Our mission is to restore Stars & Stripes so she can begin retelling her story and inspiring future generations.
If Stars & Stripes were restored by a single person, she would be their yacht.
It is important that Stars & Stripes is restored by “America.”
We need a farmer in Iowa to donate $20, a fisherman in Florida to donate $30, a tech person in California to donate $50, and an executive in New York to donate $100. Then Stars & Stripes will truly be “America’s Yacht.”
Please make a donation of any amount to help this historic project. Thank you!
[give_form id=”314″]
In addition to this grassroots fundraising effort, major donors, yacht clubs and companies will also be invited to join the restoration. See Partners for more info.
The amount needed to restore Stars & Stripes is variable because it depends on the extent and quality of work undertaken. Stars & Stripes was significantly damaged. A minimum estimate to get her sailing is:
- Hull plating, fairing & painting – $500,000
- New Engine – $100,000
- New mast & rigging – $200,000
- New sail inventory – $100,000
- Support vessel – $50,000
Some of the items could be donated. And for any work, we need to rely on people and companies who appreciate the history and future potential of Stars & Stripes.
Our first goal is to raise $950,000 and get Stars & Stripes sailing again.
Once this goal has been achieved, we will work on the second phase, gathering artifacts from the 1987 Cup and building the road show which could travel around the country with Stars & Stripes to remind America of our great history and inspire the next generation.
Steps Taken to Date
In June 2021, Stars & Stripes was put on a ship and returned to US soil. She is now sitting in a cradle at the Safe Harbor New England Boat Works in Portsmouth, RI.
Photo: Stars & Stripes is towed by Safe/Sea to the Safe Harbor New England Boat Works after being offloaded from her transport ship. The Foundation thanks Safe Harbor for storing Stars & Stripes until the restoration begins and Safe/Sea for handling the tow. (photo by John Wenz)
After Hurricane Irma, Stars & Stripes came for sale in early 2021. The owners in St Maarten hoped to pass her to an organization which could undertake a restoration.
The New York Harbor Sailing Foundation already owned two 1987 Americas Cup 12 Meters. They were ideally suited to be the non-profit vehicle for the restoration.
The first plan for Saving and Restoring Stars & Stripes was written by Foundation Director Michael Fortenbaugh in consultation with Stars & Stripes original crew member Bill Trenkle in March 2021.
This plan envisioned four Founding Sponsors who would contribute the funds to acquire Stars & Stripes and bring her back to the US.
Three important and authentic sailing brands immediately joined the project . They are (in order of joining):
A group of individuals also made substantial donations to get the project started. Together there was enough funding to acquire and ship Stars & Stripes back to the United States, and additional fundraising was paused until the project was announced publicly.
The Foundation, initial sponsors and donors have formed a steering committee to help guide this project. The Foundation has stated that all decisions regarding Stars & Stripes should be made in the interests of “America.”
It was also agreed to announce this project at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. The grass roots fundraising efforts will begin across the country afterwards.
Thank You
The New York Harbor Sailing Foundation would like to thank the three Founding Sponsors who had the vision to join this project quickly: Mount Gay Rum, American Sailing Association, the Gowrie Group.
We would also to thank the nine individuals who made major donations while this project was still a dream: Bill Trenkle, Cian O’Carroll, Deiane Abajos, Jay Parekh, Jim Cavanaugh, Mac True, Michael Fortenbaugh, Russ Lucas & Scott Curtis.
Thank you to the firm of Delisle Walwyn which agreed to send America’s Most Famous Yacht back to the United States for restoration as a national treasure. Thanks also to the broker Ian Martin who understood the importance of Stars & Stripes and made the deal happen.
Thank you to the many people who have already volunteered their time and resources to help jump start this project. We are engaged in an historic project and Stars & Stripes has the ability to capture the imagination of America again today, as she did first in 1987.
Thank you to all of the people who worked on Stars & Stripes originally, and to all of the people involved in the 1987 America’s Cup. Together, you created one of the greatest moments in sailing history and we look forward to telling this inspiring story to a new generation.