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Portrait of a Model Yachtsman
Harold Kethman and the "Delta Boat"
-Don Kihlstrom-
bogwaterjim@hotmail.com
click on any image to expand
Young Harold Kethman (far left) and his mates
from New York's Empire MYC. Ca. 1938 |
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Harold Kethman and his father, Harold Sr., began sailing with the Empire MYC
in New York City in the 1930's. At first, they sailed at Crotona Park in the
Bronx, but eventually moved to Conservatory Lake in Manhattan's Central
Park, where Empire shared the venue with the Central Park MYC. The Kethman's
were active M-Class skippers with both clubs, but had an enthusiasm for all
classes of model yachts, and Central Park, primarily an A-Class club,
encouraged innovation and diversity. |
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A Central Park innovation:
"Gerry" Moore's 60" rolled tinplate
"Gertrude Thiebaud," Ca 1943 |
Eventually, Harold Jr. moved to Long island City and participated with the
Long Island Model Yacht Club, which sailed in Hempstead State Park. He also
sailed at times with the Mill Pond club in Port Washington. There, he became
friendly with two of Mill Pond's members, Ains Ballantyne, one of model
yachting's most notable and innovative skippers, and his nephew, Robert, a
veteran of the depression-era New York City Parks department competitions,
and an
upcoming young M-Class skipper in his own right.
In 1949, Kethman and his father represented Long Island at the Marblehead
National Championships at Belle Isle, in Detroit. He finished 3rd, just 6
points behind the champion, A. B. Taplin of the South Jersey MYC. |
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Harold Kethman at Belle Isle, 1949 |
A.B. Taplin's winning boat at Belle
Isle, 1949 |
As early as 1943, Harold Jr. had begun to develop concepts for improved
boats and steering gear. It was his belief that model yachting should be
more accessible to the public, and youngsters in particular, by "giving
newcomers an easy boat to build, sail, and maintain...that would also be
competitive and easily transportable." Aware that interest in the
then-current classes (A, X, and M) was languishing, he wanted to stimulate
new interest in the sport.
Kethman and his friend, Jim Dempsey, of Brooklyn, had been impressed with an
M-Class variant sailed by Vito Caeti of the Central Park MYC from 1938 until
1943. Although it was 50" in length, it was a lightweight, hard-chine model,
capable of competing successfully with displacement M-boats, even though it
normally carried only 500 sq. in. of sail. |
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Vito Caeti of the Central Park MYC
on active duty in 1943 |
Caeti's experimental "M"
with a full suit at Central Park in 1938 |
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After a stint in the Army, from the mid-40's and early 50's, Kethman,
Dempsey and others built a variety of Delta boats, so named because in
mathematics, this Greek symbol denotes "change," and the "Delta" boat was a
departure from the then-current design and rating trends. By 1952, a number
of Delta forms had been experimented with, and the first three "official" Delta
boats were built. They were named after the Greek deities Venus, Athene, and
Juno. Other Delta boats were built by such prominent model yachtsmen as
James Fulton, George Meyer, and A. Posey. |
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Harold Kethman, Sr. and Jr. in 1944. |
Kethman and James Dempsey (left)
with the first two Delta boats. |
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By this time, the Delta boat had evolved into a light, long, and lean
hard-chine double-ender with a metal fin and a Kethman-designed vane.. The
double-ended form was thought by Kethman to correct the lack of balance that
he observed in other hard-chine boats when heeling to windward. It carried
600 sq. inches of sail aloft. The Deltas featured a balanced rudder, which,
Kethman conceded, was not so much of a design improvement, but eliminated
the complication of building and attaching a skeg. This feature also allowed
for safer and easier transport on trains, buses, and subways. Kethman's fin
design, with its recessed leading edge, was thought to provide maximum
stability and balance by placing the center of effort of the sail plan over
the center of buoyancy of the hull. The center of lateral resistance was
located far enough aft that the sail plan could be situated over the
stoutest part of the hull. The fin was also designed to strongly support the
lead torpedo and center the "root" of the fin above the center of gravity of
the ballast. |
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Helen and Harold Kethman with the #1 Delta boat, Ca 1952. |
The boat was felt by Kethman to be a fine performer that could excel in
erratic winds or a "puff," and skim the surface in a 30-40 mph following
wind. He claimed, "She planes before a stiff wind like a 'hydro'." He also
stressed that the Delta's length to sail area ratio (50:600, or 1:12) would
allow for the "scaling down" of X-Class boats accurately to Delta
specifications.
Unfortunately, the leadership of the Model Yacht Racing Association of
America didn't share Kethman's enthusiasm. Earlier, Kethman has encouraged
the elimination of the 5/8" keel restriction and garboard radius in the
M-Class regulations, and those in power thought there was a connection
between that effort and the emergence of his Delta boat. Apparently, there
was no interest in admitting a boat that might eventually challenge the
existing fleet of displacement "M's" in the MYRAA, even though the
International Model Yacht Racing Union allowed such fin design outside the
US.
In the West, there were other similar efforts, such as "Gus" Lassel's "V"
boat in California (ironically, first advanced reluctantly by MYRAA
president Charles Farley of Boston), and the proposal of a "G," or "Gadget"
Class by the Everett MYC in Washington. They, too were rebuffed by a
stubborn MYRAA leadership, now headed by Charles Heistercamp (South Jersey
MYC), as well. |
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"Gus" Lassel and the "V" boat, Ca. 1950 |
A fleet of "V's" in Wilmington, CA, Ca. 1950 |
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Eventually, the leadership of the MYRAA shifted to the West
coast, and the ideas of model yachtsmen like Gus Lassel and Seattle's Ted
Houk prevailed for a short time.
Not easily dissuaded, Kethman and his friends formed a Delta Racing
Association outside the auspices of the MYRAA, and built fleets of boats on
Long Island and in New York's Westchester County. By 1953, Delta boats were
under construction in New York-area school industrial arts programs and
junior recreational programs. This, too, was felt to be a challenge to the
authority of the MYRAA, and it added to the existing dissention within the
organization, mostly a battle between West coast clubs with broad
recreational notions, and the East coast "old guard." |
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The Delta fleet at the Long
Island MYC |
Kethman's #1 boat at Hempstead State Park |
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In December 1953, in a letter to MYRAA Secretary C.O. Davis, Kethman, now the Eastern Division representative to the MYRAA, conceded that
the Delta Class would probably never be approved. He further rejected
efforts by Gus Lassel to permit the addition of spinnakers with a 17"
spinnaker pole and add the Delta boats to Lassel's pet project, the "V" boat.
Marblehead class skippers were still skeptical of his intent, afraid, some
thought, of getting "whupped" by a bunch of pimply-faced high school kids.
In one of his final letters on the subject, he wrote, "The Delta Class
derives its name from the concept of the mathematical use of the Greek
symbol DELTA to represent a change, and the class is intended to be just
that...a change, and not just a means of side-stepping the restrictions of
another class."
At about the same time, an attempt to have a "kit" Delta marketed by
Sterling Models, in Philadelphia, failed because it was impractical to
design a kit that would require dealer storage of boxes longer than 36",
resulting in a maximum 33" boat length...not suited for serious sailing,
particularly in rough water. The mass production of vane gear was also
problematical. Kethman offered to scale down his Delta design, but it seems
that the project went nowhere. |
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Young Delta skippers in action |
In subsequent years, the Deltas died out in favor of other regional boats,
but Kethman's attitude was unwavering. It appears that he continued to
harbor a distrust for a model yachting authority that was blindly
controlling and resistant to new ideas and new competitors.
In his later years, Harold moved to Port Washington to be near Mill Pond and
its clubhouse. In the mid-90's, he suffered a debilitating stroke. From
time-to-time, his son would take him to the pond to watch the racing. He
wasn't able to speak much, but he loved to talk as long as he could about
model yachting. Mr. Kethman died in 1997.
Jim Dempsey still lives in Port Washington, and is a regular at Mill Pond. |
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America's "New Deal" and Model Yachting
– Afloat in a Sea of Alphabet Soup
–
Don Kihlstrom
bogwaterjim@hotmail.com
Click on any image to expand
President Roosevelt himself was an avid yachtsman
and modeler, as shown in this 1938 photo.
WPA photo
As noted in this photo of James Roosevelt's playroom
at Hyde Park,
NY in the 30's, model yachting was an important Roosevelt family activity.
Hyde Park Museum photo
Note: Most of the photos in this article were obtained
from The National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress,
and
the New Deal Network. Unless otherwise credited, they are all in the public
domain, and have simply been identified as "WPA photos." |
| During America's Great Depression
in the late 20's and 30's, President Roosevelt's "New Deal" established
numerous programs to put Americans back to work, improve the skills
of youngsters, and develop the countries' infrastructure. The first agencies were created in 1933 and were intended to put
people back to work in jobs that would serve the "public good," expand and
conserve working skills, and develop the self-esteem of workers. |
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One of the priorities of the
"New Deal" was to address plight of youngsters, who, as their
families struggled to make a living, were often left to their own devices
in unhealthy conditions.
WPA photos |
| The many governmental entities created for this purpose were widely known by
their initials, and were commonly known as the "alphabet soup" agencies.
Among these were the WPA (Works Progress Administration), the FYA (Federal
Youth Adminsistration), CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), PWA (Public Works
Adminsitration), and the FAP (Federal Art
Project). All of these contributed greatly to the encouragement of model yachting
activities in the 30's. In fact, model yachting experienced its most rapid
growth during the Depression. |
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The political cartoon above depicts New Deal "Alphabet Soup" remedies for America's ills.
Washington Star, Jan. 5, 1934 |
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The real "alphabets" and "soups" that
concerned Americans during the New Deal
Above, left: The "ABC's" in Transylvania, Louisiana
Above, right: A soup kitchen in rural Kentucky
WPA photos |
| The Federal Art Project
was, perhaps, the most "unsung" of the New Deal agencies until viewed in
retrospect. Besides establishing fine art, theater, and writing projects for
artists who would later become widely acclaimed, FAP photographers carefully
documented the good, bad, and ugly aspects of the Great Depression and
recovery, including the desirable and undesirable activities of the
youngsters of America. In many cases these activities included the sailing
of models. |
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A scene in Kempton, WVA
WPA photo, 1939 |
Chicago, IL
WPA photo, 1941 |
Grundy Center, IA
WPA photo, 1939 |
New York City
WPA photo, 1938 |
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The photos above represent undesirable activities
which would, hopefully, be replaced by healthy "New Deal "activities,
below. |
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Washington DC's Reflecting Pool
WPA Photo, Ca. 1935 |
Another view at the Reflecting Pool
WPA photo, Ca 1935 |
An idyllic scene
WPA photo, Ca. 1935 |
Photo by Theodor Horydczak
WPA Photo |
| The Civilian Conservation Corps
and the Public Works Administration were entrusted with community
improvement and recreational projects. Teams or "companies" of men worked on
Federal, State, and local properties to improve them. During the
construction of giant utilities projects, like the Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA), public recreational facilities were created and
improved. During the "New Deal" it is estimated that over 14,000 parks, the
pride of every turn-of-the-century city and town, were improved. |
|
Above left: CCC workers construct a sidewalk around
a pond in New Orleans, LA, Ca. 1936
Above center: An improved pond in Schenectady, NY, Ca. 1935
WPA photos
Above right: Skiff sailing in Douthat State Park, near Luray, VA in
the late 1930's
postcard photo |
| Many model yachtsmen of the period
were often influential community leaders, unable to keep their full-sized
craft afloat during the nation's hard times. They exerted political
pressure to direct improvements to their local public parks and, in
particular, their own ponds. Some of these projects were quite elaborate. In
the case of Ogden Park in Chicago, a concrete-bound pool was built to the
uniform depth of four feet. To the dismay of Chicago's model yachtsmen, John
Q. Public found that it was the perfect place to take a dip on Sunday
afternoon. In Camden, New Jersey, a spectacular "model" model yachting venue
was constructed in the Cooper River basin, to what were considered to be the
perfect dimensions. In many other locations, such as Long Island's Hempstead
State Park, walkways and walls were constructed and repaired around existing
venues. At Boston's Storrow Lagoon, on the Charles River, the construction
of an overpass saved the site from destruction. Elsewhere across the
country, and particularly on the West Coast, less secular model yachting
projects abounded. |
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Artist's rendering of the new pond
at Ogden Park, Chicago, IL
MYRAA Yearbook, 1940 |
Construction of the South Jersey Model Yacht Basin in
Camden, NJ
MYRAA Yearbook, 1940 |
Completed South Jersey MYC
model yacht basin in Camden, NJ
MYRAA Yearbook, 1941 |
WPA improvements at Hempstead State
Park on Long Island, NY
1940 postcard |
| America had been "caught short" by
the Depression. It was widely felt that everyone should have alternate
skills to fall back on should hard times continue (or return). Manual arts
programs were emphasized in schools and workshops across the country, with
model-building often a preferred activity, since it incorporated the
development and use of a wide variety of skills and knowledge. The Federal Youth Administration,
preparing youngsters and young adults for productive activities, sponsored
manual arts classes which taught the use of tools and machinery. This
resulted in many model-making classes, often supported by local merchants
and hobby suppliers. There, youngsters crafted sail and
power boats as well as aircraft models to be put to recreational use on the public parks and ponds that were
being improved through the efforts of
the CCC and and PWA. |
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Adult model-making class
in St Paul, MN
WPA photo, 1937 |
A youngster learns to use a jigsaw in a FYA wokshop in
Baraga, MI
WPA photo 1940 |
An FYA workshop in Minnesota
WPA photo 1938 |
FYA workshop in
New York City
WPA photo 1936 |
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Above left: FYA modeling in Salem, MA
Above right: Youngsters of Salem, MA present a completed model yacht to FDR
WPA photos 1938 |
| Municipal parks and
recreation departments teamed up with schools and merchants to sponsor local
racing activities, aided by the FAP artists, who designed promotional
materials for the events, and FYA trade workshops, who executed their
designs. |
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Poster-making in Paterson, NJ
WPA photo, 1938 |
FYA printing trades workshop in New
York City
WPA photo, 1936 |
WPA recreation poster in Sioux City,
IA
WPA image 1930's |
Model Yachting poster in New York City
WPA image 1930's |
| The New Deal "boon" for model yachting ended abruptly with the onset of
WWII. |
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A "New Deal" youngster in a naval shipyard, Ca. 1940
WPA photo |
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Portrait of a Model Yachtsman
Augustus R. "Gus" Lassel: "The
Wizard of Wilmington"
Don Kihlstrom
bogwaterjim@hotmail.com |
click on any image to expand
Gus Lassel and a conventional boat at Wilmington, CA,
Circa 1940
Photo courtesy William G. Bithell |
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"If ever, if ever a wizard there was....." Gus Lassel
was one! When one thinks of model yachting's great builders and skippers,
names like Bill Bithell and Ains Ballantyne always come to mind. Many of
model yachting's greatest innovators and promoters, however, often took a
back seat to their more publicized comrades. Gus Lassel was one of the many
model yachtsmen on the West Coast of the USA who worked tirelessly to
improve, promote and expand the sport. Although he was the perennial commodore of the
Banning (Wilmington) CA MYC, Lassel was active with many of the model yachting clubs
up and down the Pacific seaboard, including the San Diego, Long Beach and Los
Angeles clubs. |
Members of Lassel's Wilmington CA club, where the motto
was: "We are all nuts!"
Courtesy
Popular Mechanics, August 1953 |
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Lassel, a former Finnish merchant mariner, immigrated to the
United States in about 1904, intending to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Lassel
couldn't meet the requirements for alien enlistment in the navy, and served
in the U.S. Marine Corps until he was injured in1910. Lassel then worked in
Southern California's munitions and ship-building industies.
In the 1930's, Lassel introduced his children to model yachting as a means
to "broaden their culture." From that time on, his participation in model
yachting activities at every level became legendary. At first, Lassel formed
a club that sailed in Banning Park, a 20 acre historic park acquired by the
City of Los Angeles in 1927. His club also sailed in Alondra Park in LA. By 1934, he was
seriously involved in Marblehead Class development. Later, he would become
an X-Class and "entry-level" innovator.
In the late 30's, Lassel teamed with his young Long Beach, CA protege, Ted
Thorson, in many building and sailing activities. In 1938, he competed in
the M-Class National Championship at Berkeley, CA, where Thorson finished
first. |
At the 1938 National Championships, Berkeley CA
At the far right, Gus Lassel. Far left, Ted Thorson |
|
By 1940, it was apparent that Lassel's interests were in
innovation and the championing of model yachting activities and experiences
for youngsters. He worked tirelessly for budding model yachtsmen and naval
architects through YMCA "Hobby Schools," and often assisted his like-minded
friend Ted Houk, a Seattle-based model yachtsman. In the late 40's, Lassel's
hard-chine "M" Class "Sunkiss," developed in collaboration with
Thorson, dominated Western racing. |
A Wilmington member with two club boats.
A "Sun Kiss" with the "seal-fliiper" fin is seen on the left.
Courtesy Popular Mechanics, August 1953 |
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Lassel's innovations included the Seal-flipper fin and Finless Fin Keel, an odd-looking prognathous appendage with a recessive leading edge, which he thought
greatly improved a boat's resistance to turbulence and drag. He estimated
that he tested the keel design on more than 85 model yachts over a six-year
period. |
In the workshop, Gus Lassel works on a "finless fin" keel
Courtesy Popular Mechanics, August 1953 |
A Lassel "M" boat with finless fin, Ca 1950 |
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Other Lassel innovations included the California Vane and
Sliding Rig. As was the case with the "finless fin," model yachting
authorities questioned many of his innovations, despite the fact that they
were widely (and successfully) used. His designs were freely shared with
model yachtsmen world-wide. |
Design for a "California" vane
Courtesy Popular Mechanics, August 1953 |
Lassel's "sliding rig"
Courtesy Popular Mechanics, August 1953 |
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Lassel built boats for many competitors across the United
States and abroad, including Norway's Crown Prince. He built countless 40"
boats and "Sharpies" for youthful competitors, and sponsored
"fleet-building" activities, a simple assembly-line technique for group
building. Lassel developed and proposed two new classes, the "V" class and
"L" class, in the late forties and early fifties. Both of these classes were
met with resistance by the model yachting establishment. |
A fleet of "V" boats ashore at Wilmington, CA |
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Lassel was diagnosed with polio in 1948, but he never slowed
down, often aided to meets by his friend Stafford Banks, of the Los Angeles
MYC. In the 19 months after he contracted the disease, he built 29 boats,
most of them for other Pacific Division clubs. He also continued to build
his stainless steel sliding rig and a variety of vanes for skippers across
the U.S. Gus Lassel died in 1956 at the age of 73. Today, his boats are the
among the sought-after of vintage model yachts. |
Gus Lassel assists a competitor at LA's Alondra Park
Courtesy Popular Mechanics, August 1953 |
At Wilmington, CA
Ca. 1948 |
Lassel with an "X-boat"
Ca. 1948 |
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