CHEERS, Dick Newick's 1968 OSTAR Atlantic Proa
CHEERS
was piloted in the 1968 OSTAR (Observer's Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race) from Plymouth, England to Newport,
Rhode Island by skipper Tom Follett in 27 days, 13 minutes. He finished
3rd overall, beaten only by two monohulls, the 56' Sir Thomas Lipton
and the 50' ketch Voortrekker. Follett sailed from the Caribbean
to England before the race and from Newport back to St. Croix afterwards.
For the full story, read 'Project Cheers' (Adlard Coles, 1969), a book detailing the saga of Newick's giant-killing Atlantic proa. |
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Race Committee letter, October, 1967: Royal Western Yacht Club of England
"I notice that you are taking steps to enable the crew to right the vessel when it has capsized, but my committee are more interested in any steps you may take to stop the capsizing in the first place. We are still of the opinion that to race along at 25 knots in between periodically capsizing is not a proper way to cross the Atlantic..."
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French doctors Vincent and Nélie Besin now own and have restored CHEERS with the financial
help of the French goverment which has declared her a "monument historique",
one of less than 100 small craft and the only multihull.
Dick Newick, April 19, 2002
June 1968
image scanned by Matthieu Rougevin-Baville |
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Cheers launch video begins at 01:52, starts with footage aboard Moxie! Six vintage racing trimarans (four Newicks including MOXIE, two Kelsalls) and Newick proa CHEERS, sailing in the South of France. |
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