News: 2 - 18 -2007 ...

We have decided to publish the History of The Morgan Yacht Corp.  ... on line FREE, and in a downloadable PDF format. The material is to extensive to print in a reasonable size at reasonable cost.           As a consequence all of us involved have decided this is the best way to go. Later it may be possible to print soft back versions.

ANNOUNCING …
the forthcoming publication

 A captivating chronicle of events in the lives of these two school-day chums that brought them together as partners in the exciting entrepreneurial adventure of developing and marketing the product line of The MORGAN YACHT CORPORATION into a leadership role in the burgeoning fiber-glass sailing yacht industry … through an “almost” public offering and the eventual merger of the firm into the multi-national conglomerate, Beatrice Foods Company of Chicago.

 While dispelling many of the abundant “urban legends” about the origins of the company and its founders, this revealing story is loaded with interesting anecdotes, photographs, drawings, facts, people and many poignant and crucial events occurring over three stormy years as “THE MEN and WOMEN OF MORGAN” … forged the company’s future.

 Told in the fast paced and colorful style of the founders, the saga covers the post WW ll. Havana races, the SORC build-up, the advent of the seminal and irrepressible Morgan-designed ocean racer “Paper Tiger” and development of each model of the Morgan line through the design and construction of the 12 Meter Americas Cup contender “Heritage”; all of which will interest the many owners of sailing yachts and members of the sailing fraternity, as well as those of an entrepreneurial and marketing bent.

Provisional cover photo for the forthcoming book …, IT’S A MORGAN ... authored by Charley Morgan and Bruce Bidwell founders of the company.  

PAPER TIGER …Charley Morgan’s seminal ocean racer design.

The 40’ keel-centerboard yawl is shown here sailing in anger for her first time, powering out of Tampa Bay in a freshening Southwester. The new and untried “underdog” stretches her legs drawing first blood as she leads her class, and many of the next … in the classic Southern Ocean Racing Conference St. Petersburg to Ft. Lauderdale ocean race of 1961.

PAPER TIGER went on to win back to back the 1961 and 1962 SORC series against all comers of those times … beating many larger yachts along the way. The winning ways of the audacious little yawl caused a cloud of consternation and controversy in ocean racing and rulemaking circles.

PAPER TIGER 1961

NEWS: - Paper Tiger has NOT changed hands. She is still living in Coral Bay in the Caribbean.