Eight Bells for Dick Newick

[interloper]

Eight Bells for Dick Newick

From Latitude 38 < http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2013-09-06#Story4 >

September 6, 2013 – Sebastopol

As we look ahead to the start of America's Cup 34 on Saturday, which will, of course, be raced in the most revolutionary multihulls ever seen on a Cup course, we pay tribute to one of the legendary innovators of the modern multihull movement: Dick Newick passed away on August 28. He was 87.

The pioneer and his pup.
© 2013 Courtesy Scuttlebutt

"Like most art that reconfigured the future," wrote Steve Callahan in an excellent Newick retrospective in 2010, "designer Richard 'Dick' Newick's creations threatened some as much as they enlightened others. At times, his trimarans' simplicity, structural reliability, and astounding speed seemed like grenades tossed into yacht clubs."

Dick continued to design into his eighties, never losing his thirst for innovation. Beginning with his earliest multihull designs 50 years ago, the lines of his creations were gracefully aerodynamic, often inspiring reviewers to compare their elegant forms to birds of flight.

Like all Newick designs, Ocean Surfer is fast, sleek and lightweight.
© 2013 courtesy wingo.com

As the AC72s blast across San Francisco Bay tomorrow, wowing crowds around the world, we like to think Dick will be looking down from the heavens with a big smile on his face. Without the tireless convictions of multihull pioneers such as him, the sailing world might never have reached tomorrow's benchmark of innovation.

- latitude / andy

 

[interloper]

EIGHT BELLS: Dick Newick

From Sailing Scuttlebutt < http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2013/09/02/eight-bells-dick-newick/ >

Dick Newick, the legendary designer of multihulls, and the most admired probably, sailed bound for the Fiddler’s Green on the night of August 29, after spending some days in a California hospital. He died apparently from a cardiac problem. Dick was 87 years old.

Last May, he had been invited by the Multihulls Golden Oldies to the French Sete harbour on the Med. How great was his surprise when he discovered that fifteen of his most famous creations were moored in the canal and waiting him for a sail! Pat’s, his own trimaran at one time; Lady Godiva, a tiny and pretty proa; and Moxie were some of them, all in perfect shape. The Golden Oldies are a small French association reuniting some owners and sailors keen to save the multihulls of the 70-80′s. Dick was in great shape then and he had a sail with five of his boats.

His international fame started with the astonishing performance of the proa Cheers in the OSTAR of 1968, where his skipper Tom Follet finished third. Then with the small Val, “The Third Turtle”, skippered by Michael Birch, arrived in Newport on the heels of Eric Tabarly, winner of the 1976 OSTAR. The victory of Phil Weld on Moxie in the same Transatlantic race in 1980 was the consecration. Weld had built no less than three Newick’s designs in order to win that race one day (Gulfstreamer, Rogue Wave and Moxie).

I suspect all the world multihullers will now feel fatherless. This is what I feel right now. – Christian Fevrier

 

[jwilson]

Remember looking at the proa 'Cheers' and being awestruck by her spartan simplicity, and then a few years later seeing the tri 'Three Cheers', almost civilised in comparison to the original's narrow coffin-sized accommodation. Both brilliant designs for their time and their purpose.

 

[Seajet]

I remember reading the doubly sad story of Three Cheers when I was a boy, Mr Newick deserves a place in the hall of fame.