Boat Name: Lulu

Sail: US 72

Year Built: 1937

Designer: Sparkman & Stephens

Builder: Nevins

Owner: Craig Downey

History: Built for Briggs S. Cunningham and named for his wife, Lucie. Lulu won the Scandinavian Gold Cup in 1937 on Long Island Sound, finally beating Inga Lill XXVI in the seventh race, then also won the first King Edward VII Gold Cup match race held in Bermuda that same year, beating US 73 Saga, then KB 49. Sherman Hoyt, a noted yachtsman, America's Cup winner and 6 meter sailor, won the King Edward VII Gold Cup in 1907 in a "Q" boat, then deeded it to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in 1936. This match race is still contested there every year, now in IODs. Lulu also appeared for a few seconds in the 1937 Fredric March/Carole Lombard film "Nothing Sacred". Lulu rested through the war years, then was in Los Angeles in the years immediately following the war owned by William "California Bill" Horton. She came to Seattle in 1947 for Bill Boeing, Jr., who sold her to Hugh Watt. Charlie Ross purchased her in 1959 and kept her into the 70's, her hull robin's egg blue. She was acquired by Harry Hoffman, who performed a restoration of her in the early 80's and painted her bright yellow to be part of his "rainbow of sixes". Harry sold her to Rob O'Neil. Craig Downey recently purchased Lulu and is in the middle of a major restoration. She was hauled in March 2003. Go here for pictures of her haulout at Keyport

 

 

 

 

 

 

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