"The America's Cup and Newport, 1930-1983"

The America's Cup races took place at Newport twelve times between 1930 and 1983. Colorful figures dot the history of these races, such as Sir Thomas Lipton in 1930 and Ted Turner in the 1970s. Lipton’s fifth and final attempt to win the cup in 1930, on Shamrock V, was again unsuccessful, however his sportsmanship was widely appreciated in this country, and the exhibit includes both a photograph of Lipton accepting a silver trophy modeled after the Old Stone Mill, presented to him on behalf of the grateful citizens of Newport, as well as his personal signal flag from Shamrock V. The exhibit includes numerous photographs of Ted Turner; in discussion with Ted Hood before the races, and victorious off Bannister’s Wharf, as well as walking triumphantly along America’s Cup Avenue, after winning in 1977. For those interested in the cost of mounting an America’s Cup challenge, the exhibit includes the syndicate income and expense report for the 1964 defender Constellation, which includes such expenses as $76,807 to Sparkman and Stephens for design, $54, 938 to Ted Hood and others for sails, and $29,230 for the crew to stay at Castle Hill. The exhibit also includes an annotated blueprint for Starling Burgess’s Rainbow, a blueprint of his design for the “Park Avenue” boom, photographs and correspondence from the crew of Shamrock V, signed books by Harold Vanderbilt, a crew photograph album of Sceptre, and much more.

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