DUARTE BELLO

Designer of Star Fittings

 

Duarte Bello of Portugal designed and manufactured beautiful stainless steel Star fittings. On his boat “Faneca” shown below some of the innovative fittings can be seen. First and foremost is the circular boom vang track, the prototype of the system still used today. At the time this picture was taken in 1962 the usual method of connecting the boom vang was to hook a fitting which was on a wire running along the underside of the boom into some sort of fitting on the rail. There were several variations of this method. Another innovative item which Duarte designed was the Bello bailer, this in 1954.  The thought that one could suck out the water in the bilge using the forward motion of the boat was a novel idea.

 

(Photo: 1963 Log)

(Photo: September, 1984, Starlights)

 

At the 1984 World’s Duarte Bello was honored for his many contributions to the Star Class. Duarte is standing to the right. On this memento board we see only some of the items which Duarte manufactured: circular boom vang track, Bello bailers, jib winch, jib fairlead block, mainsail outhaul fitting, and other items.

 

Duarte’s various accomplishments as a skipper include a series 2nd at the 1962 World’s and representing Portugal in the Olympics in 1956 and 1964.

 

(Photo: 1965 Log)

 

(Photo: 1965 Log, credit Timoteo.)

BLAST OFF IN PORTUGAL

Probably some of the more wild and exciting World Championships have taken place on the water around the Iberian Peninsula. Here we have George Scheder in his Jessica blasting off down a wave.

 

 

DURWARD KNOWLES

In 1947 Durward Knowles of Nassau won the World's Championship in Los Angeles with one of his more frequent crews, Sloan Farrington. It was the first big victory for this great skipper who has remained a prominent figure in the Class for the next 50 years. Durward has competed in 23 World's Championship, once as crew for Ding Schoonmaker. Aside from his win in 1947 he has one second (1954) and two thirds (1946 & 1974). He also competed in eight Olympics from 1948 through 1988, and won the 1964 Olympics, and got a third in 1956.

 

At the World's Championship at Newport Beach in 1959 Durward Knowles remembers a deflating experience he had before that event. The course off Newport Beach has predominantly light airs with a fair amount of Pacific ground swell, leftover waves from better winds to the northwest, and power boat slop. The local sailors become proficient at handling these conditions, which are somewhat mystifying at first to the outsider. Newport Harbor had a 14 year-old named Skip Allan who was very good at it, so good that he beat a bunch of gold and silver star skippers to win the tune-up race. Durward, who had arrived a few days early to do some practice sailing, asked Skip late one afternoon if he would like to tune up with him. "I didn't mind so much that he kept passing us," said Durward. "But every time he wiped us off the kid would luff up and say, 'Had enough? I have to go home.'" Durward interpreted this to mean, "Now do you give up?" whereas actually it was too late for the youngster to be out on the ocean according to family rules and he didn't want to get into trouble.

 

Durward Knowles won the 1964 Olympics sailed on Sagami Bay in Japan. By so doing, he and his crew Cecil Cooke became the first Bahamians ever to win gold medals in any Olympic sport. Their achievement was celebrated with a special issue of the Bahamian postage stamp that depicted Stars sailing off Fort Montague in Nassau.

 

 

(Photos: 1965 Log.)

 

 

FLAME, STAR # 3940

 

Here is Stan Ogilvy in his new Flame built by Skip Etchells at the Old Greenwich Boat Co. These boats were well known for the quality of workmanship. The O.G. motto: “Built like a yacht.”

(Photo: cover, 1963 Log, credit Morris Rosenfeld)

 

 

 

 

APPROACHING THE WEATHER MARK

1962 North American Championship, Seattle.

 

An Eichenlaub, # 4411 followed by an O.G., # 3855. Check out the angular edges of the bow of the Eichernlaub.

 

(Photo: collection of author)

 

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TOM BLACKALLER AND HIS BOATS

“GOOD GRIEF!”

 

After a couple of years of sailing around in an old clunker, Star # 2482, “Spirit”, in 1958 Tom Blackaller ordered up a new boat from Carl Eichenlaub, # 3938, which he named “Good Grief!”. It was with this first “Good Grief!” that Tom began his serious racing career in the Star Class which culminated in two Gold Stars, won in 1974 and 1980. Above we see Tom is preparing  “Good Grief!” for the 1963 West Coast Fall Championship, now known as the Calvin Paige. Note that # 3938 has a varnish finish. Years later Tom would remark that it was quite a job keeping the varnish in good shape and required refinishing four times a year.

 

(Photo: collection of author)

 

In 1966 Lippincott Boat Works began construction of fiberglass Stars and Tom ordered up one of these boats later in the year. In 1968 Tom won his fist major events, two Silver Stars, first at the Western Hemisphere Spring Championship and then at the North Americans. To the right we see Tom cruising along on San Francisco Bay. Still no hiking straps: you had to hang on however you could.

 

(Photo: 1969 Log.)

NORTH STAR

AT THE 1968 OLYMPICS

 

In 1968 at Acapulco Lowell North and Peter Barrett represented the U.S. in the Olympics. North Star, Star # 4733, won the Gold Medal. The following year Lowell bought a Buchan boat, # 5392, and finished third in the World’s held in his home waters of San Diego.

 

At the left we see the deck layout of # 5392. Note that the spars were still wood at this point. This was the last year in which only wood spars were allowed.

 

(Photo: 1970 Log, credit Zagarino.)

 

(Photo: 1969 Log, credit Knights.)