American Sonders

From 1906 to 1913, the boats of the German Sonder class competed in international regattas organized to foster friendship among various countries—and particularly between the United States and Germany. These contests, described in WoodenBoat No. 284 (January/February 2022) resulted in more than 100 American-designed and -built Sonder boats.

The following is thought to be the first comprehensive list of American Sonder-class yachts ever published. It is based primarily upon Boston Globe reporting with reference to other sources—magazines, builder’s records, and yacht registers—as appropriate. Although most boats retained their original name after being sold, at least a half-dozen, possibly more, had name changes. Those names are not included. It was not unusual for yachtsmen of the period to belong to more than one club. The clubs listed are those most frequently given in reference to the Sonder races and specific boats.

* The location of builders who may be little-known to readers is given upon first mention.

Note: Boldface = yachts selected for the German-American or, in 1910, the Spanish-American races.

Misc. Notes: CARAMBA and ELLEN of 1906 were originally cat-rigged. OTTER of 1913: Cat rig with batwing sail. CIMA of 1912: Keel lengthened and 200 lbs ballast added for 1913 when she won Wilson Cup, the light-air boat of the team. AMIC of 1914: Sliding-gunter rig.

Name — Year Built — Designer — Builder * — Owner/Skipper/Yacht Club

Uncle Sam — 1902 — B. B. Crowninshield — David Fenton Co. Manchester, MA — Francis Riggs/J. Hopkins Smith, Jr./New York

Vim — 1906 — William Gardner — George Lawley & Sons — T. L. Park/American

Auk — 1906 — E. A. Boardman — George Lawley & Sons — C. F. Adams, 2d/Quincy

Caramba — 1906 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — C.H.W. Foster/Eastern

Sumatra — 1906 — B. B. Crowninshield — Graves Yacht Yard, Marblehead, MA — F. Skinner/Eastern

Alecto — 1906 — E. W. Hodgson — George Lawley & Sons — E. W. Hodgson and R.L. Pond/Boston

Bonidrei — 1906 — B. B. Crowninshield — presumed Fenton or Lawley — G.W. Wightman/Hingham

Chewink VI — 1906 — N. G. Herreshoff — Herreshoff Mfg Co — F. G. Macomber/Corinthian

Skiddoo — 1906 — N. G. Herreshoff — Herreshoff Mfg Co — H. M. Sears/Eastern

Cod — 1906 — B. B. Crownnshield — presumed Fenton or Lawley — Morton Prince/Corinthian

Ellen — 1906 — E. A. Boardman — presumed Fenton or Lawley — C. P. Curtis, Jr./Eastern

Hayseed III — 1906 — E. A. Boardman — Graves Yacht Yard — H. L. Bowden/Eastern

Lorelei — 1906 — F. T. Wood — Baker Yacht Basin, Quincy, MA, with bow revision by George Lawley & Sons — B. P. Cheney and C. D. Lanning/Boston

Manchester II — 1906 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co, — J. L. Bremer/E. A. Boardman/ Manchester

New Orleans — 1906 — John Small — White’s, Manchester MA — F. S. Heaslip/Southern

Sally VIII — 1906 — Burgess & Packard — Burgess & Packard, Marblehead, MA — L. F. Percival/Corinthian

Windram Kid — 1906 — John Small — Small Bros., Boston — G. Lee/Corinthian

Wendy — 1906 — B. B. Crowninshield — believe amateur build — No club or racing record extant

Chewink VIII — 1907 — Small Bros. — Small Bros. — F.G. Macomber, Jr./Corinthian

Marblehead — 1907 — B. B. Crowninshield — Hodgdon Bros. — W.H. Joyce/Eastern, S.H. Foster/ Corinthian

Spokane II — 1907 — C. H. Crane — B. F. Wood (City Island, NY) — F. L. Clark/Eastern

Spokane — 1907 — C. H. Crane — B. F. Wood — F. L. Clark, J. Louis Stackpole/Eastern

Corinthian — 1907 — F. D. Lawley — George Lawley & Sons — B. W. Tower/Corinthian

Marla — 1907 — William Gardner — George Lawley & Sons — Max and R.L. Agassiz/New York

Bandit — 1908 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — C.H.W. Foster/Quincy

Joyette — 1909 — C. Mower — Gilbert Smith — W. H. Childs/Bensonhurst

Ellen — 1909 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — C. P. Curtis, Jr/Eastern

Wolf — 1909 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — C. Loring/Eastern

Lady — 1909 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — R. DeB. Boardman/Corinthian

Crooner — 1909 — E. A. Boardman — George Lawley & Sons — C.F. Adams, 2d/Quincy

Spokane III — 1909 — E. A. Boardman — White’s — F. Lewis Clark/Eastern

Sally X — 1909 — B. B. Crowninshield — Graves Yacht Yard — L. Percival/Corinthian

Skeezix — 1909 — William Gardner — George Lawley & Sons — F. M. Hoyt/New York

Eel — 1909 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — H. M. Sears/Eastern

Demon — 1909 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — F. B. Crowninshield/Eastern

Wag — 1909 — William Gardner — B. F. Wood — R. L. Agassiz/Eastern

Alarm — 1909 — N.G. Herreshoff — Herreshoff Mfg Co — M. Agassiz/New York

Manchester III — 1909 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — J.R. Harding/Manchester

Bessie — 1909 — C. D. Mower — J. S. Sheppard — G. C. Thomas/Beverly

Harpoon — 1910 — E. A. Boardman — George Lawley & Sons — C. F. Adams, 2d/Quincy

Cima — 1910 — C. D. Mower — Wood & McClure, City Island, NY — G. Lowell/Manchester

Beaver — 1910 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — C. H. W. Foster/Eastern

Bonivee — 1910 — George Owen Hodgdon Bros. — G. Wightman/Boston

Juanita — 1910 — Fred D. Lawley — George Lawley & Sons — H. E. Converse/Beverly

Peg — 1910 — N. G. Herreshoff — Herreshoff Mfg Co — G. L. Stone/Beverly

Toboggan — 1910 — N. G. .Herreshoff — Herreshoff Mfg Co. — R. W. Emmons 2dEastern

Bibelot — 1910 — N. G. Herreshoff — Herreshoff Mfg Co — R. W. Emmons 2d, H. P. Whitney/Eastern

Sally XI — 1910 — B. B. Crowninshield — Graves Yacht Yard — D. Lloyd/Eastern

Sea Coon — 1911 — Stackpole and Skene — Reuben Bigelow — J. L. Stackpole/Beverly

Helen — 1910 — C. D. Mower — Smith & McClure City Island, NY — D. F. Davis/Beverly

Bessie II — 1910 — C. D. Mower — J. S. Sheppard — G. C. Thomas/ Beverly

Badger — 1911 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — C.H.W. Foster/Eastern

Ellen II — 1911 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — C. P. Curtis, Jr./Eastern

Seal — 1911 — C. D. Mower — David Fenton Co. — H. M. Sears/Eastern

Beatrice — 1911 — E. A. Boardman — George Lawley & Sons — C. A. Wood/Corinthian

Panther — 1911 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — Caleb Loring, A.P. Loring, Miss Ellen G. “May” Loring/Eastern

Chance — 1913 — C. D. Mower — George Lawley & Sons — W. A. Wood/C. A. Wood/Corinthian

Cima — 1912 — C. D. Mower — George Lawley & Sons — G. Lowell/Manchester

Ellen — 1913 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — C. P. Curtis/Eastern

Sprig — 1913 — E. A. Boardman — George Lawley & Sons/David Fenton — J. Saltonstall/Eastern

Harpoon — 1913 — John Purdon/C. F. Adams, 2d — George Lawley & Sons — C. F. Adams, 2d/Eastern

Otter — 1913 — E. A. Boardman — George Lawley & Sons — C. H. W. Foster/J. Crane/Eastern

Dorina — 1913 — E. A. Boardman — David Fenton Co. — G. L. Batchelder & F.C. Fletcher/G. Dabney/Eastern

Mingo — 1914 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — H. M. Sears/Eastern

Amic — 1914 — W. Starling Burgess — W. S. Burgess Co. — Mrs. Guy Lowell/Manchester