Lucie is an International 6 Meter racing yacht designed by Clinton Crane and built by Henry B. Nevins in 1931. Bearing sail number US55, she is a striking example of the classic 6 Meter aesthetic: narrow proportions for her 37-foot overall length, a low profile, an elegant sheer line and long overhangs. Those graceful lines are matched by a remarkable provenance—Lucie once belonged to Briggs Swift Cunningham Jr., the Cincinnati entrepreneur born in 1907 who became a celebrated figure in both yacht racing and automotive competition.
Cunningham developed his racing skills in Stars and as an 8 Meter sailor while at Yale. He later skippered the 12 Meter Columbia to victory in the 1958 America’s Cup, the first Cup contested after World War II. Outside sailing, he was known as a race-car driver and builder of Cunningham sports cars, and he pursued success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans both in his own cars and by fielding Corvette entries. The yacht Lucie was named for his first wife, Lucie Bedford, granddaughter of Edward T. Bedford, a Standard Oil director. Lucie Bedford lived to be 104, and the yacht—now referred to in contemporary accounts as 86 years old—has retained her original name throughout her long life.
After roughly 75 years of active racing, the yacht fell on hard times. She was discovered in the Midwest with severe hull damage—a hole in the bottom through which an outboard engine leg protruded—and appeared close to the end of her racing career. In 2006 she arrived at the Brooklin, Maine yard of Brion Reiff Boat Builders, where owner Brion Reiff recalls the restoration as essentially the construction of a new boat: new frames, stringers and planking throughout.
The refit began in 2005 when then-owner Gregory C. Carroll hired Pedrick Yacht Designs of Newport, Rhode Island, to oversee the project and return Lucie to compliance with the International 6 Meter Rule 2 (used between 1920 and 1933). The brief included updating the deck layout and installing a new rig and sail plan while preserving the boat’s original measurement parameters. Pedrick verified the yacht’s dimensions and scantlings by performing an electronic scan and consulting plans from the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections at MIT.
Like many restoration projects, progress stalled when Carroll moved on with other interests, leaving the boat roughly 80 percent complete in Reiff’s yard. The story took a fortunate turn in 2011 during the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Jamie Hilton was crewing aboard the 65-foot yawl Lone Fox with sailmaker Robbie Doyle, and Matt Brooks—a pilot and fellow classic-yacht enthusiast—joined them for a few days. On the flight home Brooks and Hilton talked 6 Meter racing and the upcoming World Cup in Helsinki. Brooks suggested, “We ought to get a boat.”
Hilton’s attempts to charter a suitable 6 Meter proved unsuccessful, but through his search he learned that Lucie was still available at Reiff’s yard at a price far below her true value. Brooks purchased the yacht and Hilton became project manager. After an intense period of finishing work, Lucie was trailered to Hinckley Yachts in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, for final commissioning and official measurement. Following a launch and christening at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, she made a short sail to Newark, New Jersey, to begin her transport to Finland for international racing.
The restoration aimed to retain the authentic look and feel of a 1931 build while discreetly integrating modern, reliable systems. Reiff relied on many of the same craft techniques and materials used by Nevins, even sealing the bilge between two layers of planking with shellac. Where updates were prudent, they were made: under-deck running rigging is modern Vectran, she carries Harken blocks, and the mast is adjustable fore and aft to balance helm and performance in varied conditions.
Some adjustments were required after measurement and sea trials. The mast and spinnaker pole were found to be slightly longer than the original rule allowed; both were corrected. Doyle discovered the hollow mast was too flexible for competitive sailing and arranged for a 30-foot internal stiffener to be installed. With those tweaks complete, Lucie competed at the Helsinki World Cup and finished sixth in her class.
Today the boat combines classic appearance with sensitive modernization: from her historically faithful exterior and fittings to contemporary control lines and hardware hidden beneath the deck. Hilton describes her as “a perfect, classic 6 Meter” in appearance, yet fully adjustable and ready for serious racing. Brooks, who has been active in the 6 Meter community and even served as class president, helps ensure that Lucie remains engaged in competitive and classic-yacht circles, securing her place in the Class’s future.
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue.