1934 America’s Cup | The Very Thought of You | Ray Noble Orch. feat. Al Bowlly

Music: 1934 The Very Thought of You | Ray Noble Orch. feat. Al Bowlly
Video: 1934 America’s Cup | J-class yachts | Vanderbilt's Rainbow v Sopwith's Endeavour
1930s playlist: t.ly/TxIW
"Defenders having won all but three races in the 14 defenses [of the America's Cup] to this point, Rainbow's skipper Harold Vanderbilt must have been scared when Sir Thomas Sopwith's Endeavour vaulted out to a 2-0 lead.
But Sopwith, handicapped by a hastily assembled amateur crew, after his professionals left him mid-series in a dispute over money, was outmatched by the disciplined, seasoned professionals that Vanderbilt had assembled. Numerous tactical errors and management failures allowed the Americans to triumph despite sailing a slower boat.
Endeavour couldn't keep up with the relentless pace. In the third race, again with a big lead that should have seen Endeavour 3-0 ahead, Sopwith was lured into a trap in the dying breeze. Rainbow climbed to weather and moved into the lead to take the race. The third race became controversial after the New York Yacht Club refused to hear a protest because Endeavour had failed to hoist a protest flag at the time of the foul, as required by US rules but not British rules. The defeat so devastated Sopwith and his crew that they were unable to win any of the remaining 3 races.
After this protest Sopwith vowed 'I will never challenge again. . . . It is a business. It is a business and we in England who sail our yachts because we love sailing can never win the America’s Cup until we make it a business, too.' He was back in three years."
(steelmuseum.org/americas_cup_...)
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"Endeavour was commissioned by Sir T.O.M. Sopwith to challenge for the America’s Cup in 1934. Having prepared his campaign in Shamrock V, Sopwith was keen to ensure that this yacht was the most advanced design possible. With his experience designing aircraft Sopwith applied aviation technology to Endeavour’s rig and winches and spared nothing to make her the finest vessel of her day. From launching in 1934 she continued her preparation by competing against Shamrock V (then owned by Sir Richard Fairey) and the newly launched Velsheda (owned by W.L Stephenson).
She swept through the British racing fleet and into the hearts of yachtsmen the World around, winning many races in her first season. Like many before her, Endeavour did not win the Cup but she came closer to doing so than any other challenger.
Endeavour pioneered the development of the Quadrilateral genoa, a two clewed headsail offering immense sail area and power, and still used on J Class yachts racing today. She also had a larger and better designed spinnaker but Sopwith was let down by poor crewing. Just prior to departure for the USA, his professional crew went on strike for more money and Sopwith was forced to round up keen amateur sailors, who had the enthusiasm but not the experience. Afterwards, she returned to England to dominate the British racing scene until 1938 when she was laid up prior to the war."
(www.jclassyachts.com/yacht/717)
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"Rainbow was designed by W. Starling Burgess and launched in 1934 from the Herreshoff yard where she was built in just 100 days. The J stepped a pear-shaped duralumin mast, designed to take the strain of the double-headed jib - first used on Whirlwind - and she was originally rigged with a Park Avenue boom. This was later removed because it was considered too heavy.
As with the Watson-designed Shamrock II in 1901, which was the first boat to be designed following numerous towing-tank tests, the Burgess-designed Rainbow was the first J to be conceived according to the same principles: during two months in 1931, at the tank-test facilities at the University of Michigan, dozens models were tested by William Starling Burgess.
After the 1934 America's Cup, Rainbow was laid up in dry dock for two years in Bristol, and then refitted by Vanderbilt as trial horse. Sold to Chandler Hovey in 1937, to race the defender selection trials, but Ranger eliminated it. Rainbow was laid up at the end of 1937 at Herreshoff Manufacturing in Bristol and then it was sold for scrap in 1940."
(steelmuseum.org/americas_cup_...)
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"'The Very Thought of You' is a pop standard that was recorded and published in 1934 with music and lyrics by Ray Noble. The song was first recorded by Ray Noble and His Orchestra with Al Bowlly on vocals for HMV in England in April 1934. This record was then released in the United States by Victor, and it reached number one on the pop music charts." (Wikipedia)

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1937 Ranger v Endeavour II - czcams.com/video/dFijR7RvB8o/video.html