memories.

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Historical Summary:

The schooner Red Jacket was an early design by Ted Geary, and has had a long and illustrious life. She has always been a private yacht and has suffered numerous mishaps over the years – a typhoon, two fires, one sinking and the loss of her keel to name a few.

"Red Jacket" was built in the NW in 1920 by Blanchard Boat Co and Designed by Ted Geary. Geary is a highly reputable NW designer in both sail and power designing such well known vessels as the fantail yachts " Malibu " (also built by Blanchard), " Thea Foss ", " Blue Peter " and " Gosling ". He also designed sailboats. "Sir Tom" and "Pirate" which won most of the West Coast competitive races of their time. "Red Jacket" is of such pedigree.

"Red Jacket" was originally built and launched on Seattle's Lake Union and named 'Katedna" which was named for the owner Fred Baxter's wife Kate Edna McGraw the daughter of the states 2nd Governor. Frank was the Vice Commodore of Seattle Yacht Club and participated in the first Opening Day Ceremony with "Katedna". She was then sold in 1921 to a LA banker whom sailed her to Australia for their honeymoon.

Upon her return she was sold to a California land developer Otto Wildey, who was the first Commodore of the California Yacht Club at Wilmington, and whose company built the Los Angeles Coliseum. In 1925 they cruised the South Seas for 5 years.

In 1933 she was purchased by George Webb who brought her back up to Seattle and renamed her "Red Jacket" after Chief Red Jacket a prominent Seneca orator who wore a red uniform coat given to him by a British soldier.

In 1935 she was purchased by Paul Henry who was the incoming Seattle Yacht Club Commodore who had Geary redesign the rig and transform "Red Jacket" into the most elegant sailing yacht in Seattle.

The current owners Terry & Renee Paine of Tacoma have lovingly refurbished, upgraded and maintained the "Red Jacket" thru the Kelley Maritime Museum.

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‘Red Jacket’ Creators, Future C&C Yachts Founders Honored at Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame

Posted by Rob Mazza | Dogwatch

On October 15, 2022 at the Kingston Yacht Club in Kingston, Ontario, in front of a sold-out audience, 12 prominent past and present members of the Canadian sailing community were inducted into the Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame. Four of them, Perry Connolly, George Cassian, Gordon Fisher, and Erich Bruckmann were honored for their direct involvement in the creation and sailing of the famous 40-foot racing yacht Red Jacket , the first Canadian and non-American yacht to win the prestigious Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) in 1968. (For more about Red Jacket , see Rob Mazza’s article Anatomy of Legend in the Sept/Oct 2021 issue of Good Old Boat .)

Racing under owner Paul Phelan, Red Jacket shows her winning form. (Photo credit: Bryan Gooderham.)

Two others, George Hinterhoeller and Ian Morch, were directly involved in the creation of C&C Yachts in 1969 with Cuthbertson & Cassian and Erich Bruckmann, which grew directly out of Red Jacket’s victory. Two of the twelve, (Karen and Gail Johnson) were winners of the 1985 Women’s 470 World Championships, two others (Judy Lugar and Morag McLean) won the same title in 1986, and two (Frank McLaughlin and John Millan) were Bronze Medal winners in the 1988 Olympics. The wording on the plaques for the six individuals of most interest to Good Old Boat readers is of those connected with the creation of Red Jacket and C&C Yachts as follows:

Perry Connolly – 1927 to 2017

After successfully campaigning his CN-35 Carousel , Connolly commissioned Cuthbertson & Cassian in 1965 to design and Erich Bruckmann to build the custom 40-foot  Red Jacket . Under Perry’s command,  Red Jacket won the 1968 SORC, the first non-American boat to do so. Red Jacket’s success led directly to the creation of C&C Yachts. Connolly was co-skipper of Manitou with Gordon Fisher to win the 1969 Canada’s Cup. Connolly held management positions with C&C Yachts, Boston Whaler, and Hinterhoeller Yachts, and was director of operations for the 1987 America’s Cup challenger Canada II .  

Gordon Fisher – 1928 to 1985

George Cassian – 1932 to 1979

George Cassian joined George Cuthbertson full time in 1961 with the creation of the yacht design firm of Cuthbertson & Cassian. George was heavily involved in all the early Cuthbertson & Cassian designs including Vanadis , La Mouette , Thermopylae , Xanadu , Inferno I and II , the Redline 41, Manitou and True North . But the design that established the international success of Cuthbertson & Cassian was Red Jacket when she won the 1968 SORC. After the creation of C&C Yachts in 1969 George would be heavily involved in the design of Bonaventure , Mirage and Merrythought , and the C&C 27, 35, 39, 43, 50, and 61, and many others. 

Erich Bruckmann – 1930 to 2011

George Hinterhoeller – 1928 to 1999

Ian Morch – 1923 to 2014

The Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame

The Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame is a collaboration between Sail Canada and the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston. This is the fifth series of inductions, bringing the current number of Hall of Fame members to 43. The Marine Museum holds the George Cuthbertson and C&C Yachts drawing collections.

Red Jacket was recently bequeathed to the Marine Museum by her late owner Peter Milligan, so it is fitting that the Marine Museum should honor those involved with Red Jacket’s success and the subsequent creation of C&C Yachts. Of interest to Good Old Boat readers, previous inductees have included George Cuthbertson and Bruce Kirby in 2014, and Don Green, David Howard, Ian Bruce, and Derek Hatfield in 2018. The full series of past inductions can be seen on the Marine Museum’s website at ( https://www.marmuseum.ca/cshof/about ), as well as a YouTube video of the inductions themselves.

About The Author

Rob Mazza is a Good Old Boat contributing editor. He set out on his career as a naval architect in the late 1960s when he began working for Cuthbertson & Cassian. He's been familiar with good old boats from the time they were new and had a hand in designing a good many of them.

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• Racing Calendar
• The Pennant
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August 8th, 2018

The weather forecast proved correct in at least one respect - no snow was predicted and indeed we had no snow at all. We also had a warm 6 knot South wind that sprung up barely 10 minutes before the scheduled start and carried us through the night and morning. Partly clear skies and flat water finished off a very pleasant if somewhat subdued race.

This Sunday ( August 12th ) is our final latitude race followed by a BBQ and dish to pass.

The following Saturday ( August 18th ) is the Red Jacket race, open to anyone who wants to sail up to the friendliest club on the lake!

As always, all the best details are in the pennant .

Notus, the South Wind

June 6th, 2018.

A strong south wind in front of some rain provided spirited racing, thrills, spills and chills.

Details in the Pennant

Spring, Afterall

April 30th, 2018.

Although it didn't get here in time for the tune up race (see the pennant ), spring has finally brought some beautiful weather. Get out your shorts and floral shirts for what is sure to be a beautiful sunny race day for the first races of the spring series next weekend!

End of Year Wrap-up

October 20th, 2017.

Our 2017 season is all wrapped up - all that remains is to put away our toys, clean up the playground and hand out the prizes.

2017 Awards Schedule

• 5:30 - Cash Bar
• 6:00 - North Sails Presentation
• 6:30 - Buffet
• 7:30 - CLCF Awards Ceremony

Please register with IYC to help ensure the appropriate amount of food is prepared!

White Sail Regatta & BBQ

October 10th, 2017.

This Sunday, October 15th will be our last event of the season &em-dash; the Frostbite Regatta! None of us know exactly what our fleet captain has planned except that we will meet at 12:30PM and race, and afterwards we will enjoy a BBQ and dish to pass in the company of our good friends and competitors! Will we sail another word like "dog"? Will it be a more esoteric word? Perhaps one with unusual diacritical marks? Perhaps something entirely different? Come enjoy a fun (and unseasonably warm, if the forecast is to be believed) day on the water to close out the sailing season!

Sailing instructions are in the documents section as usual.

Annual Red Jacket Regatta

July 22nd, 2017, saturday, august 5 th, dinner at the red jacket yacht club.

The Red Jacket Yacht Club once again hosts festivities and dinner overlooking Cayuga lake, followed by the awards ceremony, lawn games and casino night. Dinner reservations should be made with Red Jacket's Trevor Erb:

[email protected] 607-725-3072

Please make reservations by July 26 th .

Race up the Lake

The race will be a pursuit start with the first boat starting at 8:00AM. All sailboats are invited to join. There will be a skipper's meeting at 7:30AM at the IYC south pavilion.

Sailing Instructions Contact CLCF Fleet Captain Charles Witherup at [email protected] to register for the race or for any additional information.

Red Jacket Yacht Club

At Red Jacket Yacht Club, we are open seven days a week from April 15th to October 31st to make sure you have ample time to enjoy all that your membership has to offer. Our member only camping sites and boat launch are available 24/7, while our One Pub has the following hours of operation:

Monday | closed tuesday | closed wednesday | closed thursday | closed friday | 08:00 pm - to close saturday | 08:00 pm - to close sunday | closed.