Brief History of the Little America’s Cup

The “Little America’s Cup” series began in 1961 after an American catamaran was described as “the fastest small sailing boat in the world”.  In 1961 the British had other ideas and the “Little America's Cup” was born.  Over the last 40 years the title of “fastest boat on the planet” has been fought for in the Little America's Cup.

Teams from the US, the UK, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and Italy have vied to design and sail this competition.  The basic rules are very simple – maximum length 25 feet, beam 14 feet, sail area 300 square feet.  In the 1970s the late Tony DiMauro, founder and Commodore for 35 years of the Roton Point Sailing Association in Rowayton, Connecticut, www.rotonpoint.org funded the development of a series of C-Class catamarans named Patient Lady I thru VI, and pioneered the development of a fixed wing sail, akin to the wing of an airplane.

In 1977 Patient Lady III beat the Australian challenger Miss Nicholas by the score of 4-0, to win the Little America’s Cup.  Today, 28 years later, Patient Lady III, built of wood, still sails out of Roton Point Club, lovingly preserved by her present owners.  The model has been built to show PL3 as she is today, with conventional mainsail and jib.  Maybe, time and other conditions permitting, the model could be refitted (or another built) to show PL3 with the fixed wing mast that triumphed in 1977.

To see the wing mast in all its glory, pay a visit to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT, www.maritimeaquarium.org, where the actual Patient Lady V is on permanent display.  After PL3 took the cup from Australia in 1977, Patient Lady IV successfully defended it against Italy in 1978, and Patient Lady V successfully defended it twice (also against Italy) in 1980 and 1982.

                     PL3 awaiting the start of the 2004 Stamford Denmark Friendship Race