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Before the first race At Yachting magazine’s first One-Of-A-KindRegatta in 1949, all the boats were sitting out on the sound waitingfor breeze. All, that is, except the Raven, which kept sailingaround and around the RC signal boat while others drifted.ing an aluminum mast. They were invited to Yachting magazine’sfirst One-Of-A-Kind Regatta on Long Island Soundin 1949. The OOAK, held about every five years until 1985,was a bragging rights event that had one representative ofeach class of boat sail together, with arbitrary handicapsapplied based on sail area, weight and length. Before thefirst race, the race committee and all the boats were sittingout on the sound waiting for breeze. All, that is, except theNew Hobies Just InGreat Prices on all models• Hobie Cats• Compac*• RS Sailboats*• Hunter Trailer Sailboats• Triak Trimarans• SUP ATX Paddle Boards• Future Beach Kayaks• Catalina*www.tikiwatersports.netHOBIEWAVETwo South Florida Locations:Grand OpeningComing SoonKEY LARGOPORT CHARLOTTE94381 Overseas Hwy.19450 Peachland Blvd.305.852.9298941-735-8363 • 941-979-9728bob@tikiwatersports.net Jeff@MainsailNews.TV**AVAILABLE ONLY AT KEYS LOCATIONThe Raven has ample sail area; more than an E-Scow carries. Andthe spinnaker is really big. “It sails like a keelboat, but heels more,”says long-time sailor Paul Hempker.Raven, which kept sailing around and around the RC signalboat while others drifted. After that successful regatta,Briggs Cunningham, the race car driver and famous sailor(the Cunningham is named after his innovation), bought thefirst boat straight from the regatta. With his “endorsement”many boats were sold.There are still Ravens being sailed here and therethroughout the country. New England and California boatswere snapped up for a while to “soup them up” with trapezesfor the crew and some using an asymmetrical spinnaker.Very fast indeed, giving modern sport boats fits.Other sailors just like the original lines and sailing characteristicsof this seminal design.There are three Ravens in the Clearwater, FL, area, allbuilt in the 1950s, and since refurbished. Courtney Ross, theowner of the long-gone favorite marine ways of the oldSORC days, has #292. Ritch Riddle, Ross’ long-timeemployee and now sales guy at the Ross yacht brokerage,and a syndicate of three, sails #230. Jim Longen sails #212with the fleet.Courtney Ross’ and Jim Longen’s boats have outboardrudders affixed to the transom rather than the standardinboard rudder under the hull. So that the tiller is not solong, a quadrant with tiller is affixed at the site of the normalrudder post and a “push-you-pull-me” system goes toa quadrant on the rudder head aft. Ritch Riddle’s syndicateboat #230 has retained the original inboard rudder. BillKennedy of Sarasota has two Ravens.What is it like to sail on a Raven? For a dinghy, it is a bigboat. By the time three people are aboard, there is perhaps1800 pounds displaced. But there is ample sail area; morethan an E-Scow carries. And the spinnaker is really big. “Itsails like a keelboat, but heels more,” says long-time sailorPaul Hempker. Some describe it as the original sport boat, agenre that is today enjoying huge popularity.Cape Cod Shipbuilding is still building Ravens, withone under construction presently.I wonder if anyone will ever call their boat“Nevermore?”For more information on the Raven, go to www.ravenclasssailing.org.News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2012 35