Cup History: Handsome winner in ugly boat

Back in 1937

"Good God, Charlie, she's like a ruddy great pantechnicon" - T O M Sopwith to Endeavour II's designer Charles Nicholson.

If Endeavour II was an ugly duckling, so was one of the most famous cup defenders of all time: Ranger.

The Americans produced a boat that could only be described as revolutionary for the 1937 defence.

With her bulbous stem and flattened stern, Ranger drew gasps when she was unveiled to the public. But as unattractive as she was, the last of the J-class cup yachts was incredibly fast.

Mike Vanderbilt teamed up two different designers, the young Olin Stephens and the 50-year-old William Starling Burgess, who had drawn up the last two cup defenders.

Starling Burgess was not unlike British challenger T O M Sopwith - he was also one of the world's leading aircraft designers, building the first sea plane.

Ranger was definitely a flyer. She was the product of intense tank testing by the design duo, who admitted afterwards that they would never have built her on looks alone, but the tests were so convincing.

When the English designer Charles Nicholson first saw her in the dry dock, he declared her the most revolutionary advance in design in half a century.

Ranger earned the nickname "Super J."

In the first two races, Vanderbilt played it safe at the start line to avoid any controversy like that which had ruined the 1934 cup. But Ranger comfortably came from behind to win by 17m and 18m in both races.

Ranger's next two winning margins were not as striking, but the series was a whitewash.

It was the end of the J-class era - a move many later lamented.

It was also the end of Ranger, broken up and melted down to be used in the war effort.