The R-class racing yacht "Pirate" was designed by Ted Geary and built by the Lake Union Drydock Company in 1926. The Pirate was built for Tommy Lee, son of Los Angeles yachtsman Don Lee, as a reward for winning the Pacific Coast Star Championship in 1925, and embodies the most advanced skills and talents in both yacht design and yacht construction in the Seattle area in the early 20th century. The Pirate won the National Championship in the R-class in 1929.
The Pirate was first lifted into Lake Union in April 1926. The ship's sponsor, Virginia Merrill, may be one of the four people on board in this photo. The Pirate was to race against the Sir Tom, another R-class racer designed by Geary, later that week.
Webster & Stevens number: 117339
Caption information source: Center for Wooden Boats website at https://www.cwb.org/program-boats/pirate Caption information also derived from caption published under this photo in the Seattle Daily Times, April 11, 1926, p. 33
Physical Description: 1 negative : glass, b&w ; 5 x 7 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
