Written by David Ford

As the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Herreshoff Marine Museum/America's Cup Hall of Fame, I am pleased to welcome Bill Lynn as our new Executive Director.  Bill takes the reigns from Larry Lavers who is retiring after a successful 4-year tenurem during which he oversaw the Museum's return to financial stability and the launching of multiple key projects.

Bill is a lifelong sailor and classic yachting enthusiast with a background in marketing and communications.  He is leaving behind almost 3 decades of success in the for-profit world to help lead the transformation of the Herreshoff Marine Museum from a relatively undiscovered treasure to the vibrant cultural institution that the organization believes it has the potential to be.

Over the last several years, the Museum has built a solid organizational and financial foundation that supports the cornerstone of our new strategic plan, which is growing our audience - in our local community, in the New England region and around the world. Bill has the perfect set of skills and experience to lead the Museum in a new phase of growth.

Please join us in welcoming Bill Lynn as our new Executive Director. 

Join us on March 19th for a panel discussion with experts from Bristol's marine industry to discuss spring maintenance work, mistakes to avoid, and more. Including wooden and fiberglass boat maintenance, sails and rigging, painting, commissioning, boat insurance, and boat yard advice. Reserve your tickets today by calling (401) 253-5000 or by purchasing tickets online. The HMM Lecture Series is sponsored by: Pure Insurance, Points East Magazine, Cisco Brewers, Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyard. Reception to begin at 6:00pm. 

Our third annual Frost Biter's Bash was a tremendous success, raising over $75K for the Museum! In spite of the chilly weather over 200 people left their warm and comfortable homes to attend the Bash, and all involved had a fabulous time. The entire Museum was transformed into a magically romantic venue for the evening, with delicious food tastings from local restaurants and caterers, multiple open bars, dancing and both silent and live auctions. A great time was had by all, and the funds generated will help us restore the flagpole and fund the operation of the museum. A big thanks to all who participated and special thanks to our very hardworking FBB committee.

 

It's hard to imagine that in just 2 short months the ice will be gone and we will be launching our 12 � fleet for the start of our sailing season! The youth seamanship program is shaping up nicely as registrations come filing in every day. If you or someone you know wants to get out on the water, we are offering one week sessions for ages 7-17, including an instructor-in-training program for 15-16 year olds. Programs start June 22 and run until August 21. Registration forms can be found on our website.

 

The adult seamanship program is offering some great opportunities this summer! Join us for Wednesday women's sailing and beginner & intermediate classes throughout the week. Advanced sailors can take advantage of our Intro to Racing class on our recently acquired Sea Sprite 23, as well as our spinnaker class.

 

Don't want to take a class but still want to get out on the water? Join our 12 � sailboat rental program! Sign up for one of two memberships and sail a 12 � on Narragansett Bay on your own time. Checkout required, email the Sailing Director, Maria Coughlin at [email protected], for details. 

The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company:  Notes on Core Customers

 

The RELIANCE Project Team led by Sandy Lee is developing important insights into the workings of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company (HMCo) at the turn-of-the-century. Sandy presented their observations at the museum's February Lecture, "Wonderfully Modern HMCo! Still Relevant Today". 

 

They observed that with multiple product lines "HMCo (was) a very complex business" and that many of HMCo's business, engineering and manufacturing processes were "to mitigate and reduce complexity". Sandy's process view of HMCo consists of six building blocks that contributed to success. The "Marketing and Contracting" process engaged a core group of customers with repeat business across all HMCo product lines, used a direct sales approach, with fast, simple fixed price contracts and sought to influence sailing masters (the technical experts) to their products.

 

This paper expands on Sandy's lecture with examples of core customers and their significant contribution to the Herreshoff Company and its legacy.

 

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