Kirby VII, US-1009: Sadly Now Gone

As a followup to the previous post about US-1009 Summertime, most likely the only Kirby VII built in North America, Eric Arens, the original owner, sends this sad email.

"The person who had Summertime and kept it at Treasure Island found the storage space cost was too large, and he has scrapped the hull but kept the rig.  I just found this out.

"Too bad.  This ending for a boat is like the end of the Fireball "Still Crazy After All These Years," when Kurt Schmidt cut the fiberglass hull that Chris Benedict had built into pieces and put them into a dumpster at the Richmond Yacht Club.  Nobody wanted the boat.

"It is hard to get youngsters into sailing unless it is into highly regimented high school or college sailing.  Computer games have taken over and have the advantages of not getting the participants wet or cold in San Francisco or wet and hot on the Chesapeake.

Eric

To remember US-1009 Summertime here are some more photos of Mark Adams racing in the two trapeze mode (with the old type symmetric spinnaker).