History of the Penguin Class Dinghy Association

This history was written in the summer of 1963 and is reprinted in the class handbook (Constitution and By-Laws, 2014 PDF). It is reproduced here as published; only scanning errors have been corrected. For champions since 1941, see Champions; for the story of the plans, see Plans.

In 1938-39, a small group of Potomac and Chesapeake Bay sailors, near Alexandria, Virginia, wrote to the leading naval architects for plans of a dinghy which could easily be built by an amateur. Philip Rhodes came up with the 11.5 ft. dinghy, which could be built of waterproof plywood.

By the end of 1939, twelve boats, from these plans, were being sailed on the Potomac River. Herbert L. Stone, Editor of YACHTING, printed an article in May 1940, showing plans and specifications of the Penguin, and requests for these plans nearly swamped the office. This resulted in the organization of the National Class. At a fall meeting in Alexandria, the By-Laws were adopted and officers elected: President — W. W. Heintz, Executive Vice President — Paul Tomalin, and Secretary-Treasurer — Ralph A. Youngs.

Fleets began to pop up in all sections of the country. In 1941, Seattle had one of the largest fleets, and for the first time there, races were held in the winter season. Manhasset Bay, on Long Island Sound, soon boasted of a large fleet. The first open regatta was held at the Old Dominion Boat Club, at Alexandria, and there were present Penguins from three states and the District of Columbia. Plans for holding a National Regatta were being made. With the start of World War II, Penguins became more popular than ever, as they were inexpensive to build, could be sailed within small harbors and were easily transported. Fleets were chartered at Tacoma, Washington, Los Angeles and San Diego, California, and at Vancouver, British Columbia. The latter was the first fleet chartered outside the United States.

In September 1941, the first National Penguin Class Dinghy Association Regatta was held at Annapolis, Maryland, with 35 Penguins from 10 Fleets taking part. Walter Lawson, of the Potomac River Fleet, won with No. 8 “Potlatch”; Leonard Penso, in “Gadget,” No. 96, was second; and Charles Runyon, in “Murgaes,” No. 20, was third. Paul Morris, in “Mike Fright,” No. 132, the only contender from the West Coast, took sixth place.

Because the racing fleet was too large to sail as one group, it was necessary to have a preliminary series of three races to divide the contenders into two divisions. The first division competed for the National Championship Trophy (Perpetual) donated by the Annapolis Yacht Club. The second division trophy, donated by Class President William Heintz, was won by Junerose Markusson, in “June,” No. 304, of Staten Island, N. Y.

At the Annual Meeting, William Heintz was elected President again, Charles Runyon became Executive Vice President, and Ralph Youngs remained Secretary-Treasurer.

With World War II in full force, yachtsmen were allowed to continue sailing under certain conditions. Everyone who sailed had to have Coast Guard Identification cards. Power boats had so little gas they had to stay tied to the docks. And Penguins became more popular than ever. The U. S. Naval Training Center at San Diego bought a large fleet of Penguins. Captain H. C. Gearing, head of the Training Center, donated a handsome silver trophy, to be raced for as often as possible, between the sailors at the Station and the San Diego Yacht Club.

No National Regattas were held in 1942-43-44, war years, but in 1945, in spite of restriction on travel and gas rationing, it was decided to have a National meet once more. Local boats, from the Potomac River and Hampton Fleets, were loaned for the occasion. The races were sponsored by the Old Dominion Boat Club at Alexandria, Virginia. Again there were so many skippers that they were divided into two groups of 15 each. Eliminations were run off with the first 10 of each group the lucky ones.

Again Walter Lawson took first place with J. L. Stevens of Hampton second, and Len Penso, third. Len Penso was elected President of the Class; J. Nelson Daniel, Executive Vice President; Walter Lawson, Secretary; and Robert Browning, Treasurer.

In order to keep the National Championship Regattas from becoming top-heavy, it was decided to hold elimination races in each fleet to select the top one, two, or three skippers as contenders.

Only eleven contestants from five fleets sailed in the 1946 National races held at Port Washington Yacht Club, Manhasset Bay, Long Island, N. Y. Walter Lawson in “Pink Lady,” No. 617, again came out on top. C. M. Cox, of Hampton, in “Cat’s Paw,” No. 14, was second, and Wirt Gill, Potomac River Fleet, in “Skeptic,” No. 7, third. The National Officers elected for 1947 were Leonard Penso, President; George C. Jessop, Executive Vice President; Wirt Gill, Secretary; and Robert C. Browning, Treasurer.

The 1947 Regatta was held at the Hampton Yacht Club, Hampton, Virginia. There was no doubt about the new National Champion, when Runyon Colie, Jr., in “Outsider,” No. 1377, from the Downer Fleet of Mantoloking, N. J., won four firsts and one second, out of a field of ten contestants from six fleets. Joe Krafft, of the Potomac Fleet, in “Pluto,” No. 900, took second place; and R. D. Israel, in “Chilly,” No. 571, of the San Diego Bay Fleet was third. Bert and Faith Israel drove all the way from San Diego, California, with the Penguin on top of their car, to compete in the Nationals.

Election of officers was held and Edward B. Rowe, Jr., was made President of the Association; R. D. Israel, Executive Vice President; Alvin E. Cox, Treasurer; and Charles V. Boykin, Secretary. Headquarters was moved to Hampton from Washington, D. C., early in January 1948, with San Diego, California, becoming the Branch Office location.

In 1948 the National Regatta was held at Mantoloking, the home waters of the winner, Runyon Colie.

Ex-champ Walter Lawson sailed in a boat built in a little over a week, a car having crashed into his boat, stowed in Lawson’s yard, wrecking it. The same contestants were on hand: Lawson, Len Penso, Wirt Gill, Ed Rowe, Jack Reckord, Joe Krafft, Burton E. Morris, Charles Boykin and Ray Hooker. Many penalties were suffered by the contestants, for barging, collisions, touching markers and other fouls.

Marshal Morehouse won the first challenge trophy, for the high-point man of the fleets competing for the first time. Runyon Colie again won first place with crew Betsy Allen, 8.2 points ahead of Len and Dorothy Penso, with Jack and Janet Record [sic: Reckord], third. Walter Lawson was fourth. Mantoloking Yacht Club furnished free lunches and beverages between races.

With one “West Indian disturbance” skittering along the Atlantic seaboard and another busily tearing across Florida and points northward, the 1949 Penguin Class Dinghy Association’s National Championship series was sailed in the mouth of the Severn River under sponsorship of the Annapolis Yacht Club. Twenty-seven boats gathered from far places, including California and the Gulf States; sailed five races in assorted winds, with Runyon Colie, Jr., of the Downer fleet at Mantoloking, N. J., for the third straight year establishing himself as class champion of champions. With Miss Mary Elizabeth Pilling as crew, Colie left no doubts as to his right to the title.

Successive years’ winners are tabulated in your Yearbook and the narrative of each Championship can be found in the next annual following the races.

From a modest beginning of only twelve boats in 1939 the Class has grown to be one of the world’s leaders. At the present writing (summer 1963) Class registrations are at the 7400 mark. Commercial boat builders from coast to coast have increased production, and new builders are entering the Penguin field.

The approval of restricted fiberglass fabrication in the fall of 1959 has produced results. A number of fabricators have been approved and more than 300 fiberglass boats are in service.

New fleets are being chartered at the average rate of a dozen a year and now total over 150. Brazilian growth, guided by Sr. R. R. Bekman, has been rapid and firm and appears to be leading towards adoption of the Penguin by key clubs in the sister-countries of Argentina and Uruguay.

Participation by Brazilians in U. S. regattas and by U. S. Juniors in the First International Junior Regatta at Rio in 1962 opens an avenue, particularly for Juniors, to some fine opportunities for competition abroad.

The precepts upon which the Class was founded have been closely followed. Amendments to Class By-Laws have been few over the years and have aimed at closing off minor loopholes.

Editor’s note: The 1941 Penguin Yearbook gives a first-hand account of the class’s beginnings, quoted on the Plans page. Later Yearbooks record each year’s championship.