2008 MCYRA Yearbook
Electronic Edition
Page 4
Mercury Class 50 Years And Going Strong
The Mercury Sloop was designed by Ernest Nunes of the Nunes Brothers Boat Works, Sausalito, California. In 1938, hull #1 was completed and first displayed in the 1939 World’s Fair at Treasure Island. At that time most small boats were built with plank construction so the Mercury, with its waterproof plywood construction was considered very advanced for the time. The hull was light by comparison and the simplicity of construction drew immediate interest in the new boat. Hulls numbered 2 through 8 were constructed at the same time in the shop at Nunes Brothers. These boats were presold and the owners took an active part in the construction. This gave Ernie Nunes the idea that a kit of the Mercury would be a good way to promote sales. The class grew quickly as home builders assembled these kits in back yards and garages throughout the state of California. A few boats even found their way out to the Hawaiian Islands and Guam. With the boat being easily trailerable, fleets developed at inland lakes so that by 1946 an active racing association had developed throughout the western states. To commemorate the 50th birthday of the Mercury class yacht, a party was held at the San Francisco Yacht Club on June 18, 1988. Over 150 current and past Mercury sailors attended the festivities, which included racing in Raccoon Straits and a barbecue dinner at the club house. Past champions, including our first champion (1947) Jim Wyatt reminisced about their most memorable Mercury racing experiences. Many of the past sailors brought their family scrapbooks with them to provide a pictorial history of the class. Three generations of Mercury sailors were in attendance. Hull #6, still an active racer, had the distinction of being the oldest boat sailing in the day’s races and also by having all of her owners present for the Birthday Party.
Mercury Class Perpetual Trophies
HOMECOMING PERPETUAL TROPHYThis trophy was donated by Peter Sutter and designed and built by Leonard Delmas. The Homecoming Regatta was sailed in honor of the Builder, Ernie Nunes and later other builders. Currently the regatta is held at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda. |
||
|
YEAR |
SKIPPER |
CREW |
|
1960 |
Robin Hobart |
Jim Enzensperger |
|
1961 |
Jim Enzensperger |
Robin Hobart |
|
1962 |
Pat Bradley |
Rick Gregory |
|
1963 |
Jim Enzensperger |
Mark Schaeffe r |
|
1964 |
Doug Baird |
Bill Sewall |
|
1965 |
Jim Enzensperger |
Mark Shaeffer |
|
1966 |
Pax Davis |
C. Paxton Davis, III |
|
1967 |
Pat Bradley |
Scott Harris |
|
1968 |
Jim Enzensperger |
Doug Baird |
|
1969 |
Mark Dowley |
Jim Hobart |
|
1970 |
Leland Pollard |
Laurie Pollard |
|
1971 |
Steve Gould |
John Kedzior |
|
1972 |
John Grether |
Mike Porvanznik |
|
1973 |
Tim Condon |
Al Swinger |
|
1974 |
Steve Gould |
Don Whelan |
|
1975 |
Dick Clark |
John Umland |
|
1976 |
Pax Davis |
Julie Davis |
|
1977 |
Dick Clark |
Pete Sherman |
|
1978 |
Jim Bradley |
John Kirk |
|
1979 |
Kelly Robinson |
Jack McAleer |
|
1980 |
Pax Davis |
Greg Salas |
|
1981 |
Pax Davis |
Tim Erskine |
|
1982 |
Pax Davis |
Tim Erskine |
|
1983 |
Dave Huggins |
Clayton Huggins |
|
1984 |
Jim Bradley |
Kathy Bradley |
|
1985 |
Jim Bradley |
Kathy Bradley |
|
1986 |
Pax Davis |
Ken Munro |
|
1987 |
Chris Lanzafame |
Robert Hu |
|
1988 |
Pax Davis |
Ken Munro |
|
1989 |
Dave West |
John Daseking |
|
1990 |
Al Downey |
Bill Harvey |
|
1991 |
Doug Baird |
Art Mowry |
|
1992 |
Dave We s t |
Dan Simmons |
|
1993 |
Steve Jeppesen |
Jim Taylor |
|
1994 |
Pax Davis |
John Hansen |
|
1995 |
Jim Bradley |
Greg Melanson |
|
1996 |
Pax Davis |
Richard Hubbert |
|
1997 |
Pax Davis |
Richard Hubbert |
|
1998 |
Pax Davis |
Richard Hubbert |
|
1999 |
Doug Baird |
Michael Baird |
|
2000 |
Doug Baird |
Michael Baird |
| 2001 | Carl Schumacher | Sutter Schumacher |
|
2002 |
John Hansen |
Tony Basso |
| 2003 | Bill Worden | Doug Baird |
| 2004 | Doug Baird | Tom Priest |
| 2005 | Doug Baird | Jim Taylor |
| 2006 | Doug Baird | Michael Baird |
| 2007 | Doug Baird | Chris Messano |
| 2008 | Doug Baird | Jim Taylor |
JOE LOGAN MEMORIAL TROPHYDr. Joe Logan was a prominent physician in Fresno and an early member of the Fresno Mercury Fleet. Although his interest in sailing did not develop until later in life, he dearly loved the time he spent on his Mercury. His first boat was hull #104. During the summer months Dr. Logan kept his boat moored off the pier at Santa Cruz. This was in the days before the Santa Cruz Marina was constructed. During a summer storm the boat broke loose from its mooring and was destroyed on the beach. He ordered a new Mercury, built with the salvaged keel of #104. To keep the memory of his old boat alive he christened the new one "Wonofora ". While preparing his beautiful new boat for its first racing season, Dr. Logan was struck by a heart attack and died. In memory of her husband and to perpetuate his love for the Mercury, his widow donated this trophy. It is a working model of his Mercury #434 down to the smallest detail. The trophy is currently on loan from the Fresno Fleet to the St. Francis Yacht Club where it is on display. Through 1976 the trophy was raced for in Fresno and kept on display at the Fresno Sports Hall of Fame. The new deed was drawn up in February of 1977 and the trophy is now awarded to the winner of an annual series sailed in the waters off the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. The trophy is truly one of the most finely crafted and best looking in small boat sailing. |
||
|
YEAR |
SKIPPER |
CREW |
|
1964 |
Joe Congdon |
Joe Congdon, Jr |
|
1965 |
Milt Rubin |
Barbara Rubin |
|
1966 |
Clair Williams |
Nina Williams |
|
1967 |
LeRoy Hinkle |
Pat Hinkle |
|
1968 |
Randel Petersen |
Stuart Knopf |
|
1969 |
Steve Gould |
Doug Baird |
|
1977 |
Pax Davis |
Scott Carpenter |
|
1978 |
Dick Clark |
Pete Sherman |
|
1979 |
Pat Bradley |
John Sclepp |
|
1980 |
Pax Davis |
Rex Allen |
|
1981 |
Pax Davis |
Tim Erskine |
|
1982 |
Pax Davis |
Tim Erskine |
|
1983 |
Pax Davis |
Tim Erskine |
|
1984 |
Pat Bradley |
Doug Baird |
|
1985 |
Doug Baird |
Carl Petersen |
|
1986 |
Doug Baird |
Earl Stutes |
|
1987 |
Jim Bradley |
Pat Bradley |
|
1988 |
Jim Bradley |
Kathy Bradley |
|
1989 |
Not Held |
Earthquake |
|
1990 |
Pax Davis |
Brad Whitaker |
|
1991 |
Pax Davis |
Brad Whitaker |
|
1992 |
Doug Baird |
Dick Hansen |
|
1993 |
Tracy Usher |
Mike Spencer |
|
1994 |
Tim Parsons |
Nick Brya |
|
1995 |
Jim Bradley |
Peter Baldwin |
|
1996 |
Tracy Usher |
Erica Mattson |
|
1997 |
Doug Baird |
Tim Parsons |
|
1998 |
Pax Davis |
Richard Hubbert |
|
1999 |
Jim Bradley |
Ed Cotter |
|
2000 |
John Hansen |
Tony Basso |
| 2001 | Doug Baird | Rob Moore |
|
2002 |
Jim Bradley |
Ben Bradley |
| 2003 | No Wind | |
| 2004 | Jim Bradley | Ben Bradley |
| 2005 | Doug Baird | Jim Taylor |
| 2006 | Doug Baird | Chris Messano |
| 2007 | Mac Kilpatrick | John Ravizza/Jim Taylor |
LOS ANGELES MIDWINTER REGATTAHosted by the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in conjunction with the Southern California Yacht Racing Association this annual President's Day Weekend event has long been a favorite of sailors from both Northern & Southern California. Along with over a hundred classes and in excess of one thousand yachts, the Mercury Class has a long history of participation in this, the largest yachting event in the world. The regatta is held at the north end of Los Angeles Harbor with occasional sojourns outside the breakwater to the Point Fermin bouy. Most of the competitors lodge at a single water-front hotel, fostering comraderie between Northern and Southern fleets. The highlight of the weekend is the annual Saturday night extravaganza at the Palos Ve rdes Estates home of Park & Lynn Densmore. One of the most entertaining evenings of the Mercury year, the Densmore party makes this winter outing a well attended tradition. |
|
|
1965 |
Roger Roessler |
|
1966 |
Duerstein |
|
1967 |
Roger Roessler |
|
1968 |
Roger Roessler |
|
1969 |
Jack Nerdrum |
|
1970 |
Jack Nerdrum |
|
1971 |
Doug Baird |
|
1972 |
Steve Gould |
|
1973 |
George Patterson |
|
1974 |
Austin Lysight |
|
1975 |
Don Whelan |
|
1976 |
|
|
1977 |
Jim Bradley |
|
1978 |
|
|
1979 |
Jim Bradley |
|
1980 |
|
|
1981 |
Pat Bradley |
|
1982 |
|
|
1983 |
Pat Bradley |
|
1984 |
|
|
1985 |
|
|
1986 |
|
|
1987 |
Doug Baird |
|
1988 |
|
|
1989 |
|
|
1990 |
Pax Davis |
|
1991 |
Pax Davis |
|
1992 |
|
|
1993 |
Don Whelan |
|
1994 |
Howie Marion |
|
1995 |
Pax Davis |
|
1996 |
Tracy Usher |
|
1997 |
Dave West |
|
1998 |
Doug Baird |
|
1999 |
Pax Davis |
|
2000 |
Chris Messano |
|
2001 |
Dave West |
| 2002 | Not held |
| 2003 | Don Whelan |
| 2004 | Ron Dougherty |
| 2005 | Doug Baird |
| 2006 | Don Whelan |
| 2007 | Doug Baird |
| 2008 | Mike Burch |
NUNES CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES TROPHY
This is the top prize of the Mercury racing year. It is awarded to the top skipper of the Mercury Championship Series. It was donated by Ernest Nunes, designer and first builder of the Mercury Yacht . The list of past winners is printed preceding the story of the last Championship Series.
YEARBOOK TOC |
NEXT PAGE |
PREVIOUS PAGE |
HOME PAGE |