Boats - Sailing - Ships
Sep. 09, 1966 - Australia's newest America's cup challenge-contender is dismasted: Australia's newest America's cup challenge contender is the Dame Pattie, named after the wife of the former prime minister, Sir Robert Menzica. The Dame Pattie will undergo trials with the other Australian contender Gretel to decide which yacht shall represent Australia in the America's Cup. In her first sea trials on Wednesday (Sept 7), the Dame Pattie was dismasted. The 92ft. mast broke about 28ft. from its base when the port cross tree broke. The yacht was towed to her berth with the mast dragging behind. With the designer, Warwick Hood, a 33-year old naval architect, at the helm, the yacht was tacking into a 10-knot north-east wind when the cross-tree broke. The mast was of a new design. Photo shows the Dame Pattie pictured in Neutral Bay, showing her broken mast
