The “Parade of Sail” through the inner harbor at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 23, showcases the fleet of racing sailboats participating in the Boothbay Yacht Club Shipyard Cup Classics Challenge. Each boat will be announced on VHF Ch. 72, as they proceed past Whale park in the inner harbor.

Wishing Star, an 84-foot restored Trumpy yacht will lead the parade. This stately yacht was the envy of high society back in the ’60s. Wishing Star takes us back in time with this classic 1965 Trumpy Motor Yacht.

During the Second World War, Norwegian-born naval architect John Trumpy became owner of Mathis Yacht Building Company, which he had joined in 1903, renaming it John Trumpy & Sons. Trumpy yachts established a reputation for elegant designs, top-notch fittings, and superlative finishes. The arrival of a Trumpy in the harbor would cause no less of a stir than a royal princess crashing a picnic; conversation stops, jaws drop to the ground, and everyone gawks in silent awe as beauty glides into view.

Trumpy yachts were for 50 years, from the 1920s until the 1970s, built with regularity and put out to the various waters of the world. With their sleek nature with a pristine white hull, complete with a polished wood finish, the Trumpy range of motor yachts exhibited beauty, desire, and appeal all within one stunning piece of framework. Around four hundred in total were put together, but each Trumpy was built with the dedication that one would expect of a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. It is one of the main reasons why Trumpy has become such a major part of the history of the boating industry.

A 104-foot Trumpy served as the U.S. presidential yacht from the 1930s through 1977. That vessel, the USS Sequoia, was reportedly where President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower planned elements of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, where JFK celebrated his last birthday, and where Richard Nixon told his family he would resign. She is being restored to her former beauty in Belfast, ME currently.

The History of the Trumpy

Boats often come with a rich and endearing history, and Trumpy is no different. The name itself comes from John Trumpy Sr, a popular Norwegian-born naval architect. He worked in Gloucester, New Jersey, but soon moved into shipbuilding in Annapolis, Maryland, as part of the Trumpy & Sons business. When Trumpy Sr passed on in 1963, his son, John Jr, took on the mantle. Sadly, in 1974, the Trumpy empire ceased to be: rising costs, the recurring labor strikes, and the build-up of the use of fiberglass put an end to a boating dynasty that, for many, was the perfect example of what a motor yacht should be.

Wishing Star ... The scrollwork on the bow of Wishing Star means one thing: She’s a Trumpy. And her pedigree might be as distinctive as that gold insignia. Built in 1963, Wishing Star is the only 84-foot cruiser the legendary Trumpy yard produced.

Her new owner is Andy Tyska, who owns and operates Bristol Marine at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, and has plans to lovingly maintain her in original Bristol condition.

For more information about the 49th running of the BHYC Regatta and Shipyard Cup Classics Challenge see www.BoothbayRegatta.com