Sometimes anecdotes become legends and then become "history" and are treated as facts. Maybe the following anecdote about the late George Alleman, had something to do with the 33-knot claim.
In the summer of 1970 George and I (crew Irv McMahon) took part in the CORK regatta at Kingston, Ont. This was the first, pre-Olympic competition for the Tornado Class and was well written by Bob Smith in his “A Boat is a Boat” article in the February, 1971 issue of “One-Design & Offshore Yachtsman”. The cover picture for the article and three others in the article are of George and me going out of our way to get our pictures taken.
However, the big story I remember is not in the article. It was after race 6 and we were still in one piece so we went looking for the photo crew on a Boston Whaler. It was about a 10-mile run from the race finish to where George thought we would find the boat. A broad reach with a 90-degree apparent wind, we were moving pretty good, with a 15-foot “rooster tail”. During this straight line run I noticed a closed power boat about 1/2 mile to our starboard which we were very slowly passing. The next day there was no race and the Tornados gave guest rides to anyone interested. A lady came by about noon and wanted to go for a ride with us.
She explained that she was on the powerboat that we had passed and wanted to ride the sailboat that had passed their powerboat at its top speed of 34 knots (her words not mine).
And so a legend is born? Actually, if there was that much wind, I can't imagine a powerboat being able to go that fast.
