Onboard RANGER, 1937

The first woman to race in defense of the America’s Cup, Gertrude Vanderbilt appears here at the helm of Ranger during the New York Yacht Club cruise in July 1937. Ranger won the America’s Cup that year, defeating the Sopwiths on Endeavor II. Mrs. Vanderbilt played a pivotal role as advisor and timekeeper for her husband, Harold S. Vanderbilt, whose winning strategy included storming the starting line at full-speed just as the race began, a maneuver dependent on careful timing.