Heart of America (yacht)
Heart of America is a 12-metre class yacht that competed in the 1987 Louis Vuitton Cup.[1] The boat was helmed by Buddy Melges and represented the Chicago Yacht Club.[5] The boat finished 8 of 13 in Louis Vuitton Cup, which decides the challenger to the Cup holder.[5]
| Yacht club |  Chicago Yacht Club[1] |
|---|---|
| Nation |  United States |
| Class | 12-metre |
| Sail no | US–51 |
| Designer(s) | Gretzky, MacLane, Graham & Schlageter[2][3] |
| Builder | Merrifield-Roberts[2][3] |
| Launched | 1986[4] |
| Racing career | |
| Skippers | Buddy Melges[2] |
| AC Challenger Selection Series | 1987 |
The Chicago-based yacht design firm of Graham & Schlageter contributed to the boat's design.[6][7]
Crew
The crew included these members, as well as others.
- Buddy Melges - Skipper
- David Dellenbaugh - Tactician[8]
- Larry Mialik - Grinder
- Richie Stearns - main trimmer and sail co-coordinator
- Andreas Josenhans - Trimmer
- Dave Navin
- Jim Gretzky[9]
- Wally Henry[9]
- Fred Stritt
- John Stanley
John Spence
Support
The CEOs of the Heart of America Cup effort included Alan Johnston[2] and William Bentsen.[10]
Corporate sponsorship of the drive started with MCI providing $1M US dollars to the campaign.[10]
Controversies
The challenge by a Great Lakes yacht club resulted in the Australian Royal Perth Yacht club challenging whether Lake Michigan was an "arm of the sea" as required by the Deed of Gift of the America's Cup.[2] The court decided that Lake Michigan did constitute an "arm of the sea" and that the Club could challenge for the America's Cup.[11]
References
- "The Louis Vuitton Cup 1987". Americas-cup-history.at. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- "Heart of America US51". Americas-cup-history.at. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- "12mR Yacht Trivia". 12mr.de. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- "12 Meter Racing Yachts | 12 Meter Charters - Part 2". 12 Meter Charters. 2014-06-03. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- Carrier, Jim (2013-07-16). "Classic America's Cup: the Heart of America". Cruising World. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Graham & Schlageter 1975 - 1989". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- Sea Time Tech, LLC (2021). "Graham & Schlageter". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- William Recktenwald (1986-10-26). "Heart Of America Tune-up Buoys Melges". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- "Wally Henry". Challenge and Adventure. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- Jody Homer (1985-07-03). "`Challenge` Effort Boosted". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- Sam Smith (1985-02-12). "He`s Still On Course For America`s Cup". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2017-07-17.