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< BENZIE SANGMA Intelligencer For someone who began his adult life in the shoemaking business and with no known formal training in naval architec- ture, he seemed to have done just fine in carving himself a household name in the world of sailing in North America. His reputation as an outstanding 19th century Canadian yacht designer and the tales of his feats as an avid racer still evoke admiration and awe among sailing communities today. Of Alexander Cuthbert, the man who had the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club issue a challenge for the title of the prestigious America's Cup to the then title holder, the New York Yacht Club, Robert Townsend noted in his book Who Was Canada's Greatest Yachtman?: "He was not a scientific naval architect, but he was a better than a rule-of-thumb designer with unlimited confidence. He was a man who built, sold and sailed any- thing that would float." With that one act, the local yacht club, originally established in 1876, became involved in the biggest historic event of its existence. What it had to offer was the tal- ent and perseverance of Cuthbert, one of its members at the time. The club had every reason to feel confident in Cuthbert. He had, after all, behind him a long and impressive list of fast boats built by him. One of his earliest designs, the Katie Gray had won, amongst others, the Championship of the Bay of Quinte Club, the Kelso Cup, the Governor General's Medal and the Commodore's Pitcher, noted Richard Bird, an avid local historian Even as the local club was being formed in 1876, Cuthbert, commissioned by the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, was already working on the Countess of Dufferin, the first Canadian challenger to contend for the America's Cup. Although the Countess of Dufferin suffered defeat in the face of its stronger contender Madeline of the New York Yacht Club, it brought more accolades to Cuthbert's reputation as a yacht designer. "During the 1870s, yacht designers focussed their attention on the centre boarder and it was here where Cuthbert achieved his fame," continued Bird noting a description of Cuthbert's work in The Annals of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club published in 1937 which said: "Cuthbert's designs showed the influ- ence of the flat iron model, then popular with the Americans, very sharp forward, often with a hollow bow and a projecting forefoot, the greatest beam well aft and the deadline and tumblehomes very pro- nounced." Once the challenge was accepted by the yacht club in New York, preparations for the event began at once. Susan Smith, the local club's historian, noted that the challenger, dubbed the Atalanta after a mythological maiden said to be known for her racing ability, was built inside the Flint and Holton Lumber Yard on the west side of the Moira River irf Belleville. "The building of the yacht was wrought with many difficulties and she was mort- gaged for the lumber from Flint and Holton for a total cost of $2,100. There