More on three-masted Freedom, from Eric Sponberg, passed on to me from a mutual friend:
Yes, Kriter Lady II is a Garry Hoyt design (he actually designed it) which was intended for the 1981 Whitbread Round the World Race. I attach a photo from my files, the only one I have. Rob and Naomi James were going to be co-skippers as I recall. KLII was designed in 1980 and built in England, launched early in 1981. I was chief engineer at TPI at the time, and I designed the masts for her. We did a big structural research project for those masts, and it was during that time that I was able to document the importance of proper thickness to diameter ratio in carbon fiber free-standing masts. Those masts were the biggest and tallest carbon fiber masts ever designed and built at the time, and they held that record for years, about two decades as I recall.
Naomi entered the Two-Handed Trans-Atlantic race the summer of 1981 in Kriter Lady II with Ron Holland’s wife, Laurel Holland. But Naomi was pregnant at the time, and was getting seasick easily. So John Oakeley substituted for Naomi as co-skipper. They got as far as Newfoundland when the mast step started to come loose under the middle mast. They put into St. John’s for temporary repairs, then motored the rest of the way to Newport, disqualifying themselves from the race. John Oakeley, as you may recall, was the skipper of Lionheart for the British in the 1980 America’s Cup race.
When KLII arrived in Newport, Everett Pearson personally spearheaded the repair of the mast step. …
On the return trip to England, the builder had not paid TPI for the masts yet, so TPI arrested the boat when it got back to England. I am not sure if TPI ever got its money, because KLII was soon afterwards auctioned off. As I recall, she was bought by a doctor (dentist??) in San Diego and spent years there. As far as I know, KLII is still in Southern California, and probably has a different name.
Unfortunately, Rob James fell overboard that autumn of 1981 and drowned (I think it may have been on another boat), so between the auction and Rob’s death, KLII never made it into the Whitbread Race
Thanks for your information about Kriter Lady II. Alas, a bit of a sad story for the boat and some of the people connected to it. Race yachts with freestanding masts were not born under lucky stars, so it seems. Project Amazon, Sponberg’s 60’ carketch design for the Vendee Globe (or it’s predecessor) also ended rather dramatic. Fortunately, we have the successes of Frog Kiss and the Mouligne family to hold on to.
Looking for the Castaway article, I found an old series from YM on second hand boats. The Freedom section had the same text (even with the LOD/WL error), but different photos. Glad to see journalists like recycling! I’d include a copy, but can’t upload the scanned file.
John Oakley was the manager of Freedom Yachts in the UK during its first incarnation, as well as being a well known racing yachtsman, hence his connection with Kriter Lady II. He sailed a Freedom 35 cat ketch in the Round Britain Race, I think in 1982, but it might have been a later occasion. Naomi James gave up sail racing in 1982, when she was very sick on the Round Britain Race, which she and Rob won: they stayed with us on the Lerwick stopover. He drowned later that year, falling overboard from Colt Cars GB, their 60’ trimaran, just before their daughter was born.
Michel,
I’ll e-mail the Castaway knockdown article to you as I can’t seem to get files onto the board today (although it worked yesterday). It comes to be around 1mB
Gerald, I have an ancient copy of an American F-33 brochure that says OA = 33’, LWL=30, Beam=11’, Draft=3’6", Displacement=12,000 lbs., Sail Area=576 square feet, Fuel=25 gals., water=60 gals., power=15 HP Diesel.
I assume that the 3’6" draft is with centerboard retracted fully. Herm
I forgot to add that there is a rope preventer between the centerboard and the case which limits the draft. Board down draft therefore depends on how long or short you tie this rope. This could also explain different figures found for the draft of the F33/35. 3’6’’ / 1.05 m draft is indeed with the board up. Since the straight underside of the hull slopes down towards the heel and rudder, longitudinal trim can affect the board-up draft significantly. By sending skipper and crew to the foredeck, I managed to get off the bottom after grounding on many occasions. I think we could reduce draft at the heel with another 4" / 10 cm by moving to the foredeck (before the mast and on the cathead). Being able to lift the heel is a very nice safety feature on the F33/35.
Well I have started my response to YM so thanks Gerald for letting me know that the text has been recycled. I am not impressed! When was that centenary edition so I can reference it?
YM also did a full article on the F33 cat sloop in April 86 so they do have the information, I guess they just couldnt be bothered to look it up!
Overall am not sure if I am qualified enough to write a really informed response about Freedoms even with all the fantastic (and interesting) responses here, but as the letter has to be under 200 words to get published, I will just have to make sure it is to the point! All I want is for them to represent Freedoms properly, just as they do other yachts.
Thanks to everyone who has posted a comment so far… Gerald, I would also be interested in seeing that knockdown article? I was wondering what a Freedom mast would do in a knockdown as its so integral to the boat. Would it rip the coachroof off when the yacht righted? (mind you, maybe I dont want to know!)
PS - Freedoms also get a 12 page mention in the Worlds Best Sailboats Vol 1, by Ferenc Máté
As so often, they can’t even spell Hoyt’s first name right twice. I attach an original Freedom brochure anno 1986. Freedom models line up 1986.pdf (4.28 MB)
On behalf of Gerald I upload the Castaway knockdown article.
About the behaviour of freestanding masts in knockdown or 360 roll situations I can say the following.
I have a copy of Kim Taylor’s 1994 pacific storm survey about the so-called Queen’s Birthday Storm between Fiji and NZ early June 1994. It’s in the same league as the Fastnet 1979 and the Sydney-Hobart 1998.
In the Fiji - NZ storm there was a catketch, Pollenpath, 40’, Hereshoff/Underwood design, 10 tons displacement with freestanding masts. There was a forestay with jib and running backstays to tension the forestay. Pollenpath had 60-70 kts winds and 10 meter seas. They suffered four > 90* knockdowns and one 360* roll without losing the masts. They were mostly lying ahull, that probably helped keeping the masts up. Lying ahull proved to be the most unsuccessful storm tactics of all the boats in the storm (some 20). They had a drogue out for a while but the bridle twisted so the drogue somehow failed. Pollenpath only had damage in the interior because the washboard disappeared and stuff flew around the cabin.
Overall outcome of the study in one sentence is that keeping on sailing actively (mostly hand steering), with controlled speed (by warps or drogue) to keep the boat speed lower than the wave speed, in hindsight proved to be the safest strategy. Castaway knockdown article.pdf (698 KB)
As topping on the cake I upload the original Freedom 40 brochure; it all started with this. The brochure contains photos and watercoloured line art. The line art is nice enough to frame. I have the individual pages in high-res if someone wants one. I also have the original typewritten spec documents of the F40CC and F40AC and lots of other articles and documents. Freedom 40 brochure.pdf (2.11 MB)
Anything you have in the best res available pleeeeeeas! I’m PM you my email.
Thanks!
My only Dutch is… “Ik ook”. On a rough transatlantic crossing the Dutch woman with us was able to perform in the galley when none of the rest of us could muster the gumption.
Tom V - would you mind if I sent that photo of Kritter Lady II to YM? (I think Kritter Lady is great!) They may not publish it or indeed anything that I write to them, but I wanted to ask before I sent it.
Michel - your photo is a bit more grainy, but can I use it as a standby just in case?
Small extract of my ‘200 word only’ letter below (200 words is not a lot, but have done my best and need to send it really soon to have any hope of getting it into the next months edition!). Can someone confirm I have it right please and havent missed any Freedoms out?
“YM also failed to mention the: - F25, F29, F32, F36, F39 (Pilothouse schooner & Express Ketch), F44 and even the F70, Kritter Lady II”
Note, they mentioned the F21, F33, F33/35 and F40 in the article.
Michel - did you say there was a F50 as well?
Emma, you’re free use the Kriter (with one T) Lady II photo. I don’t have the rights and don’t know who has. I found another photo, rights are with Ajaxnet photo agency.
There were a half dozen other Kriter Ladies. Only Kriter Lady II was a threemasted wishbone cat schooner.
The Freedom 50 was not 50 but 44 and 45. It’s not a real Freedom; the UK boatyard had an adaptation made of the F44 hull and could build it as Falmouth 45 yawl or cutter and Freeway 45 catketch or Freetrader 44. This last one is the freighter. And guess what, I found the brochure in my files. Freetrader 44.pdf (4.8 MB)
You can clearly see the similarities with the F44:
In searching, I found this nice Dutch / English expose about the pedigree of the catketch. I’ve always known that the cat ketch must have had Dutch origins! http://dutch-speeljacht.blogspot.com/
This is how our interior used to look. It had the old Fuller Brush Co. portals and this really cheesy imitation vinyl burlap glued-on wall covering everywhere. Trouble was, over time the ports leaked, the vinyl held the water in and the plywood rotted. It was a mess! I think it’s fair to note that “over time” means 30 years, the last 10 or so with zero detectable maintenance on the boat.
The boat’s interior was just a little too Euro for us so I’ve been Americanizing it. Really in all honesty it was just a little too 70s for us.
Here’s a sneak peak preview of the less cheesy teak interior I’ve installed. I gutted all rotted wood and scotched in new. I sealed everything with epoxy, installed new Beckson rain drain port lights. The cabinets below are new. That used to just be a pretty useless open space. We decided on the smoked glass sliding doors. My first attempt at yacht interiors but it came out very nice. Kerri starts varnishing tomorrow. The day the cushions go back in will be a day of celebration.
The boats a bit “Euro” - thats blinking sack cloth on your cabin walls - bet the mildrew loved that!!!
One day I will come and see these ‘somewhat American interiors’ for myself to see if they are really so much better than our slightly sagging UK installed headlining!
Michel - I have now added the Freedom F46 Pilot House Schooner - thanks for your help - much appreciated. I will direct YM straight to you when they need more info, after they concede that their article was naff and want to put the record straight of course!
Have a good day all. Off to do my first ever Regatta now in Dartmouth (never done one before, but leaving the Freedom 33 at home and in one piece for when we get back )
Thought I’d posted a reply to question about Freedom 70 photo…but maybe I just imagined it…don’t see it here.
I don’t see any problem with using the photo of Kriter Lady II…the Freedom 70…
It appears to be from a brochure, probably from Freedom.
It was passed on to me from eric sponberg, who I do not know, via a mutual friend, so if you want to be doubly sure you can e-mail eric sponberg at ewsponberg@comcast.net.
Neat to see photos of Freedoms with raised dog-houses. I’d have paid big money for one of those a number of times this summer, cruising around Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in the rain and fog. I’m back in Bermuda, while Jackrabbit is sitting for a couple of months in Annapolis… so my doghouse better be removable, or else air-conditioned.
Really in all honesty it was just a little too 70s for us.