HMCo #455s Olita

"... The half-rater ordered of the Herreshoffs to meet Spruce IV is for Vice Commodore Rouse of the Seawanhaka-Corinthian Yacht Club. ..." (Source: Anon. "Bits of Yachting News." New York Times, May 12, 1895, p. 6.)

"Local Yachting News. ... The new half-rater being built at the Herreshoff shops to race against an English built boat of the same class is well advanced. She is all planked and was turned over a few days ago and the deck beams are now being put in. ..." (Source: Anon. "News and Notes of Local Interest." Bristol Phoenix, June 4, 1895, p. 2.)

"A new boat, a half-rater of the fin keel type [sic, i.e. centerboard], was launched Friday [June 21, 1895] morning from the north shop of the Herreshoff's. It resembles the 20-rater Niagara, but is much smaller, and was built for Vice-Commodore Rouse of the Seawanhaka Yacht Club, Now York, where she will be taken as soon as she has been thoroughly tested." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, June 25, 1895, p. 2.)

"... NEWPORT, R.I., Aug. 1 [1895]. --- ... A number of yachtsmen went down to Bristol on Commodore E. C. Benedict's steam yacht Oneida yesterday to witness the launching of Vice Commodore P. C. Rouse's little half-rater, which is built to defend the Seawanhaka-Corinthian Yacht Club's International small-boat trophy that Mr. Brand has a challenge for with Spruce IV.
Miss Benedict christened the tiny rater Olita, and immediately afterward the yacht was given a good trial in a stiff southwesterly wind. She proved herself both stiff and fast, and hardly raised a bubble as she skimmed about Bristol Harbor. She is a centre-board boat, with a square stern, and a bow something like the Dragoon, and will be carried on the schooner yacht Iroquois' davits." (Source: Anon. "To Race For Goelet Cups." New York Times, August 2, 1895, p. 2.)

"PROVIDENCE, Aug 1 [1895] --- There was a general cleaning up at the Herreshoff yacht building yards today. The Defender's [#452s] new sail, long hollow boom and newest gaff with other extra paraphernalia, were shipped off to Newport, the latest half-rater [#455s Olita] was put overboard, and the workmen began their annual vacations. The works are shut down." (Source: Anon. "Herreshoff Works Closed Down." Boston Globe, August 2, 1895, p. 5.)

"... Olita [#455s], the fifteen-footer built by Herreshoff last season for Commodore H. C. Rouse, will be sailed this year by L. Huntington, Jr. She will be fitted with a deeper board." (Source: Anon. "More Fifteen-Footers." New York Times, May 3, 1896, p. 3.)

"... The Olita, the Herreshoff boat, is being overhauled by L. D. Huntington, the builder at New Rochelle. She will be sailed by the Huntington boys, who won the Seawanhaka helmsmen’s prize by their splendid handling of Question last Summer. In reaching, Olita is probably the fastest half-rater afloat. If her weatherly qualities can be improved she may still be a cup defender. ... (Source: Burchard, R. B. "Monthly Yachting Review." Outing, May 1896, p. 35.)

"The Half-Raters. ... The boats of the Herreshoff centerboard type, of which Olita and Gnome [#472s] are the only representatives, are very fast off the wind, but are not a success to windward. The Olita was last season a good second to Ethelwynn under the skillful handling of Mr. C. B. Vaux, the well-known canoe-sailer. In the successive attempts to improve her windward work, she received, first, a new mainsail, then new spars and rigging, and then a larger and heavier centerboard. Her first and second boards were a variation of the Linton Hope shape and method of housing. They were of 'dagger' variety when down, and of the old-fashioned type when housed. The second board was used only once last season, at a special Seawanhaka Club race, in which the weather was calm, varied by little flukes of wind. Trilby beat Olita badly, and Olita in turn left Question out of sight.
This spring the Huntingtons, who won the helmsmen's prize last season, tried their hands at Olita. She was given a large, square, iron board, similar to those on the Huntington boats. The change has not apparently improved her. She certainly does not show the improvement in tuning up which her old competitor Trilby has displayed. The October records of this magazine described Olita as follows: 'Down the wind she is as fast as her victorious rival, reaching she is faster, but what she can do on the wind was probably not shown in these races; or, if it was, she is a failure to windward. Her bow is that of a racing gig, her body amidships like a wide birch-bark canoe, and her stern is unlike anything hitherto seen --- a Herreshoff novelty.
It is sawed off square, its width being fully equal to four-fifths of the maximum beam. But it is a marvelous stern, the stem being a half ellipse vertical to the water, and just tangent to its surface when the boat is under way. From beneath that ellipse comes no sign of a back wave, and the water is left almost as it was entered.' She is twenty feet over all, six feet three inches beam, three inches draught. Has about three feet overhang forward and about a foot aft. She is of simple construction. Her frames and planking are so light that the bottom is flexible enough to give visibly at every hard jump on the sea, which has a tendency to give the occupant an impression that the bottom is going to fall out. The rudder as well as the centerboard of Olita is made to house in a trunk, both trunks being ingeniously constructed so as to add stiffening to the keel and deck. The cockpit is very large, the flooring resting directly on the timbers. ... (Source: Burchard, R. B. "The Half-Raters." Outing, August 1896, p. 355-356.)

"[Detailed report of Olita's races for the Seawanhaka Cup.]" (Source: Stephens, W. P. Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. Origins and Early History. New York, 1963.)

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled construction plan with plan view, midship section and inboard profile titled 'No 455 [#455s OLITA] Scale ... May 15th [18]95'. Superimposed over the profile is a slightly altered profile in ink. With note 'No 462 [#462s SALLY. Ordered Nov[ember] 15, 1895' followed by a detailed list of scantlings." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Inked Plan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0263. WRDT04, Folder 24, formerly MRDE08. 1895-05-15.)
① ② ③

"[Item Description:] HMCo Plan HH.5.05431 (075-040a). Blueprint construction plan with plan view, sections and inboard profile titled 'No 455 [#455s OLITA]. Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Bristol, R.I. May 15 [18]95. Scale 1in - 1ft'." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (creator). Blueprint. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0027. WRDT08, Folder 3, formerly MRDE08. 1895-05-15.)
① ②

"[Item Transcription:] [Printed leaflet setting out Background, Conditions, General Regulations, Dates for Trial Races, and Courses for the 'Seawanhaka International Challenge Cup for Small Yachts' (for which NGH designed and HMCo built the unsuccessful challenger #455s OLITA). From the introduction:] The experiment of introducing an international contest as a means of arousing greater interest in small yacht racing was successfully tried by this Club during the season of 1895.
Through the efforts of Mr. William Willard Howard, a well-known American journalist and canoeist, and of this Club, Mr. J. Arthur Brand, representing the Minima Yacht Club of London, England, was induced to visit the United States with his 15-foot yacht SPRUCE IV. and to sail for the Challenge Cup offered by this Club for international competition between small yachts.
In September last, a series of five hard fought and exciting races were sailed, of which SPRUCE IV. won two and ETHELWYNN, the successful defender of the Cup, won three.
These contests attracted general attention and have resulted in the construction or projected construction of a large number of these handy little vessels, not only in the vicinity of New York but also at many other points throughout the United States and Canada.
Several challenges for the Cup for matches during 1896 have already been received from clubs in Canada and Great Britain. A challenge from the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club of Montreal on behalf of Mr. G. H. Duggan has been accepted, and the races will take place probably from the 13th to the 18th of July.
This challenge is for a match in the 15-foot racing length class (Seawanhaka measurement). A later challenge in the same class by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club of London, on behalf of Mr. Linton Hope, is also under consideration,
The defense of the Cup is open to yachts owned by members of yacht clubs of the United States in good standing, and trial races will be held, as hereinafter stated, to determine the choice of a yacht to defend the Cup. The Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club earnestly desires to interest other yacht clubs in providing for the defense of the Cup.
For the information of any who may be interested in the subject, and especially for the guidance of those who may contemplate making entries in the trial races, the Race Committee announce the following general conditions governing the Cup which are extracts from the Declaration of Trust executed by the Seawanhaka Club and the following general regulations for the control of the match and trial races subject to such modification of detail as may hereafter be agreed upon with the challenger." (Source: Seawanhaka Corinthian YC (creator). Leaflet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_76060. Measuring and Measurement Rules (Box 2), Folder B2F18, formerly MRDE15. 1896-02-01.)
① ②

"[Item Description:] Penciled dimensioned sketch of boat details and a sail plan marked in pencil by NGH 'Sent by Clarence's friend R. Lenning[sic] to identify OLITA [#455s]. (She was built in 1895, no 455, NGH)'. With text 'Name OLITA. Ab[ou]t 1895-98. 20ft-0in o.a. 6ft 0in Ex[treme] B[eam]. Knockabout Rig. Rufus Lennig (Chelwood)'. Undated (Rufus Lennig's name appeared several times in MotorBoating in 1911 and 1912 but note that Lennig lived in Pennsylvania [Rufus King Lennig of Philadelphia and Chelwood, Andalusia, Pa.] where Clarence also lived in 1928.)" (Source: Lennig, Rufus (creator). Penciled Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE08_03200. Folder [no #]. No date (1928 ???).)
①

"[Item Transcription:] [Penciled specifications memorandum re #462s SALLY:]
Mem[orandum] of Requirements for proposed Racing Boat for W. Starling Burgess
Price $700
To be made on moulds of #453[sic, ie #455] (OLITA) but with frame spaces increased from 10in to 11in. Length overall 22ft. Length w.l. about 11ft 9in with about 240lbs of lead on keel and no crew.
The boat is intended to be measured for the 1911 class recently adopted by the Beverly Y.C. i.e. to not exceed 19in on a line 2in above the w.l. without crew.
Hull to be about 20% heavier built than OLITA, to have shallow watertight cockpit about 5ft long, 18in wide & 8in deep, with c.b. box opening into it. To be hatches in deck just forward and aft of cockpit.
Rudder to be hung to outside of stern, with blade of bronze arranged to be raised when in shallow water.
Rig to have about 300sqft sail in jib & mainsail and to have also small jib, baloon jib & spinnaker with all necessary spars & rigging for racing purposes. Undated (SALLY was contracted for November 15, 1895)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Specifications Memorandum. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_00940. Folder [no #]. No date (ca 1895-11-15).)
①

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #455s Olita even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Olita (HMCo-made index card)
• Olita (MIT Museum-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Name: Olita
Type: J & M
Length: 15'
Owner: Rouse, H. C.

Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "A Partial List of Herreshoff Clients." In: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff Yachts. Bristol, Rhode Island, ca. 1931.

• Olita
• Note: The L. Francis Herreshoff index cards comprise a set of some 1200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and / or ownership information. Apparently compiled in the early 1930s, for later HMCo-built boats like the Fishers Island 23s or the Northeast Harbor 30s are not included. Added to in later decades, apparently by L. F. Herreshoff as well as his long-time secretary Muriel Vaughn and others. Also 46 cards of L. F. Herreshoff-designed vessels. The original set of index cards is held by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and permission to display is gratefully acknowledged.

Name: Olita
Type: 15' J & M
Owner: H. C. Rouse
Row No.: 491

Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. "Partial List of Herreshoff-Built Boats." In: Herreshoff, L. Francis. Capt. Nat Herreshoff. The Wizard of Bristol. New York, 1953, p. 325-343.

Month: May
Day: 31
Year: 1895
E/P/S: S
No.: 0455
Name: Olita
LW: 15'
B: 6' 2"
D: 6' 5"
Rig: J & M
CB: y
Ballast: Lead
Amount: $1000.00
Notes Constr. Record: 1/2 rater?
Last Name: Rouse
First Name: H. C.

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.

"Apart from its centerboard trunk, Olita had a separate rudder trunk into which the rudder could be retracted when not sailing." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. April 7, 2019.)

"Built in 21 days (contract to launch; equivalent to $48/day, 45 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

Note: Research notes contain information about a vessel that is often random and unedited but has been deemed useful for future research.