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norske
07-17-2001, 07:07 PM
Anyone remember the "Indian" or "Radio" class
---I believe they were lapstrake hulls about
18-21 feet.
Thad
07-17-2001, 09:12 PM
The Indian is 21', designed in the John Alden office by Sam Crocker in 1921. They are terrific sailing sleds. There are a few of them around, mostly in need of some help. I know who to ask about the Radio, I have heard it mentioned but I don't know any details.
Keith Wilson
07-18-2001, 09:44 AM
WB sells plans for the Indian; it's also in "50 Wooden Boats".
rbgarr
07-18-2001, 10:12 AM
Indians are still raced as a class in Nantucket, Mass. The Nantucket Yacht Club may have info if you want to know more.
Dave Thibodeau
07-19-2001, 06:25 AM
Thad is being more than a little modest about the Indian class.

At a recent Crocker Memorial Race held in Manchester Mass Thad did a horizion job on the entire mixed fleet of large sailboats using an Indian class sloop borrowed from a friend.

Dave Thibodeau
Thad
07-19-2001, 08:28 AM
I was sailing with Bob Campbell who grew up sailing that boat. We were ordered in the nicest possible way to sail the race for the master of Indian Class racing, Lee VanGemert, who told us we would win. What could we do? It was a great time, especially for Bob who had the tiller for the first time in more than 40 years and kept saying "I can't believe I didn't tank" as we came down on the finish line. A Shields Class boat made a vain attempt to catch us.
norske
07-19-2001, 08:46 AM
So, Thad is a great sailor(left them all in the "wet dust") as well as an excellent builder--- Thad, what makes this old boat class go besides the captain? Is the shields class relatively new compared to the Indian?---are they about the same length?
Norske
p.s. any info on the Radio? (I think it had a lightning insignia on its sail)(funny how this forum is jogging old memories of my young years on the water) http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/smile.gif
rbgarr
07-19-2001, 11:26 AM
The Shields is a circa 1961 design by Olin Stephens, 30' long, 4'9" full keel, derived from the 5.5 Meter class sailed in the Olympics at the time and the International One-Design class. I have one and can believe an Indian would scoot on ahead in a breeze downwind, if that's what the conditions in the Crocker event were like.