37' Aas 6-Meter Sloop (1935) - SAGA

Built in Fredrikstad, Norway, for Eldon and Kenneth Trimmingham of Bermuda who promptly won the 1936 Prince of Wales Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda. SAGA competed in the first King Edward VII Gold Cup, also held in Bermuda. SAGA lost to Briggs Cunningham’s US72 LULU, but an interesting story resulted from this series.

For an article and more photos, please refer to WoodenBoat #250 (May/June 2016) or “The SAGA Saga” on 6-meter North America.

Cornelius Shields came to Bermuda to compete in the same series with US 65 CHALLENGE. When he saw SAGA out practicing he was so inspired by her beautiful lines and gracious overhangs that he couldn’t get SAGA out of his mind. Upon returning to New York, with SAGA his inspiration, Mr. Shields commissioned Bjarne Aas to design the International One Design and build 25 of them. The “Bermuda Gold Cup” is now a major stop on the Professional Match Race Series tour and still competed for in the IODs.

SAGA left Bermuda for Long Island Sound in 1938, then moved to San Francisco for 1939 and 1940 where she was owned by Myron Spaulding. She made her way to Seattle for Ray Elliot, who sold her to the Murray brothers, who then passed her to Kirk Hull. Kirk placed second in the 1958 Toronto Globe & Mail 6-Meter North Americans in Bellingham with SAGA and later won the same event in 1961 in Tacoma.

SAGA competed in the initial World Cup in Seattle in 1973 placing 7th of 20 for Bill Buursma—and third among the Classics—and made a good showing in the 1979 World Cup, also in Seattle, where she placed 16 of 25—and second among the Classics—for Paul Longridge. She went to the 1983 World Cup at Newport Harbor, where she was the oldest competitor by 37 years. In the lumpy, challenging conditions of the Pacific Ocean, she still managed to place 13 of 15 and collected the Djinn Trophy for the highest placing classic. SAGA has often been the boat to beat, having won the 2015 Sir Thomas Lipton Cup, her 5th time winning this race over the years.

Additional sales listing information:

“Kimo, you have the finest 6-metre in the world,” so says Henrik Andersin, owner of the 6-metres Fin 51 MAY BE VI, Fin 67 DJINN, as well the 12-metre BLUE MARLIN.

Extensive refit (over 3,000 hours) was recently completed by current owner of 30 years. The boat is in A-1 Condition throughout and extremely strong and able to tolerate the very high loads of modern sails and rigging. Superb condition due, in large part, to the unusually high quality of materials used in her original construction. SAGA’s Backbone (Stem, keel timber, rudder post and horn timber) are Burmese teak and the parts are held together by bronze rod. Also of teak are her floors, mast step, rudder and transom. SAGA is the only Classic 6-meter known to have been constructed in this way. Her hull planking is full length, old growth Douglas-fir (aka Oregon pine) and 100% original. Frames are of elm and original (with the exception of the lower half of the frames between mast step and rudder stock which were replaced with laminated oak frames of increased scantling by Erik Jespersen Boatbuilders).

Sail Inventory: North 3Di Carbon Main, Two No1 Genoas, also 3Di. Sails new for 2017 Worlds with very low hours. Light and medium air spinnakers.

Mast is black anodized aluminum (Zephyr Section by Erikson of San Francisco). Standing Rigging is SS rod and running rigging is Dyneema.

SAGA is lying at Port Madison, Bainbridge Island, Washington. Asking price Euros 130,000. Contact: Kimo Mackey, [email protected].

SAGA’s crew continues to excel, placing 6th of 21 at the 2017 World Championships at Vancouver with two first place finishes and came 2nd of 9 overall and 1st place for classics in the 2018 North Americans.