Boat Name: Saga
Sail: US 73, ex, K 49, ex. KC 33
Year Built: 1936
Designer: Bjarne Aas
Builder: Bjarne Aas
Owner: Kimo Mackey
Status: For Sale
History: Read the "Saga saga". Built in Fredrikstad, Norway for Eldon and Kenneth
Trimmingham of Bermuda who promptly won the 1936 Prince of Wales
Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda. Saga competed in the first King Edward VII Gold Cup, also
held in Bermuda. "Saga" lost to Briggs Cunningham's US72 Lulu, but an interesting story resulted
from this series. Cornelius Shields came to Bermuda to compete
in the same series with US 65 Challenge.
When arriving at Hamilton, Bermuda on a ship, Cornelius Shields
saw Saga out practicing and was so inspired by Saga's beautiful
lines and gracious overhangs, that he couldn't get Saga out of
his mind. Upon returning to New York, with Saga his inspiration,
Mr Shields commissioned Bjarne Aas to design the International
One Design and build 25 of them. The "Bermuda Gold Cup" is now a major stop
on the Professional Match Race Series tour and still competed for
in the IOD. Saga left Bermuda and sailed with the large fleet
on Long Island Sound in 1938, then moved to San Francisco for
1939 and 1940, owned by Myron Spaulding. She made her way to
Seattle for Ray Elliot, who sold her to the Murray brothers,
who then passed her to Kirk Hull. Kirk placed second in the 1958
Toronto Globe & Mail 6 Meter North Americans in Bellingham
with Saga and later won the event in 1961 in Tacoma. Saga competed
in the initial World Cup in Seattle in 1973 placing 7th of 20
for Bill Buursma (third among the Classics), and made a good
showing in the 1979 World Cup, also in Seattle, where she placed
16 of 25 (second among the Classics) for Paul Longridge. She
went to the 1983 World Cup at Newport Harbor, where she was the
oldest competitor by 37 years. In the lumpy, challenging conditions
of the Pacific Ocean, she still managed to place 13 of 15 and
collected the Djinn Trophy for the highest placing Classic. Saga has often been the boat to beat, having won
the 2015 Sir Thomas Lipton Cup, her 5th time winning this race over the years.
Additional sales listing information:
"Kimo, you have the finest 6 metre in the world." - Henrik Andersin, owner of the 6 metres FIN 51 May Be VI, FIN 67 Djinn, as well the 12 metre 'Blue Marlin'.
Extensive refit (over 3,000 hours) was recently completed by current Owner of 30 years. The boat is in A-1 Condition throughout and extremely strong and able to tolerate the very high loads of modern sails and rigging. Superb condition due, in large part, to the unusually high quality of materials used in her original construction. SAGA’s Backbone (Stem, wood Keel, Rudder Post and Horn Timber) are constructed of Burmese Teak and the parts are held together by Bronze rod. Also of Teak are her Floors, Mast step, Rudder and Transom. SAGA is the only Classic 6 known to have been constructed in this way. Her hull planking is full length, old growth Fir (aka Oregon pine) and 100% Original. Frames are of Elm and original (with the exception of the lower half of all Frames between Mast Step and Rudder stock which were replaced with laminated Oak frames of increased scantling by Erik Jespersen Boatbuilders). More information here. Lying Port Madison, Bainbridge Island, Washington. Asking price Euros 130,000. Contact: Kimo Mackey, kimomackey@gmail.com. For more photos please refer to Article in 2016 May/June Issue of WoodenBoat Magazine.
Sail Inventory: North 3Di Carbon Main, Two No1 Genoas, also 3Di. Sails new for 2017 Worlds and very low hours. Light and Medium air Spinnakers.
Mast is Black Anodized Aluminum (Zephyr Section by Erikson of San Francisco). Standing Rigging is SS Rod and Running rigging is Dynema.
The boat and her recent upgrades were featured in Wooden Boat Magazine's May/June 2016 edition. Post restoration Saga's crew continue to excel in the boat placing 6th of 21 at the 2017 World Championships at Vancouver with 2 first place finishes. Saga and crew came 2nd of 9 overall and 1st Place Classic in the 2018 North Americans.
US 73 Saga and USA 124 Bear
Photo from Wooden Boat by Neil Rabinowitz:
