IHYC's 6th Commodore from 1907 - 1910 was Roy A. Rainey. In addition to inheriting $10s of millions from his father, he was a gambler and a hunter in addition to being a competitive sailor, a speed boat racer and an aficionado of the more luxurious and slower paced steam yachts.
In 1905, he launched the 136ft long multi-masted, multi-gaffed INVADER, which was designed by Albert Cheseborough, who was a nephew of Nathaniel Herreshoff. Rainey wanted a very fast boat that could outsail the great schooners of the day. At a minimum, he knew that within his own 'backyard' was the mighty 1903 Transatlantic winner ENDYMION at 135ft, which was also based out of IHYC. You might also recall that ATLANTIC was also launched in the same year. It was an era of of great luxury yachts designed for extraordinary speed.
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INVADER circa 2011 - click image for video |
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| INVADER - 1905 Edwin Levick |
INVADER won any number of races, but not quite enough against her talented peers to conclusively crush her competitors.
As for Commodore Rainey - he clearly didn't think INVADER was a large enough, or fast enough, flagship for Indian Harbor Yacht Club or his New York Yacht Club peers; therefore, he took delivery of the 285ft steam yacht CASSANDRA in 1908. The NY Times covered her arrival and noted that Commodore Rainey hosted a welcoming party of members and friends to celebrate her arrival to Captain's Harbor.
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| CASSANDRA - Morris Rosenfeld |
