Bluenose: A Canadian Icon

The Last International Fisherman's Cup Race (1938)

In the autumn of 1938, the two most famous Grand Banks fishing schooners of them all — the Bluenose and the Gertrude E. Thebaud — came together once again in a series of races off Gloucester and Boston. The age of sail was over, very few salt-bankers were still afloat, and those that did remain were old, tired and water-logged; it was generally acknowledged that these would be the last races ever held for the International Fishermen's Trophy. As it turned out, the series was laced with bitterness and controversy, and in the end Angus Walters declared "the Bluenose, as long as I am Master, will never race again in the United States."

Bluenose was long past its prime and immediately upon arrival in Gloucester, there were arguments regarding how much ballast it needed or should be allowed to carry. In the first encounter, on 9 October, the schooner lost its foretopmast and Thebaud won by nearly three minutes. In the next race, Bluenose came roaring back to show just why it was a legend — in spite of blowing the staysail in half, it crossed the finish line nearly twelve minutes ahead of Thebaud.

The third race was declared void — Thebaud won by a mile, but it was a glassy sea and both vessels exceeded the time limit. Bluenose took the make-up race on 23 October by six minutes and thirty-nine seconds; lost the next race by five minutes; and on 26 October, in light winds and in spite of breaking the topsail halyard near the finish-line, took the final race by less than three minutes. It had been a close thing, but Bluenose sailed home to Lunenburg, the winner of three races out of five — and still the Queen of the North Atlantic Fishing Fleet.

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