July 22, 1974

Doug McKeish the boy who had been on the deck of Valiant

Valiant, july 22, 1974

Ted Turner and crew on Valiant

Jeff Neuberth, John Fisher, Richie Boyd

Valiant with a bone in her tail

In 1974, Valiant, which was Sparkman & Stephens mistake, too much bustle, too much displacement; was the only consolation for Mariner, designed by Britton Chance, as she was as slow.
   Courageous was the fastest boat but not as well sailed as Intrepid with Gerry Driscoll as the helm. The selection committee could not choose an old boat (Intrepid)
  The entire story made all the more fun by last weekend's festivities. We could all reminisce about the glorious past. We did have fun, not every day, but it was good.
    Doug McKeish, was a young boy, and when the travel lift strap broke, Valiant fell and that sent Doug flying. I believe the photo was taken by Norris D. Hoyt.
   Almost everyone in these photos came back in 1977 to finish what they could not in 1974.
   Jeff Neuberth was our starboard tailer on Independence, and the Project Manager for the Courageous/Independence Syndicate. He was forced to choose; he was burning the candle at both ends to keep up (despite being a brilliant organizer). One day he was quite literally asleep in the tailer's pit when we went to tack.
   Jeff did much of the organizing for the reunion event, keeping a low profile as usual.

Valiant 1974

Valiant in the travel lift at Newport shipyard

This is a photograph I have searched for far and wide. I asked AP, the Newport Daily News, Providence Journal, New York Times. Each of them, if they responded at all, "no such photo".
  I was beginning to doubt my own memory. I asked during this past weekend and found the individual who had been on the deck when Valiant fell. But It was Peter Zendt who had the photo and kindly allowed me to scan it.  The strap broke on the lift, mercifully over the water. the backstay was not attached, this was normal procedure when lifting a boat. When she fell the mast must have really whipped about.
   My memory has proved to be intact.