Brilliant (schooner)
Encyclopedia
Brilliant is a schooner
located at Mystic Seaport
in Mystic, Connecticut
, United States. The Brilliant was built in 1932 on City Island, Bronx
, by Henry B. Nevins
to a design by Sparkman & Stephens
for Walter Barnum. The Brilliant was built as an ocean racing yacht, and on its maiden voyage crossed the Atlantic Ocean
in just over 15 days, a record for a sailing yacht of her size.
During World War II
, the schooner was acquired by the U.S. Coast Guard and used to patrol the New England
coast for enemy submarines. During this time, two machine guns were mounted on Brilliants deck.
After the war, Brilliant was purchased by the accomplished sailor Briggs Cunningham
, who attempted to increase her speed by outfitting her with a larger rig. The new rig consisted of taller masts, a self-tacking forestaysail, and a Bermuda-mainsail, replacing the original gaff
main. During this time, Cunningham also invented the cunningham
, a tie-down for the tack (the lower, forward corner of the mainsail) which allows the sail to maintain a more efficient shape. This makes Brilliant the first boat to have the device, now standard on racing boats of all sizes. Despite his modifications, Cunningham was unable to significantly improve the speed of Brilliant and he donated her to Mystic Seaport in 1957.
Mystic Seaport now uses the vessel as an offshore classroom and features it as part of their collection of watercraft.
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
located at Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Connecticut, is notable both for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the re-creation of crafts and fabric of an entire 19th century seafaring village...
in Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
, United States. The Brilliant was built in 1932 on City Island, Bronx
City Island, Bronx
City Island is a small island approximately 1.5 mi long by .5 mi wide. At one time attached to the town of Pelham, Westchester County, it is now part of the New York City borough of the Bronx. As of the 2000 census the island had a population of 4,520. Its land area is 1.023 km²...
, by Henry B. Nevins
Henry B. Nevins
Henry B. Nevins was a master yacht builder and author on vessel construction in City Island, New York. Born in New York in 1878, Nevins wanted to be a doctor but was too frail, so he decided to work Gas Engine & Power Company before deciding upon his hobby, shipbuilding by apprenticing at Charles...
to a design by Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with main offices on 5th Avenue in New York City, USA and offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new vessels for pleasure, commercial, and military use....
for Walter Barnum. The Brilliant was built as an ocean racing yacht, and on its maiden voyage crossed the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in just over 15 days, a record for a sailing yacht of her size.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the schooner was acquired by the U.S. Coast Guard and used to patrol the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast for enemy submarines. During this time, two machine guns were mounted on Brilliants deck.
After the war, Brilliant was purchased by the accomplished sailor Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
, who attempted to increase her speed by outfitting her with a larger rig. The new rig consisted of taller masts, a self-tacking forestaysail, and a Bermuda-mainsail, replacing the original gaff
Gaff rig
Gaff rig is a sailing rig in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar called the gaff...
main. During this time, Cunningham also invented the cunningham
Cunningham (sailing)
In sailing, a cunningham or cunningham's eye is a type of downhaul used on a Bermuda rigged sailboat to change the shape of a sail. Sailors also often refer to the cunningham as the "smart pig"....
, a tie-down for the tack (the lower, forward corner of the mainsail) which allows the sail to maintain a more efficient shape. This makes Brilliant the first boat to have the device, now standard on racing boats of all sizes. Despite his modifications, Cunningham was unable to significantly improve the speed of Brilliant and he donated her to Mystic Seaport in 1957.
Mystic Seaport now uses the vessel as an offshore classroom and features it as part of their collection of watercraft.