[CarltonHendricks]

Foremost I’m into speed boats but I just couldn’t pass up this cabin cruiser trophy…I’m not sure if it was a one off custom made…or a stock one you could order from a catalog. The boat is certainly not cast but assembled which would require much more soldering, fabrication, and design skills…Since I’ve never seen another…I lean toward custom…Perhaps someone from this community would have it in a catalog. For me what really sets it apart are the perfect crisp details of the boat…born on horseshoe cradles…combined with that well defined ebony base…Plus the engraved shields…Occasionally you see engraved shields like those on American trophies…but mostly it’s an English thing…Initially I speculated Dieges and Clust might have made it since they were in NYC close to Staten Island where the presenting yacht club was…now that I have it in hand I’m also including John Frick Jewelers NYC…and Black, Starr & Frost, also in NYC as other contenders…If I removed the black wooden base I would probably find the maker stamped under the base of the upper brass part. But I hate disturbing a ninety eight year old piece like this…The mast looks bent but I’ll live with it for while till I figure something out.



In 1922 it was given as a contribution by the Princess Bay Yacht Club to the Raritan Bay Yacht Racing Association. The Raritan Bay Yacht Racing Association was an association of numerous yacht clubs from the Raritan Bay vicinity, which is located off the southern end of Staten Island and extends across the sound to New Jersey. From what I can gather it appears the Raritan Bay Yacht Racing association was formed for the purpose of organizing regattas and social functions between neighboring yacht clubs. Initially when it formed in 1922 the founding clubs were the Raritan Yacht Club, the Sewaren Yacht Club, the Rah-way Yacht Club, and the Princess Bay Yacht Club. Other clubs were anticipated to join as well.



One thing about yacht clubs is they exist for pleasure…it’s all about fun. I can imagine some of the shindigs they put on…4th of July BBQ’s…Christmas parties, etc…The one photo I found of the Princess Bay club, posted above, certainly looks like the kind of place members enjoyed with their families and friends. Previous to this trophy my research of yacht clubs was of ultra-exclusive ones like the New York Yacht Club and Eastern YC…Somehow I get the feeling these Raritan Bay clubs were made up of the middle class. From what I read their regattas were full on robust affairs that featured races for quite a number of classes of boats…speed boat, sail, cabin cruiser, and others…To me these modest clubs represent the opportunity and prosperity a God blessed America offered for the hard work of the fortunate.



As for this trophies lifespan…it appears to have been intended as a perpetual…since we see the three boats that won it… Why it stops after three years is certainly curious…Somehow it eventually migrated from Staten Island to Muncie Indiana where the seller is located without any damage besides the mast…Below our exchange once I got it…

Sent:Oct-16-20 12:55
got the trophy fine...Q where the heck did you find this thing???....please elaborate on everything you might know...come from antiques store?....flea market?...auction?...family heirloom?...I'm wild over it!!!!!
-carlton
SportsAntiques.com

Received:Oct-16-20 23:40
Carlton, Glad you like it. Not much to tell. I have a guy here local that calls me when he needs money. I know he bought from a local auction. You'll have to make up a good story on this one. Sorry,