Cloud Nine: International 5.5 Meter Racing Sailboat; I'm Retiring from Sailing

1968 custom built

Price: Contact seller
Make: custom built
Year: 1968
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, United States

Description

Cloud Nine is an International 5.5 Meter boat. Allow me to begin by offering some assistance and orientation to those who may not be familiar with the various international meter classes. Long-time sailors are probably familiar with the recent history of the Americas Cup. For several decades though not recently, the Americas Cup was competed for in 12 meter boats. Each boat’s design involved the juggling of collection of measurements— sail area, water line length, beam, draft, etc.—that are plugged into a formula, the result of which had to yield a final number that could not exceed 12 meters. Twelve meter boats are big, usually around 70 feet long. A boat that results in a number not exceeding 5.5 meters is eligible to be a member of the International 5.5 Meter Class. Such a boat is typically a little less than half the length of a 12 meter boat. USA79 is 30 feet in length.

The boat, which has a cold-molded mahogany hull, designed by Britton Chance, Jr. and built by Hermann Egger of St. Aubin, Switzerland to compete for the US spot in the 1968 Olympics. The previous owner was a Connecticut architect who seems to make a hobby of restoring sailboats, sailing them for a while, and then selling them. He restored USA79 around 2012.Since I purchased the boat it has been continuously stored outside, mostly on shore.The pictures depict the boat in its current condition. A brief history of the boat can be found at http://5.5inventory.org/USA/079/

The restoration included replacing the original 5.5 rig, which had a split in the mast near the spreaders, with an Etchells rig. It is almost the same sail area but lighter than the 5.5 rig. The restorer also acquired a lightly used suit of North sails for an Etchells sailboat from a top Australian Etchells sailor. He may have been a sailmaker who annually built a new suit of sails for his boat. Besides the main (with USA79 and 5.5 markings) and the jib, the boat comes with two spinnakers and spinnaker pole and rigging.

The boat is halfway through a modification of its cockpit from a race boat to a comfortable daysailer that would seat six people. I am 76 years old, with a bad back, and no longer have the physical strength to complete the conversion. Because I’m also retiring from sailing, I’m including a lot of sailing gear that would not normally be included with a sale like this. The alterations are at a point where they can be completed by the buyer or the boat can be returned to a racing configuration. All the gear that has been removed will be included. A buyer that chooses that option will also need to replace the cockpit coaming which was completed using a type of wood that is not holding up in a marine environment (see dry-rot in thecockpit photos). Some work, mostlyon rigging, is necessary to return the boat to sailing condition.

I had a galvanized Triad Trailer built for the boat. The trailer has been in the water three times; it’s about as new as a used trailer can be (it cost $7,500). An old British Seagull outboard engine, not used by me or the previous owner, is included, as is a Min Kota, Endura Max trolling motor I’ve used for one season for maneuvering around the boat slip. It mounts on a heavy-duty teak arm that mounts just aft of the cockpit. It enables the trolling motor to be swung up, out of the water, when sailing. I’ve added a new, high grade tiller, tiller extension, and tiller locking mechanism. I’ve also added running lights and a new electrical panel. I’ve also completed a new, teak cockpit sole.