International 410
Currently not in Production
James H. “Sham” Hunt on sailing on the International 410 Et Toi
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“CRH and I only..age 13…raced in the New London to Marblehead Race in 1949 and won by such a large margin that the committee called the Canal to see if we had taken a short cut through it..no of course….this was when you had to check in before any transit was allowed! I doubt I added much but he had such stamina that a 24 hour vigil was a piece of cake.”
Thames Yacht Club members considered the International 410 “Nor’wester” – “A stylish double-ender, one of the most beautiful boats to ever grace the club fleet. Under sail or bare-poled at her mooring, she always drew comments from people impressed with her near-perfect lines.”
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In the Fall of 1961, during the Off Soundings Club Regatta, Nor’Wester’s 4th owner, Charles LaCour and his three member crew were enjoying a comfortable lead with two other boats, they were way ahead of the rest of the fleet. Under full main and small jib with 20-knots of breeze, they were approaching Shagwong Reef buoy off Montauk Point, when a strong squall approached out of nowhere knocking down Nor’wester. A huge swell then filled the non-self-bailing cockpit, and within minutes the boat sunk. The entire crew were picked up and brought to Shelter Island, New York, their final destination point of the first day’s race. That night, still shaken by their ordeal, they returned back to New London, on the Orient Point Ferry.
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Anemometer readings, from Montauk Point had clocked gust up to 79 miles per hour. NorWester had sunk in 55′ of water, with strong currents, LaCour decided not to salvage her, figuring reluctantly that they would be unsuccessful in there attempt to raise her.
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Later that year, the Off Soundings Race Committee, mandated that all entries had to have self-bailing cockpits. The tragedy influenced the implementation of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) laws that generated numerous maritime safety rules still in effect today.
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The 410 “Nor’wester” Specifications:
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LOA: 35’10 7/8″
LWL: 28’3″
Beam: 6’10 3/4″
Draft: 5’9″
Ballast:
Displacement:
Designed: C. Raymond Hunt
Built By: Marblehead Yacht Yard
Year Designed:
Year Built: 1947
Sail Area: 482 sq ft
Hull material: “Harborite” Plywood Construction
Original Owner: Ray Hunt
Original Name: Et Toi
Sail Plan: Main, Jib, Spin
Spinnaker: Conventional
Upwind sail area: sq ft
Spinnaker sail area:
Crew:
