Eight Bells for Harry Anderson

(Newport, RI)- Said New York Yacht Club Commodore, Bill Ketcham (owner of the J/44 MAXINE), "it's with great sadness that I must inform you of the passing of Commodore Henry H. Anderson, Jr., the 47th Commodore of New York Yacht Club and member #2. Commodore Anderson joined the Club in 1948, and his contributions to the Club were boundless, along with his character, spirit and sense of humor. The burgee is flying at half-mast at Harbour Court, and three black mourning ribbons are flying with the burgee at 44th Street."

From a J/Boats perspective, Harry was a big fan of the J/24 from its very beginning as a global sailing phenomenon. Its impact on sailing at all levels, from women's sailing, to youth programs, to multiple World Champions and America's Cup crews and skippers having learned from the world's best sailors in what is still the World's largest one-design keelboat class- 5,400+ boats and counting.

Harry often enjoyed his conversations with various members of the J/Boats family from the early days in 1977, while he was Commodore of NYYC, to the present day. Bob & Mary, Rod & Lucia, Stu, Drake, Peter & Jeff, would often encounter Harry at NYYC's Harbour Court in the dining room, at the bar, sitting outside on the deck chairs, sharing a few laughs and drinks together as we discussed an extraordinary range of topics. How could you not love Harry? A gentleman, bright as hell, considerate, with a quick wit, always something thoughtful to say. We will miss him dearly! Harry, truly the soul of Robert Frost's poem- The Road Not Taken- and John Masefield's poem- Sea Fever. A man passionate about the sea and those who loved it as well.

As American President John F. Kennedy once remarked at the dinner for the America's Cup crews, on September 14, 1962 in Newport, RI, "“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And, it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our vein,s the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came." And, so our dear beloved friend Harry... sail on.

A family tribute to his amazing life follows.....

Henry Hill Anderson Jr passed away  peacefully on the morning of May 11 in Mystic, Connecticut. Commodore Anderson was a young man of 98 years. In his beloved Latin, Harry proved “Quam bene vivas refert non quam diu….it is how well you live that matters, not how long.” Harry lived an incredibly full and generous life for almost a century.

“Harry”, as he was known to his family, friends as well as by those who knew him by his legend, was a man of enormous intellect, inspiration, leadership, and inexhaustible energy. Recognized by many as a leader in international sailing circles for more than 60 years, Harry was also a mentor to many, a champion of experiential learning, and a historian of rare equal.

An adventurer from a young age, Harry sailed his first Newport-Bermuda Race at 15 years. Harry’s passion for the sport of sailing took him along many paths; from sailing as a child on Six Meters in the 1930s, to introducing the Finn dinghy class in the United States in the 1950s with his friend Glen Foster, to serving on the America’s Cup Selection Committee in the 1970s and 80s. Harry was the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club during the club’s last successful defense of the America’s Cup in 1980.

Harry’s achievements and contribution to the sport may never see an equal. He was a very successful racer, having collected dozens of victories over the years sailing his many boats of all sizes and varieties. He was a stalwart shipmate whose seamanship skills were exemplary. Many Collegiate and Frostbite sailors compete on the “Harry A” race course, a unique dinghy racing course created by the imaginative Harry.

To the many who had the privilege of racing or cruising or acting in an official manner with Harry, his greatest delight was derived from the camaraderie and friendships that came from the sport he devoted much of his life to. There is nary a noteworthy body of water upon which Harry did not compete or officiate, or a smart waterfront tavern where he did not raise a glass. Communicator, prolific writer of countless notes, problem solver, philanthropist, and fun-loving friend, “godfather by proxy” to legions and Uncle to a very special few, everyone – from waterfront rascals and collegiate sailors to Kings and Princes, Gold Medalists, Sultans, and Presidents, too – knew him as their cheerful friend Harry.

His connections were limitless. One would never be surprised to hear a person’s name come up in passing only to have Harry say, “he’s my second cousin, twice removed.”

His travels were limitless, too. Whether sailing a clipper ship in the Windward Islands, competing on the famed Six Metre “Goose” in the Solent, or working on his beloved Boulaceet Farm in Cape Breton, Harry was rarely a sedentary soul.

During those travels, Harry would never miss a chance to drop in and visit his many nieces and nephews and give them his whole-hearted support in their endeavors.

Born June 2, 1921, in New York City, to Henry H. Anderson Sr and Helen James Anderson, Harry had early distinguished Colonial antecedents, namely his great-grandfather Henry Hill Anderson, counsel for the City of New York in the 1800s.

Harry’s great grandfather, Oliver Burr Jennings, was a "Forty-Niner" (San Francisco Gold Rush days) whose ancestor Joshua Jennings settled in Hartford, Connecticut in 1645, concurrently with Jehue Burr, great grandfather of Col. Aaron Burr of whom Henry H. Anderson Jr. is a collateral descendant (both families settled in Fairfield, Connecticut). Harry is also a descendant of William James of Scituate, Massachusetts, who moved to Newport, Rhode Island, ca 1680.

Brought up in Oyster Bay, New York, Harry was also the Commodore of Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Commodore of the Revolting Colonist Outpost, and an honorary member of yacht clubs extending from Long Beach, California to Helsinki, Finland. He was a flag officer of nine different yacht clubs.

A graduate of Yale, Harry completed his studies there in three and a half years so he could join the United States Army in 1943. He served in World War II as a Field Artillery captain in Patton’s Third Army having landed at Normandy, D-Day plus 30. He was a part of Patton’s historic campaign which helped to liberate Europe from the Nazi’s. After the war Harry got his Law degree from Columbia University, though he did not follow in the Anderson family tradition to practice law.

Harry always saw sailing as an educational experience and tirelessly supported and promoted it, whether as a yacht club officer, U.S. Sailing director, college sailing advocate, Congressional Cup judge, financial supporter, or advisor to many sailing organizations. Harry was actively associated with numerous educational institutions including Tall Ships America, University of Rhode Island, Yale University, and the U.S. Naval Academy. Anderson chaired US Sailing’s Appeals Committee for 25 years and had a hand in writing a good part of the racing rules of sailing during that tenure.

Harry was a devoted, life-long researcher driven by a compelling curiosity about subjects ranging from the location of Captain Cook’s ships on the bottom of Newport Harbor, to the lives of his illustrious antecedents. He participated in comprehensive publications and films about railroad magnate Arthur Curtiss James (another collateral ancestor), and America’s third vice president, Aaron Burr. He was determined that those forgotten (James) or maligned (Burr) be accurately documented and assigned their proper places in history.

Anderson’s philanthropies included the Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove, Florida, his alma mater, where he was trustee for life. His name appears on the school’s gymnasium and sailing center. He was long involved as a champion of Yale (class of ’42) and University of Rhode Island sailing programs, having donated several fleets of boats, raised funds for sailing facilities, and as an advisor.

A longtime resident of Newport, R.I., Commodore Anderson sat on the boards of Tall Ships America, Seamen’s Church Institute, the US Naval War College, the Rhode Island Marine Archeology Project, the Aaron Burr Association, the Fales Committee at the United States Naval Academy, and the Foundation for the Preservation of Captain Cook’s Ships.

Always a volunteer himself, no one worked harder. Anderson had a subtle way of snapping the whip that not only produced results, but brought him respect and admiration. He was often the silent person at the table, whose succinct conclusions solved problems. His work continued well beyond the usual retirement age, including being a founding member of the University of Rhode Island Sailing Advisory Council when he was in his 90’s and even last month working on his latest project, a book about William Rockefeller (descendant of John D. Rockefeller-  famous for creating the world's first vertically integrated oil monopoly- Standard Oil).

Harry’s awards and honoraria include Intercollegiate Sailing Association Hall of Fame; National Sailing Hall of Fame; Doctor of Laws from the University of Rhode Island (2009); The Beppe Croce Trophy (International Sailing Federation and International Yacht Racing Union); the Nathaniel Herreschoff Trophy (U.S. Sailing Foundation); Lifetime Service Award (Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association); Congressional Cup Scarlet Blazer; 33rd Congressional Cup (dedicated to HHA Jr); Post Captain’s Trophy (North American Station, Royal Scandinavian Yacht Clubs & Nylandska Jaktklubben); Bronze Star U.S. Army; Richard S. Nye Trophy (Cruising Club of America); Henry H. Anderson, Jr. Sail Training Scholarship Fund (American Sail Training Association); Lifetime Achievement Award (American Sail Training Association); W.P. Stephens Award (Mystic Seaport); Henry H. Anderson, Jr. Memorial Library (Seamen’s Church Institute).

Over the years and right up until the end, Harry would frequently write notes on an infinite number of topics, often on re-purposed paper. It is quite likely that many who are reading this tribute to Harry are smiling as they may have received one or many such notes through the years. Some were pointed in its message; others were anecdotal in their reference, often quoting classic poetry and prose to make their point or deliver the message. All were something to behold and cherished upon reflection.

Here is one of Harry’s notes to a friend in 2012: “Life’s pleasures are to be enjoyed in moderation, and apropos the cruising man, while we are not always borne with swelling sails before a blowing wind, neither do we drag out life struggling with headwinds; or befitting the fortune of the racing man ‘behind the foremost, ever before the foremost’. One snatches one’s enjoyment of the brief and pleasant hours like a school boy in the spring holidays.”

Harry Anderson’s was a life well-lived.

Harry was pre-deceased by his beloved brother Jim and is survived by his brother, David, and 45 nephews, nieces, and great nephews and nieces.

Given the restrictions of COVID-19, there will be a small family gathering to lay the Commodore to rest. A memorial “gam” of suitable scale and good cheer will be scheduled when the circumstances allow for Harry’s friends to raise a glass to his memory and legacy.

Harry was very generous to causes he believed in. All were focused on the development of young people through experiential learning from being on the water. Gifts in lieu of flowers can be sent any of the causes that were important to Harry:

- Yale Sailing Association, Ray Tompkins House, 20 Tower Parkway, New Haven, Ct. 06511
- Ransom Everglades School, Attn: Julie Rosenfeld, 3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
- Henry H. Jr Anderson Sailing Endowment, The University of Rhode Island Foundation, PO Box 1700 Kingston, RI 02881
- Tall Ships America, 221 3rd Street, Building 2, Suite 101, Newport, RI 02840

* How lucky we’ve been- a perspective on Harry Anderson from one of the United Kingdom's most successful sailors- Ian Walker- a guy who once knew how to sail J/24s....

The great John Wooden once said: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are…the true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”

The passing of Henry Hill Anderson, Jr. reminds us of how much he did when no one was watching, and how great the impact was from his random acts of kindness. Well before Ian Walker was a two-time Olympic medalist, J/24 sailing champion, and now the Director of Racing for the Royal Yachting Association, he was a recipient of Harry’s kindness.

Ian commented on his experience with Harry, "In 1991, I captained the British University Team on a USA tour of the East Coast, racing against colleges and combined US teams from Maine all the way down to South Carolina. It was arguably the most fun six weeks of my life… although, most of it still lives under a 'cone of silence'.

A special highlight was our visit to the home of the America’s Cup– Newport RI. We had a plan to compete in the Around Jamestown Island Race on J/24s, but were without accommodation and no local contacts. So, after a couple of cold beers in a local bar, we hatched a plan to visit the legendary New York Yacht Club and introduce ourselves.

Imagine... eight British students turning up in a van at the NYYC having had a few drinks– hoping to perhaps be given a tour. LOL. We donned our blazers, put on our best British accents, and walked straight in the front door. However, we immediately realized we weren’t going to get that far, until a member was passing and asked if he could help.

We thought we were going to be thrown out. But, before too long, this gentleman had not only signed us all in as guests, he had bought us all drinks. And to top it all, he offered us a roof over our heads (all eight of us) for nearly a week!

We had no idea how lucky we were to have met Harry. His hospitality was exemplary and his sailing memorabilia in his house was extraordinary– especially in the toilet, as I recall. I thoroughly enjoyed recounting the story of how we first met, when we met again at NYYC Harbour Court many years later.

I feel honored to have met Harry and to have stayed in his home. To this day I feel guilty for not having appreciated quite how lucky we were at the time. What an amazing man and an amazing life. Sail on Harry."   Thanks for this contribution from Scuttlebutt newsletter.Add to Flipboard Magazine.


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