Harry Curtis Hall and International 14 history

[Rod]

I've been doing some research on early North American International 14 history and the designer Harry C Hall is somewhat of a mystery.

We know from Tom Vaughn's excellent I-14 history that Harry Hall's designs (skippered by Colin Ratsey) won the 1939 POW and was leading the 1948 POW (again Colin Ratsey) before they augered in. Tom V. also includes the lines of the HH Hobby Hawk design.

We also know that Tom V. lists Harry Hall as an American designer and that ten Harry Hall hulls were built in the U.S for the Essex Connecticut fleet, post WW II, by the Essex Boat Works Co. In a 1958 roster of the US I-14 class, only one Essex-built Harry Hall 14 was still registered.

There is the mystery about Harry Hall's history but there is some other strangeness about the story, as I find it:

I don't think (at least, I haven't been able to determine otherwise) that Uffa built anything but Uffa designs, except, in this odd case of a so-called American designer, where he built two of his designs. Very strange! And the 1939 HH design was to end Uffa's string of 17 straight POW wins, and Uffa built it! And he built another HH design post WW II! This seems very un-Uffa-like, given what I've read about him.

Colin Ratsey was involved with both projects. Maybe he had enough money to entice Uffa to tool up to build two one-offs to a 14 designer that wasn't Uffa. Or maybe Uffa knew Harry Hall personally and liked the chap?

Can someone fill me in on any history they might know about Colin Ratsey. He was definitely in the U.S post WWII, in and around Essex Ct? or around NY. (Ratsey had a sail loft in City Island NY), (I think he may have reamined in the U.S post WWII but I'm not sure)?

I have a feeling the Harry Hall was a transplanted Englishman - but no proof.

The story may be lost to the ages, or may need determined research as I don't think it's covered in any existing literature we can lay our hands on.

Rod Mincher

[Fantasia]

Rod we are already in contact as my I14 Tiptoes K521 is that 1948 boat designed by H Curtis Hall. I too would like to learn more about this, seemingly, little known designer.

John

[Rod]

Well, Harry C. Hall was definitely American - not a transplanted Englishman, and definitely an obscure American designer. He also designed a National 12 named C-squared the year the class was formed in 1936. I gather Stevenson wrote a history of the National 12's. If someone has Stevenson's National 12 history in their collection, can you tell me, does he mention Harry Hall's C-Squared? It looks like there were a few other designers playing around with the National 12's besides Uffa at the beginning.

[davidh]

Rod,

Sadly my knowledge of 14 history is patchy, more hole than information...but I'm working on it! If anything comes up from here I'll let you know.......

I've been trading emails with some guys in CT who have an almost mint condition Mirror 14 - more east coast classics! Do you ever get further north.... maybe up towards RI or Mystic?

D

[chris]

Quoting from Steavenson's book on the 12s:

"The first championship event opened on Sept 3rd 1936, in a brisk S.W.wind and the winner of the first race of championship status was Colin Ratsey in C.Squared (n131) Second was Charles Curry in Mermaid (N 109), and third was Morgan Giles in Fruit Girl (N114)....."

No other reference or actual mention of designers. But it may be worth ckecking out the N12 website as they have a good online register and you can look up details of N131.


Chris

[chris]

Just looked in "Marks to Starboard" and found more references to Hall.


" In 1936 Henry Curtis Hall, of New Rochelle, introduced his " Flying Wedges" or "Flat Irons" as they were called - a new approach to the problem of carrying the large sail area permitted by in the 14s . These boats were flat and wide, stable platforms able to remain upright in a breeze and carry full sail efficiantly......
.... Uffa built one of them, Hawk, (K364) for Colin Ratsey, who two years later sailed her to second place in the POW cup and wone the foloowing year"


There are more references I could scan and email

[davidh]

In 1932 Colin Ratsey was in LA sailing in the Olympic Regatta there......

D

[Rod]

Interesting. No mention of how "C-Squared" did overall for Burton Week? I did check the N12 Website and they do list "C-Squared" as a Hall design.

Thanks for the offer but I have the relevant Hall material from "Marks to Starboard".

David, I may get up to New England during the summer. Did you want me to touch base with the Mirror 14 chap?

[Bill-Conner]

If looking for the reason why Uffa Built to another designers lines for Colin Ratsey, bear in mind Uffa would have bought lots of sails from Ratseys, he was always short of cash and a contra agreement could have been arrived at, to mutual benefit, also Ratseys were Cowes Royalty to the extent that Queen Victoria was apparently cross that Ratseys had Cowes 1 as their telephone number not Osborne House! Colin Ratsey as a scion of thefamily and an Olympian Sailor would have been hard to say no to.

[chris]

There's no further mention of C Squared but it didn't come above 3rd. Sounds a stormey time - racing was cancelled for 48hrs.

[Tommyv]

L have a film taken by Mike Peacock post1965 when the team Racing was in Bermuda with a mature Shorty Trimingham, talking to a a very mature Colin Ratsey about 14 racing in the States
regards
Tom Vaughan

[Tommyv]

The film date is 1963 not post 1965.History of the Fourteens made for The Maritime Museum
regards
Tom Vaughan

[Rod]

If looking for the reason why Uffa Built to another designers lines for Colin Ratsey, bear in mind Uffa would have bought lots of sails from Ratseys, he was always short of cash and a contra agreement could have been arrived at, to mutual benefit, also Ratseys were Cowes Royalty to the extent that Queen Victoria was apparently cross that Ratseys had Cowes 1 as their telephone number not Osborne House!

That does appear to be the case - the Ratsey's having enough sway with Uffa to have Uffa build them 14's to a different designer (not Uffa) - and not just this time. The first recorded instance was K 319, which Uffa built for Chris Ratsey to a design by Alfred Mylne (1934) - thanks to Mr. Vaughn's splendid 14 history for confirming this though I picked it up in an article I came across. It would be a very interesting reading if there is some correspondence still around on the dealings between Uffa and the Ratseys.