In the 1930s, while the world appeared to be coming apart at the seams, one sailing race saw the hopes of America pinned on a revolutionary new vessel and its defense of a legendary title. And this vessel was built at Bath Iron Works.

By 1936, while fascist aggressions were growing in Europe and the dark and lingering effects of the Great Depression still plagued the United States, Bath Iron Works competed for a new contract.

The shipyard had long been manufacturing yachts, sloops, schooners and ferries, but the shipyard had yet to earn its legendary fame. However, when wealthy yachtsman Harold S. Vanderbilt accepted a British challenge for the famed America’s Cup trophy, BIW’s reputation had an opportunity to become legendary.

Vanderbilt’s “New York Yacht Club” had possession of the America’s Cup trophy since 1870 and had successfully defended every challenge, and now the Royal London Yacht Club wanted a new shot at America’s title.

Having accepted the challenge, Vanderbilt needed a new vessel, capable of thwarting Britain’s efforts, and he awarded BIW “a $300,000 contract” to build a competing “sleek J-Class racing sloop” to defend the title.

BIW had already constructed the Corsair, “the largest yacht ever built in America,” for industrialist J.P. Morgan and now this new sloop, the Ranger, would challenge Bath’s best builders.

On Dec. 22, 1936, many of the “1,400 shipyard workers,” at Bath Iron Works began construction of the Ranger “in the machine shop” by laying the keel for the new sloop.

The keel would be “a 39 foot long, 100 ton lead casting … 5-feet wide and 5-feet deep,” and would serve as the backbone “135 feet in length … and weigh 128 gross tons.” The 165-foot duralumin mast of this advance-design sloop would — by itself — weigh 3 tons.

Meanwhile, the British began construction of the Endeavor II, a J-Class sloop of similar design. In the end, the designs for both racers could mean the difference between winning and losing this historic race.

BIW employed “highly efficient construction methods” for the Ranger and determined “to build the last and greatest of the J-Class sloops.” The sleek and “smooth-hull” design of the Ranger would allow for less resistance in the water and faster speed.

On May 11, 1937, Harold Vanderbilt had arrived on his personal yacht The Vara and tied up in the Kennebec. Later that day, the Ranger was “launched from the Machine Shop” into the Kennebec River, while a crowd of over “6,000 spectators” looked on.

Three days later, the “Ranger left the Iron Works on a tow-line behind [Vanderbilt’s] Vara, headed for Newport Rhode Island.” As the Ranger slipped into Casco Bay, the future of Bath Iron Works and “the hopes of America” sailed into history.

On July 31, 1937, in Narragansett Bay, the 16th America’s Cup got underway. The international competition was “a 30-mile long … best of seven” series held while radio announcers called the race and newsreel cameras captured the competition on film.

When the first race ended, the Ranger had won by 17 minutes and 5 seconds. Race two was held on Aug. 2, and again the Ranger won, this time by 18 minutes and 32 seconds. The third race was held two days later, and the Ranger dominated the competition, this time by 4 minutes and 27 seconds.

On Aug. 5, the Ranger and the Endeavor II squared off once more for the fourth 30-mile run. When the race ended, the American Ranger had beaten the British Endeavor by 3 minutes and 37 seconds. The Ranger retained the championship title, entered the history books as one of the fastest racing sloops ever built and forever cemented the reputation of Bath Iron Works as constructing the “best-built ships” in America.

By the end of the 1937 sailing season, the Ranger was pulled out of the water “and never re-launched.” Meanwhile, fascist aggressions continued to build in Europe, and Bath Iron Works was about to begin massive fabrications on a historic wartime footing.

When America was attacked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, America entered World War II, and the Ranger “was broken-up for scrap” to be used for the war effort. As for the America’s Cup race, 1937 would be the last competition held until 1958 — the Ranger held the title for the next 21 years.

Today, the world-wide legend of “the best-built” ships of Bath Iron Works is well known, and the legend of the sloop Ranger is forever etched in America’s Cup history and is one of the best-built of our Stories from Maine.

Historian Lori-Suzanne Dell has authored five books on Maine history and administers the popular “Stories From Maine” page on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.