Ted Hood made sails, designed yachts, won the America’s Cup and helped turn a parcel of land in Portsmouth, R.I., into a marine business hub. This coming weekend the Designer Series will be a three-day event that celebrates all of Hood’s contributions to the boating world.
“This event will be a first,” Ted Hood Jr. of Newport, R.I., said in a statement. He worked with his father from his teen years until the family business was sold in 2000. “It will be all encompassing, with all the varieties of Hood designs — from his earliest to his latest. We hope to showcase that diversity since my father was not just one brand.”
The Designer Series will take place at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, R.I., from Friday through Sunday. The fleet will range from a 21-foot sloop with a lifting keel to the 116-foot Whisper, which was built in the Netherlands and was one of the last boats created by the Ted Hood Design Group. There also will be many Little Harbors and Bristols, two lines for which Hood is known.
The original Robin, a 40-foot sloop that launched Hood’s career in 1959, will be on hand. Hood skippered the boat to many regattas during its first summer. He designed about 30 boats named Robin during his career, as well as the 12-meter Nefertiti that almost won the 1962 America’s Cup. Hood won the 1974 America’s Cup as the helmsman of Courageous.
On-water events for the fleet will be held Saturday, including sailboat racing and a log competition for powerboats. Tickets will be on sale for an “open-boat” party Friday evening so attendees can view and board the fleet.
On Saturday night there will be a clambake that is open to the public. Sunday will feature a boat parade along Bristol’s harbor front.
