Allegra Mertz

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Allegra Mertz
Personal information
Birth nameAllegra Knapp
Nickname(s)Leggie
Born1913
DiedJuly 9, 1989

Allegra ("Leggie") Knapp Brickell Mertz (1913-1989) was a four-time United States' women's national sailing champion and the first women to receive the Nathaneal G. Herreshoff Trophy from US Sailing.

Contents

Sailing history

Mertz grew up sailing [1] and a 1954 Sports Illustrated article describes her tenacity and how she encouraged junior sailors. [2] Mertz won regattas in a range of boats including the Moth class, [3] the 210 class, [4] [5] and the Etchells class where she split helm duties with her husband James Mertz. [6] In the International One Design class she won the first IOD trophy in 1937, a silver seashell that is now given as the 'Allegra Trophy' for 2nd place at the IOD World Championship. [7]

Knapp was a four-time winner of the Mrs. Charles Francis Adams Trophy (1950, 1954, 1959, and 1963), [8] which placed her as the United States' women's national sailing champion in those years. [2] She also won the Syce Cup trophy for the women's Long Island Sound championship eight times. [9] [10] [11] Her first win came in 1938 where she sailed with her sister-in-law Dorothy Knapp, Sarah Baylis, and the 13 year old Aileen Shields who was the youngest competitor of the event. [12]

Knapp was a longtime president of the Women's North American Sailing Committee. [13] [14] In 1954 she founded the International Blue Jay Association [15] and was Blue Jay class association president for 24 years. [6] Her husband was also a commodore of the American Yacht Club. [4]

Awards and honors

Mertz was the 1963 US Sailor of the Year [6] [8] [16] and in 1966 was the first woman to win the Nathaneal G. Herreshoff Trophy from US Sailing for "outstanding contribution to the sport of sailing" who highlighted both her contributions as a competitor and administrator, and for encouraging women in sailing. [17] [18] She was named to the International One Design World Class Association hall of fame. [7] [ when? ]

As of 2021, the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy is awarded each year to the winning women's match racing team in the United States. [19] Mertz is a nominee to join the National Sailing Hall of Fame. [20]

Personal life

Knapp married James Bain Brickell in 1937 [21] and they had one son, James Brickell. [22] She later married James M. Mertz and they had a daughter, Allegra Mertz. [6]

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References

  1. ↑ "Allegra K. Mertz, 76, Leading Yacht Figure". The New York Times. 1989-07-10. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  2. 1 2 Bavier, Jr., Robert N. (September 13, 1954). "Leggie Forever". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2021-10-25.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ "Sutphen Is Leader Among Interclubs – Places First in 3 of 5 Races at Larchmont – Mrs. Mertz Winner in Moth Class". The New York Times. 1948-01-26. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  4. 1 2 "James and Allegra Mertz Have Best Over-all Season's Mark in Sound Racing – Rye Husband, Wife Keep nall Trophy". The New York Times. 1958-09-28. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  5. ↑ "The Fair Sex and The Sea". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. September 7, 1959. Retrieved 2021-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Under Way". Soundings Online. June 16, 2017. Retrieved 2021-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. 1 2 "Allegra "Leggy" Mertz". International One Design. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  8. 1 2 "On the Racing Circuit". Motor Boating. May 1964. p. 164.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  9. ↑ "YRALIS Race Program 2020". Issuu. pp. 84–85. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  10. ↑ "Mrs. Mertz Takes Lead In Syce Cup Sailing Event". The New York Times. 1967-08-10. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  11. ↑ "Mrs. Mertz Takes Syce Cup on Sound". The New York Times. 1963-07-12. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  12. ↑ Robbins, James (1938-07-28). "Larchmont Skipper Wins Cup". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  13. ↑ "Leading Lady Sailor Sparks HRYRA Fete". Citizen Register. Ossining, New York. December 1, 1956. p. 9.
  14. ↑ "Allegra Mertz, 1961 Debutante, Betrothed to Owen Torrey Jr". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  15. ↑ "Sail Blue Jay - History". www.sailbluejay.org. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  16. ↑ "Annual Rolex Awards: Measuring Each Moment". Yachting. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  17. ↑ "Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy Winners". National Sailing Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  18. ↑ "Bavier Is Chosen By Boating Union – Mrs. Mertz Also Is Honored by Yacht Racing Group". The New York Times. 1967-01-19. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  19. ↑ "Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy". US Sailing. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  20. ↑ "Mertz, Allegra". National Sailing Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  21. ↑ "Miss Allegra Knapp Wed to J.B. Brickell; Ceremony Takes place in Queens Church". The New York Times. 1937-05-25. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  22. ↑ "The First Frostbiters". Interclub Dinghy Class. 2013-02-20. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
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