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SMALL BOAT REVIEWThe original designer of the Raven envisioned a boat that could beatthe Star, and some describe the Raven as the original sport boat.The RavenBy Dave EllisPhotos courtesy Ritch RiddleSPECIFICATIONS:LOA: 24’2”LWL: 21’7”Beam: 7’Draft: 5’ 4”/ 7” board upSail Area 320 square feetSpinnaker: 230 square feetWeight: 1170 poundsMullet Hammock• Made by us forover 30 years• No-sweat cotton duck fabric• Brass grommets/Nylonrope/Stainless “D” rings• Easy storage in5" x 36" Mullet Wrap...JUST $89Pedersen Canvas – Pensacola, FL850-324-6509 • pedersencanvas@cox.net“What is that boat?”So wondered participants in the 2012 Good Old BoatRegatta in St. Petersburg. It was the oldest boat in the fleetof Good Old Boats. It was obviously an older design, with alow-aspect rig and rakish lines. And it won the spinnakerclass going away. Fifty years ago it would have been obviousthat this was a Raven.In 1947, Roger and John McAleer got into a discussionof what a boat of over 21 feet should look like to beat theStar boat and Indian, the boats of choice in their NewEngland sailing area. Roger had raced boats ranging fromthe Snipe to the big R-Class keelboats and had an idea ofwhat made for a fast boat. Since this was his first design, hehad no uncertainty about what he was going to draw.“Uncertainty,” he wrote “comes from the experience of nothaving been always right.”He knew he wanted lots of sail area. “Sail area canalways be reduced, although hectic at times,” he opined. Hewanted most of the sail area to be in the mainsail, as the bigoverlapping genoa jibs are only there due to the “free” areaallowed under the rules. He wanted a longer boat and it hadto be a centerboarder. A model was built, and some minorcosmetic changes made.The prototype hull was built in a Riverside, RI, basementin 1948. The hull was plywood, a material perfectedduring World War II. The rounded chines were of stripplanking. The designer was getting married when the firstsail occurred, but he could hear the excitement in his brother’svoice on the telephone at the end of the day. The firstrace with the prototype proved that not only were they beatingthe Star and Indian, but much larger boats like the 210,as well. With a new rig and a lighter plywood boat…The first Raven after the prototype had a little moreroundness to the bottom, and using molded plywood, wasa little lighter in hull weight and had a better rig, now sport-34 June 2012 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com