PIRATE (R-Class Sloop)
historic place
In Seattle, Washington, stands the historic PIRATE, an R-Class Sloop. This racing yacht was designed by Seattle's L.E. 'Ted' Geary and built by the Lake Union Dry Dock Company, launching on April 10, 1926. Pirate was commissioned for Tommy Lee after his 1925 Pacific Coast Star Championship win. She quickly became one of the fastest R-boats, winning the San Diego Lipton Cup in her first year and the National Championship in 1929. She was also the first West Coast-designed yacht to compete on the Eastern Seaboard. In 1927, Ted Geary adapted Pirate's design for model boats, inspiring schoolboys to build and race 'Pirate Pond Boats.' Today, The Center for Wooden Boats owns Pirate. Restored from 1999 to 2005, she remains an active, floating exhibition. The R-Class Sloop Pirate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, representing significant early 20th-century Seattle yacht design and construction.