5.5 Inventory: details of a boat

Boat details (n°144)

USA-55

Essentials

Designer

Alfred Edward "Bill" Luders Jr. (USA)

Builder

Oy Vator, Vator Oy AB. Helsinki (FIN)

Material

Wood, carvel planked

1st certificate issued

01-01-1964

Original boat name

Yankee

Original country

USA

Original sail number

Current location

Chaje 3 L-26 : Chaje 3 in Helsinki 1967
(credits : Vator Archives)
Added by Matti Muoniovaara
on 2007-10-02

Photo Gallery (8)

Notes (3)

1966 World Championship in Copenhagen

16-03-2017

by Franz Schneider

by Franz Schneider, 16-03-2017

The 1966 Worlds was a wild series sailed in very heavy air just about every day. I crewed for Britt Chance, and we were staying at the same guest house as the owner of Chaje 3. It sank during one of the races dragging Jussi Nemes son to the bottom until he got his foot freed from the rigging. Paul Elvstrom-- who had not competed in 5.5's before-- won the series easily.

Bill Luders - designer of champions

19-02-2016

by Matti Muoniovaara

by Matti Muoniovaara, 19-02-2016

Alfred Edward 'Bill' Luders Jr. 31.12.1909-31.1.1999. During 1950 – 1981 he designed 72 5.5s. The first US 5.5 was drafted already 1950 but was never built. First boats to be built in 1956 were Pathfinder (Herman Whiton), Sabre (Ernie Fay) and Flame (Al Fay). The last design built (#1098) was Delta for Ernest Fay. At the Luders Marine Construction Co’s office many of the plans were made by Ted Brewer. He helped to draft and tweak over fifty 5.5 designs. Designs were numbered from the first to the last, 985-1098.
After studies with Bob Wallstrom, a Luders historian, we find following Luders champions: Flame, Sabre, Complex III, Pride, Barranjoey, Fram III, Sundance, Chaje 3, Southern Cross IV, Arunga, Antares 2, Arunga III, Wildfire, Rhapsody and Papilio.
Luders' designed boats won the Gold Cup 14 times, the first 1957 and the last 1981.

Information

19-09-2007

by Sebastien Schmidt

by Sebastien Schmidt, 19-09-2007

Vintage classic. Has sunk in Finland in 2005 but has been recovered and is on refit.

Document library (0)

Chaje 3 L-26 : Chaje 3 in Helsinki 1967
(credits : Vator Archives)
Added by Matti Muoniovaara on 2007-10-02

Ownership history (5)

Sail#

Name

Owner

USA-55

"Yankee"

George D. O'Day (1964-1965)

USA-55

"Yankee"

Victor Sheronas (1964-1965)

FIN-26

"Chaje 3"

Jussi Nemes (1965-1972)

FIN-26

"Chaje 3"

R. Nordström (1972-1974)

FIN-26

"Chaje 3"

Paavo Mäki (1974-1989)

Results History (20)

Year

Rank

Race / Location

Skipper

Added by, on

Year : 1964

Rank : 7th (dns-1

Race : US Olympic Trials 1964 /
Location : Rhode Island, USA

Skipper : George D. O'Day