Dear Steve, It has been while since I last connected with you–in fact it was 2000 prior to the Bermuda race. By the way, INTERMEZZO now FUERA did quite well. In any case the reason why I am writing to you is because I am now working with Bill Tripp Jr. to figure out the true history and facts on how to bring her back to her original state. I thought you might be able to help me separate history from folklore–fact from fiction. I am not sure if she was a ketch or a yawl, you reference in one of your books that she was a ketch, but we are not sure. Do you have any before pictures that you could share with me? Many people who think they are in the know think that she was hull number one. We are convinced that the bow sprit was not part of the original sail plan. Any help sorting any of this out would be very much appreciated. Best regards, Fred
Hi Fred: Here’s what I know: She was originally a yawl, with a small (worthless) mizzen just behind the helm. Good place for a riding sail and radar–that’s about it. This was the second Col 50 built for (I think) a guy named John Hall back in the days of factory racing teams. We anchored one weekend next to the earlier boat, SIMOON, and the learning curve was obvious. Everything on INTERMEZZO was taller, heavier, deeper. Compared to a stock boat; the keel is deeper and heavier, rudder larger, rig taller, bowsprit added, and of course the interior is structural (except for the headliner). If you anchor next to a “stock” rigged boat, it will look like someone forgot the last panel on the mast… I do not recall what hull number she was, but it would have easily been #20 or higher as INTERMEZZO was built some years after the series started production. When we worked on the boat in New Zealand we moved the mizzen mast forward a few feet which made it more functional for use jib and jigger (with the staysail). Steve
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 30, 1999)
