C&C 61

The boat was built by C&C Yachts, at Erich Bruckmann's custom shop at Bronte, Ontario, Canada, starting in 1970. During its production run, a total of nine examples were completed,{{cite web|url =https://sailboatdata.com/builder/cc-yachts|title =C&C Yachts |accessdate = 25 March 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20201015222748/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/cc-yachts|archive-date= 15 October 2020|url-status= live}} though it is possible the last two 61s credited as built were actually constructed and registered as {{convert|62|ft|m|abbr=on}} ketches (see C&C Custom 62).{{cite ship register|register=PSIX|id=1137541|shipname=Pegasus|access-date= 9 January 2019}}

The preliminary lines, sail plan, and accommodation drawings were completed in 1968 (Dwgs. #68-7-1P, -2P, -3P, -4P). In a letter from George Cuthbertson to Dariend Murray, publisher of The Dinghy, a magazine from Venice, California, on the development of the first C&C 61, and Cuthbertson commented, in part:

You will notice that on various drawings reference is made to C&C 61 design. SORCERY, for James F. Bladwin, and CAMPAIGNE for T.K. Fisher. It's all the same! The design was originally commissioned by Tom Fisher of Detroit whose object was a fast cruiser capable of handling the 12 meters of the day on a boat-for-boat basis. Specifically, he had ideas of being consistently first to finish in New York Yacht Club cruises, which of course meant getting there ahead of the 12's. However, since his home waters were to be Lake St. Clair, he imposed the stringent draft restriction of eight feet. In the longer term, he had hoped to campaign the yacht internationally - hence her name.

Mr. Fisher did not proceed with construction as crew "complications" set in. At that time (1969), this firm, C&C Yachts Limited, was being "assembled" from four small firms and we took the decision to go ahead with tooling for the 61 - to the best of my knowledge the largest production fibreglass boat of the time.{{cite web|url= http://cncphotoalbum.com/archive/sorcery/sorcery1.htm|title= Sorcery - Miracle at Sea|access-date= 25 March 2022|work= cncphotoalbum.com|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120709211428/http://cncphotoalbum.com/archive/sorcery/sorcery1.htm|archive-date= 9 July 2012|url-status= live}}

The first C&C 61 was ordered by James F. Baldwin of Oyster Bay, New York, and named Sorcery. Sorcery was launched in Bronte, Ontario, early in November 1970, sailed her trials, then headed south. In her first race (St. Petersburg-Venice) she fulfilled her initial objective, finishing first by about a two-hour margin.

The C&C 61 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. Most examples produced have a masthead sloop rig, though at least one, possible as many as three, were constructed with a ketch rig.{{cite web|url = https://krugerescapes.com/about-us/the-boats/|title = The S/V Winkapew |accessdate = 24 December 2018|work = Krüger Escapes|year = 2018|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193104/https://krugerescapes.com/about-us/the-boats/|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}} The C&C 61 has an internally-mounted spade-type rudder and a fixed swept fin keel. It displaces {{convert|57298|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} and carries {{convert|22178|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} of ballast.

The boat has a draft of {{convert|8.25|ft|m|abbr=on}} with the standard keel fitted. It is fitted with an inboard engine for docking and maneuvering.

The design has a hull speed of {{convert|9.64|kn|km/h|2|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|url = http://www.sailingjoy.com/sailboat_specs/sailboat_specs/view/4319/c-c-61|title = Sailboat Specifications for C&C 61|accessdate = 15 April 2018|work = Sailing Joy|author = InterVisionSoft LLC|year = 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

There have been several notable C&C 61 racing sailboats:

Sorcery, the first C&C 61 completed, was a Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) Champion. Her first owner had her built intending to race her extensively, especially in the SORC, which is in part where her name originated (SORCery). Her first race was the initial SORC event: start off at St. Petersburg, down Tampa Bay, then south to a buoy off Boca Grande, then north to finish at Venice, Florida, for a total of {{convert|110|mi|km|abbr=off}}. By the time the fleet of more than 80 racers sailed under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Sorcery was in the lead, followed closely by Manitou, C&C's 1969 Canada's Cup winner. When Sorcery took line honours, crossing the finish line just after dawn, only one sail was in sight astern. That was Ted Turner, sailing his 12-metre American Eagle.{{cite news|title=SORC|url= https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/317275024/ |accessdate= 29 December 2018|page=31|url-access=limited|work= Tampa Bay Times|location= St. Petersburg, Florida|date=31 January 1971}}

Sorcery had highly successful racing season in 1971: first in class, first overall in the Annapolis-Newport Race; first in class, fourth overall in the Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race; first in class, first overall in the SORC's St. Petersburg-Venice event; first in class, first overall in the Monhegan Race, winner of the Whittemore Trophy; first in class in the Block Island Race; and first in class, first overall in the Sandy Hook to Chesapeake event.{{Citation | last= Hunter| first = Doug| date= April 1983| title= The Pursuit of Excellence| work= A Corporate History of C&C Yachts Limited| publisher= C&C Yachts| location= Niagara-on-the-Lake| language= English| pages= 6–8}} She went on to achieve distinction in SORC and in many other events around the world, from the Solent to Australia to Japan. In one example, in 1974 Sorcery took both first-to-finish and first on corrected time in the biennial Los Angeles-to-Tahiti Race sponsored by the Transpacific Yacht Club. Sorcery finished the {{convert|3571|mi|km|abbr=on}} race in 18 days, 11 hours, and 13 minutes even, finishing almost two whole days ahead of the nearest competitor.{{cite magazine |last= Hollister|first= Jane|date= July 1974|title= Sorcery Takes Honors in Tahiti Race |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7LYYjNb8Iz0C&q=C%26C+61+Sorcery&pg=RA2-PA17|magazine= Boating|location= New York, NY|publisher= Sydney H. Rogers|access-date= 2 January 2019}}

Socery was rolled by a rogue wave in the North Pacific in 1976 while returning from Japan, and while she was dismasted, she survived with little other damage.{{cite magazine |last= Fitzpatrick|first= Aulan|date= August 1976|title= ROGUE WAVE - 360 Degree Roll Sweeps SORCERY Clean|url= http://cncphotoalbum.com/archive/sorcery/sorcery2.htm|magazine= Sail|location= Essex, CT|publisher= Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.|access-date= 1 January 2019|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193149/http://cncphotoalbum.com/archive/sorcery/sorcery2.htm|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}} On arrival in Victoria, British Columbia she was fitted with a new mast and departed immediately, competing in the Victoria to Maui Yacht Race, where she took third in class, ninth overall.{{cite web|url = https://www.vicmaui.org/pdfs/archives/VM1976%20results.pdf|title = RESULTS ‐ 1976 Victoria to Maui Yacht Race|accessdate = 2 January 2019|work = Vic-Maui Archives|year = 1976|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190103110142/https://www.vicmaui.org/pdfs/archives/VM1976%20results.pdf|archive-date= 3 January 2019|url-status= }}

In 1989 the Lane Family (Dianne Lane, her husband Robb, and their two young children) of San Diego, California, USA purchased Sorcery. They sailed her from San Diego to Mexico, then cruised the world on her for the next six and a half years, crossing the Pacific and eventually the Indian Ocean. Their first hurricane season was spent living in New Zealand; the second in the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific; the third in Australia; and the last one in Richards Bay in South Africa. Sorcery then returned the Lane family to the USA, at Cape Fear N.C. in 1999.

Sorcery is an integral part of the book "From Where We Sail", written by Dianne Lane.{{cite book |last1=Lane |first1=Dianne |title= From Where We Sail: A Family's Six and a Half Year Journey Around the World on Sorcery |date=14 February 2018 |publisher=CreateSpace Publishing |isbn=9781979964135}}

Robon III, the second C&C 61 constructed, was the first boat to finish from a field of 178 boats that started the 1972 Newport Bermuda Race, a particularly difficult race that was sailed predominately upwind in winds in excess of {{convert|70|kn|mph km/h|0|abbr=on}}.{{cite magazine|last= Spurr|first= Daniel|url = http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/reviews/cnchistory/index.htm|title= The History of C&C Yachts|magazine= Good Old Boat Magazine|date= September 2002|accessdate = 16 April 2018|archive-url= https://archive.today/20140315004334/http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/reviews/cnchistory/index.htm|archive-date= 15 March 2014|url-status= live}} This was the shakedown for the 61-footer as Robon III had been commissioned on Lake Ontario by C&C just 17 days before the race start. Skipper Robert H. Grant and his crew pushed the brand new C&C 61 in its first race ever to also win Class A.{{cite web|url = http://bermudarace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/results_berth_to_bermuda_extract.pdf|title = Bermuda Race Winners: 1906-2004|accessdate = 27 December 2018|last= Rousmaniere|first= John|work = A Berth to Bermuda|quote= 1972, Usual Newport course, 178 starters; Best time, Robon, Robert H. Grant, 80:15:15, 7.9 knots; Winner, Noryema VIII, Ron W.Amey (U.K.); Class A, Robon|year = 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210510200015/http://bermudarace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/results_berth_to_bermuda_extract.pdf|archive-date= 10 May 2021|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url = https://bermudarace.com/looking-back-navigating-the-wildest-thrash/|title = Looking Back: Navigating the wildest thrash|accessdate = 27 December 2018|work = Newport Bermuda Race News|year = 2015|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193235/https://bermudarace.com/looking-back-navigating-the-wildest-thrash/|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}} Robon’s competitors included some of the finest sailboats of the time, including the much larger Windward Passage, Blackfin, and Ondine. When Robon III reported in at the finish line, "There was much confusion because they thought we were Windward Passage and much too small to be first to finish. The overall winner was Noryema VIII, a production Swan 48; the first non-US yacht ever to win the Bermuda Race. "{{cite web|url = http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=10915;sb=post_username;so=DESC;forum_view=forum_view_expandable;guest=|title = Eight Bells - Robert H. Grant|accessdate = 27 December 2018|work = Scuttlebutt Sailing News|year = 2010}}{{Dead link|fix-attempted=yes|date=March 2022}}

Ketch was the first C&C 61 produced with a ketch sailplan. She sailed under the name Ketch for a number of years, but was later renamed Shear Terror as the family yacht of American artist Anne P. Waddell who lived aboard the yacht when she first moved to California. Waddell went on to sail in the Caribbean aboard her{{cite web|url = https://annewaddell.com/water-ocean-beach-lake#.XCIYrlVKhaQ|title = Water – Ocean – Beach – Lake – Sailing |accessdate = 25 December 2018|work = Anne P. Waddell|year = 2013|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193307/https://annewaddell.com/water-ocean-beach-lake%23.XCIYrlVKhaQ|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}} and produced a painting of her.{{cite web|url = https://annewaddell.com/yachting-sailboats#.XCIZQ1VKhaR|title = Yachting |accessdate = 25 December 2018|work = Anne P. Waddell|year = 2013|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193315/https://annewaddell.com/yachting-sailboats%23.XCIZQ1VKhaR|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}} For a time she was also named Barbara's Song. Eventually she was sold again, named Winkapew and sailed as an adventure charter yacht in the Pacific North-west.{{cite ship register|register=NOAA|id=620086|shipname=Winkapew|access-date=25 December 2018}}{{cite ship register|register=PSIX|id=620086|shipname=Winkapew|access-date=25 December 2018}}

Sassy, owned by E. Russell “Dutch” Schmidt and the third C&C 61 sloop built, was first to finish and the overall winner of the 1977 Super Mac Race. This was the second Super Mac Race held and was the inaugural year for the Chicago-Sarnia International Yacht Race from Chicago on Lake Michigan, through the Straits of Mackinac, and then south on Lake Huron to Sarnia, Ontario. Sassy finished in just over 74 hours elapsed time (just over 69 hours corrected time).{{cite news|last1=AP|title=Sassy 1st In Race To Sarnia|issue=Sec D Page 11|publisher=Detroit Free Press|date=July 21, 1977}}{{cite news|title=Sassy the winner of Sarnia race|url= https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/search/#query=Sassy&dr_year=1977-1977&offset=3 |accessdate= 23 December 2018|issue=Sec 4 Pages 4&5|publisher=Chicago Tribune archives|date=July 21, 1977}} Sassy crossed the finish line almost {{frac|8|1|2}} hours ahead of the second boat in the fleet of 55.

Sassy was later sold to Mike Keeler of Grand Rapids, who renamed her Brassy and continued to race her through the 1980s. Keeler took the boat's name from his former company, Keeler Brass.{{cite news |last= Kamoda |first= Alan|date= 16 July 1982|title= Sails Set|url= https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/97697340/|page= 127|work= Detroit Free Press |location= Detroit, Michigan |url-access=limited|quote= Brassy, a C&C 61, also has a history. It was successfully raced for years in the Detroit area by Dutch Schmidt, who called it Sassy. Brassy is owned by Mike Keeler of Grand Rapids, who took the boat's name from his former company, Keeler Brass.|access-date= 24 December 2018}}

Joli, the fourth C&C 61 sloop launched, was originally owned by William F. Niemi, a partner with Eddie Bauer (the man) and president of Eddie Bauer (the company) in Washington State. After a number of years racing and cruising on the west coast, Niemi sold the boat to skier Mike Lund. In 1978, Niemi unexpectedly ended up with Joli once again when she was impounded for drug smuggling. Lund disappeared and on a side note, was arrested in 2001 after his identity was revealed through finger-printing when he was jailed for child-support charges.{{cite magazine |last= Johnson|first= Al|date= 9 September 2014|title= The Real Helena Star Story; Pot, Sailboat Racing, Environmental Impact And Tee Shirts |url= https://www.nwyachting.com/2014/09/the-real-helena-star-story-pot-sailboat-racing-environmental-impact-and-tee-shirts/|magazine= Northwest Yachting|location= Seattle, United States|publisher= Michelle Zeasman|access-date= 23 December 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190408160102/https://www.nwyachting.com/2014/09/the-real-helena-star-story-pot-sailboat-racing-environmental-impact-and-tee-shirts/|archive-date= 8 April 2019|url-status= dead}}{{cite news |last1= Ith|first1= Ian|last2= Whitely|first2= Peyton|date= 18 May 2001|title= Fugitive has quiet 23 years on lam, then child-support case leads to arrest in '78 record pot bust|url= https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20010518&slug=lund18m|work= The Seattle Times|location= Seattle, WA|access-date= 29 December 2018|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193425/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20010518&slug=lund18m|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}}

Helisara was built for Herbert von Karajan of Salzburg, Austria, and sailed and raced for years out of Saint-Tropez in the major Mediterranean events. The name of the boat is an acronym of (H)erbert, (El)iette, (Is)abel and (Ara)bel, the names of his third wife, French model Eliette Mouret [de] and their two daughters, Isabel and Arabel.{{cite web|url = http://www.karajan.co.uk/sailing.html|title = Karajan Other Activities - Sailing|accessdate = 24 December 2018|work = Herbert von Karajan Site|year = 2012|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120526194446/http://www.karajan.co.uk/sailing.html|archive-date= 26 May 2012|url-status= live}} She was later sold, renamed Koh I Noor and sailed throughout North America and the Caribbean since 1983.{{cite web|url = https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/50463|title = 61' C&C Custom|accessdate = 24 December 2018|work = sailboatlistings.com|year = 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150611104545/https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/50463|archive-date= 11 June 2015|url-status= dead}}

Grampus was completed in 1975 for the Pirelli family in Italy. By 2001 she was still being race successfully, taking class honors in the big boats in the 2001 Giraglia Rolex Cup, at which time the owner was

Italian entrepreneur Carlo Alessandro Puri Negri, an heir of the Pirelli family.{{cite web|url = https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Giraglia-Rolex-Cup-2001-Maxis-beat-by-40-footers-gain/-2802?source=sail-world|last= Bourne|first= Susanah|date= 30 June 2001|title = Giraglia Rolex Cup 2001 Maxis beat by 40 footers gain|accessdate = 24 December 2018|work = Sail-World|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193442/https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Giraglia-Rolex-Cup-2001-Maxis-beat-by-40-footers-gain/-2802?source=sail-world|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}}

The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, Ontario has in its archives the early original C&C design and construction drawings, a retirement donation by George Cuthbertson of his papers.{{cite web|url = http://www.c-cyachts.com:80/article/article_view.aspx?UID=b32141c7-56bf-4cbb-b213-d1752f10ea18|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080914163922/http://www.c-cyachts.com/article/article_view.aspx?UID=b32141c7-56bf-4cbb-b213-d1752f10ea18|url-status = dead|archive-date = 14 September 2008|title = C&C; Drawings Finally United|accessdate = 29 August 2017|work = C&C Yachts Website|year = 2008}} Drawings specific to the C&C 61 series in the collection include:{{cite web|url = http://db.library.queensu.ca/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=GET_RECORD&XC=/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdb.library.queensu.ca%2Fmarmus2%2Fmarmus.htm&TN=MTemplate&SN=AUTO24234&SE=1972&RN=5&MR=20&TR=0&TX=1000&ES=1&CS=1&XP=&RF=Search+results-Pub&EF=Main&DF=Main&RL=1&EL=1&DL=1&NP=3&ID=&MF=mymsg.ini&MQ=&TI=0&DT=&ST=0&IR=101247&NR=0&NB=0&SV=0&SS=0&BG=cecece&FG=000000&QS=marmus&OEX=ISO-8859-1&OEH=ISO-8859-1|title = C&C 61 Boats|accessdate = 24 December 2018|work = Marine Museum of the Great Lakes Website|year = 2018}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|

• 68-7 C&C 61 General
• 71-8 Robon
• 72-3 Ketch
• 72-4 Sassy
• 73-2 Joli
• 73-4 Helisara
• 74-25 Grampus
• 79-13 Brita
• 80-5 Pegasus

}}

The C&C 61 has been the subject of two different works by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt. Over the years Pratt owned five C&C yachts. The first was a Bluejacket 23, built in Nova Scotia, and later Dry Fly was his prized C&C 43:{{cite magazine |last= Johnston|first= Ann|date= 21 September 1981|title= A Brooding Vision|url= https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1981/9/21/a-brooding-vision|magazine= Maclean's|location= Toronto, ON|publisher= Rogers Media|access-date= 24 December 2018|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193602/https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1981/9/21/a-brooding-vision|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}}

One, titled Big Boat, is an oil on canvas portrait (dimensions {{convert|125|cm|in|abbr=on}} x {{convert|293|cm|in|abbr=on}}) of a C&C 61 partially exposed in the building hall. It was completed in 1987 and is in the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.{{cite web|url = https://app.pch.gc.ca/application/artefacts_hum/detailler_detail.app?lang=en&d=AGNS15567&w=&t=5&i=false&n=0&p=a&o=&f=&k=&pID=13305&r=50&s=s&in=Art+Gallery+of+Nova+Scotia&colId=&v=none&l=l/|title = Big Boat|work = Artefacts Canada|accessdate = 5 August 2020|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200806014940/https://app.pch.gc.ca/application/artefacts_hum/detailler_detail.app?lang=en&d=AGNS15567&w=&t=5&i=false&n=0&p=a&o=&f=&k=&pID=13305&r=50&s=s&in=Art+Gallery+of+Nova+Scotia&colId=&v=none&l=l/|archive-date= 6 August 2020|url-status= live}}

In his book The Prints of Christopher Pratt 1958 - 1991, Pratt writes:

Big Boat, shows the very animate, energetic profile of a C&C 61, glimpsed—with just a whiff of lechery—through a partially open warehouse door.{{cite book

|last1= Scott

|first1= Jay

|last2= Pratt

|first2= Christopher

|year= 1991

|title= The prints of Christopher Pratt, 1958-1991 : catalogue raisonné 1958 - 1991

|location= St. John's, Nfld.

|publisher= Breakwater Books & Mira Godard Gallery

|pages= 88–89

|isbn= 1550810596

}}

The second, titled My Sixty-one, is a colour serigraph on Rising Museum board (dimensions {{convert|57|cm|in|abbr=on}} x {{convert|101.7|cm|in|abbr=on}}; image: {{convert|41|cm|in|abbr=on}} x {{convert|91.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}, and was printed in a series of 65 examples in 1988. One copy is in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.{{cite news|url = https://www.gallery.ca/collection/artwork/my-sixty-one/|title = My Sixty-one |work= National Gallery of Canada website |accessdate = 23 December 2018|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220325193620/https://www.gallery.ca/collection/artwork/my-sixty-one/|archive-date= 25 March 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite news|url = http://www.godardgallery.com/CPRATT_My61.htm|title = My Sixty-one |work= Mira Godard Gallery website |accessdate = 23 December 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181224024111/https://godardgallery.com/CPRATT_My61.htm|archive-date= 24 December 2018|url-status= dead}}

Pratt writes,

From that Spring day in 1972 when I first sniffed the resin inside Erich Bruckmann's custom shop at C&C, I dreamed of owning a Custom ’61. It was a day-dream, and a persistent night-time dream as well; in that dream we were always getting ready to put to sea; to slip our lines and be off into the pre-dawn hours of a grey Atlantic day.

• List of sailing boat types

{{Reflist}}

• [http://annewaddell.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/shear_terror.jpg Shear Terror by American artist Anne P. Waddell]
• [https://www.proboat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Pratt-art.jpg Big Boat by Christopher Pratt]
• [http://www.godardgallery.com/My_Sixty-One_w.jpg My Sixty-One by Christopher Pratt]

{{C&C Yachts}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:CandC 61}}

Category:Keelboats

Category:1970s sailboat type designs

Category:Sailing yachts

Category:Sailboat type designs by C&C Design

Category:Sailboat types built by C&C Yachts