Shady Side in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Vanity — The boat that inspired the Chesapeake 20

<i>Vanity</i> — The boat that inspired the Chesapeake 20 Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 16, 2019

1. Vanity — The boat that inspired the Chesapeake 20 Marker

Inscription.

Vanity — The boat that inspired the Chesapeake 20. . This magnificent sailboat inspired a frenzy of boat building on the West River. In the 1930s, the Vanity reigned supreme in the hotly-contested 20-foot open class, a free-for-all sailboat race where the only requirements were that boats be sail-powered and less than 20-feet long., The five years spanning from 1934 until 1938, the Vanity held onto its winning streak. Many sought to dethrone her , seeking to match her speed with all kinds of boats, but [unreadable], until a Galesville boatbuilder took up the challenge., Captain Dick Hartge would not give up. Four times he designed and built a boat in hope of winning a race against the Vanity. Four times he lost. En route home from his latest defeat, he came up with a new design , his fifth try. The next morning found Captain Dick in his shop feverishly carving and recarving a model of his new creation. By the afternoon, he had a half-hull design of the boat that would beat the Vanity., With a teenage skipper at its helm, Captain Dick's Ranger , the first Chesapeake 20 , raced across the finish line of a three-mile course, two seconds ahead of the Vanity. For the first time in five years, millionaire Washingtonian Ozzie Owings and his boat, the Vanity, had lost , the victory sweet for local boatbuilder Dick Hartge and John Harding, the Ranger's young captain. They celebrated with ice cream at Zang's Pier in Galesville., With the race, the Chesapeake 20 was born, and Captain Dick went on to build more than 50 boats using the design that beat the Vanity., I really wanted, once, just to beat the Vanity...like everybody else. , , John Harding, owner/captain of the Ranger, age 78 (1998), Built from 1933 to 1934 by John Gregory, Shady Side , Designed by Charles Mower, America's Cup designer, New England Owned by John Gregory, Shady Side and , Osborne Owings, Washington, D.C. , Gift of Steuart Chaney. . This historical marker was erected by Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. It is in Shady Side in Anne Arundel County Maryland

This magnificent sailboat inspired a frenzy of boat building on the West River. In the 1930s, the Vanity reigned supreme in the hotly-contested 20-foot open class, a free-for-all sailboat race where the only requirements were that boats be sail-powered and less than 20-feet long.

The five years spanning from 1934 until 1938, the Vanity held onto its winning streak. Many sought to dethrone her — seeking to match her speed with all kinds of boats, but [unreadable], until a Galesville boatbuilder took up the challenge.

Captain Dick Hartge would not give up. Four times he designed and built a boat in hope of winning a race against the Vanity. Four times he lost. En route home from his latest defeat, he came up with a new design — his fifth try. The next morning found Captain Dick in his shop feverishly carving and recarving a model of his new creation. By the afternoon, he had a half-hull design of the boat that would beat the Vanity.

With a teenage skipper at its helm, Captain Dick's Ranger — the first Chesapeake 20 — raced across the finish line of a three-mile

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course, two seconds ahead of the Vanity. For the first time in five years, millionaire Washingtonian Ozzie Owings and his boat, the Vanity, had lost — the victory sweet for local boatbuilder Dick Hartge and John Harding, the Ranger's young captain. They celebrated with ice cream at Zang's Pier in Galesville.

With the race, the Chesapeake 20 was born, and Captain Dick went on to build more than 50 boats using the design that beat the Vanity.

I really wanted, once, just to beat the Vanity...like everybody else.
— John Harding, owner/captain of the Ranger, age 78 (1998)

Built from 1933 to 1934 by John Gregory, Shady Side
Designed by Charles Mower, America's Cup designer, New England Owned by John Gregory, Shady Side and
Osborne Owings, Washington, D.C.
Gift of Steuart Chaney

Erected by Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Sports • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1934.

Location. 38° 50.984′ N, 76° 30.717′ W. Marker has been reported unreadable. Marker is in Shady Side, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. Marker is on East West Shady Side Road west

The <i>Vanity</i> image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 16, 2019

2. The Vanity

of Bast Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1420 East West Shady Side Road, Shady Side MD 20764, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Boatbuilding in Shady Side (within shouting distance of this marker); Edna Florence (within shouting distance of this marker); Going to Market (within shouting distance of this marker); Cannon - From Shady Side's Rural Home Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Imagine Yourself on the River (within shouting distance of this marker); The Changing Waterfront (within shouting distance of this marker); Transformation of the Avery House and over a Century of Expansion (within shouting distance of this marker); At Work — At Play on the Bay (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Shady Side.

More about this marker. The marker has suffered significant weather damage

Additional keywords. Vanity — The boat that inspired the Chesapeake 20

Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2019. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 183 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 17, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.