BANGALORE was originally designed in 1928 for G.M. Buckley, with the expectation she would be named ADA.  The stock market crash sunk that project.   She was finally built a few years later by another owner, with the name of BANGALORE. She was the first of the modern style racer-cruisers that Rhodes designed in this size range and was very successful. BANGALORE is the only boat to race 33 consecutive Chicago-Mackinac races; five of which she won her class and in 1939 and 1940 she won overall. She continued winning races in the Great Lakes into the 1950s. When she was restored in the 1990s, her original wooden construction was structurally sound.  Rhodes specified very strong construction techniques, and she can still take the beating of ocean racing.

Carvel Tefft bought BANGALORE  and refitted her for distance racing. The boat's full-keeled bottom was faired, the running rigging was updated with lightweight, low-stretch line, deck hardware was updated with ball-bearing blocks and self tailing winches, and finally modern performance electronics were added.  After finishing in the middle of the cruising boat division in the 1990 Newport-Bermuda race with old dacron sails and a green crew, Tefft got more serious.  New dacron sails made the boat faster, but not fast enough. Tefft put together a high-tech sail inventory that included a Technora Tape-Drive sails from UK. (UK's advertisement featuring BANGALORE goes into more detail at: http://uksailmakers.com/bombangalore.html) BANGALORE has been in several Newport Bermuda races and is a serious threat to all competition.  She was second overall in 2000 in light airs and placed in the top quarter in the strong winds of 2002.  In the Marblehead-Halifax race of 1997, BANGALORE finished second in class and second in IMS overall.  Carvel Tefft <carvelb11@yahoo.com>

Here are some photos of Bangalore that I took in Bermuda, after the 2002 race:
 

On deck, her original teak looks great.
Below, the main cabin has the warmth of wood, with secure pilot berths
Aft to port, her nav station is modern	while the galley to starboard is "utilitarian."

Page prepared by Ben Stavis, Jan. 11, 2003
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