A comprehensive management view of the America’s Cup from 1851 to the present will be unfurled at the Bosworth Lecture Series on Thursday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rogers Free Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Dyer Jones, consultant, advisor, operating officer and director for over 45 years in the America’s Cup hierarchy, will give a PowerPoint presentation exploring the creation of the America's Cup in 1851 up to the introduction of foiling technology and "flying" boats for recent races including this year's America's Cup in Barcelona.

Beginning in 1967 as a sailing team member aboard the 12 Metre Columbia, Mr Jones has moved up through race committees to oversee Louis Vuitton Cup challenges and the planning of numerous America’s Cup competitions. A former executive director of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Mr Jones is also a director at The Anchorage, Inc., builder of Dyer Boats in Warren.

His talk will look at the 1857 Deed of Gift, giving America's Cup to the New York Yacht Club; then how the Deed was changed through disagreement with how the New York Yacht Club conducted the first matches of 1870 and 1871.  Mr Jones said the Deed has been amended by the Supreme Court of New York on two occasions since then.

He will also cover the development of yacht design, technology, materials and handicap rules; and how these changes have been applied through the "mutual consent" clause of the Deed.  “We will look at what happens when mutual consent is not achieved,” Mr Jones said, “and when a match must be sailed under the strictest terms of the Deed.”

With a BA from Macalester College in MN, training in law, mechanical drawing and engineering, Mr Jones has an extensive sail racing background. A member of the New York Yacht Club since the 1970s, he has served as its race committee chair, trustee and commodore.

He was on the America’s Cup Organizing Committee (1989-95), president of the America’s Cup Challenge Assoc (1995-2000), president of the Challenger of Record Management for America’s Cup XXXI (2000-03), regatta director for America’s Cup XXXII (2003-07) and consultant/advisor for America’s Cup XXXIII (2007-10).

He has also served with the RI State Yachting Committee, the International Yacht Restoration School, International 12 MetreClass Assoc, the Ida Lewis Yacht Club and the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. He is the author of numerous marine related articles and The 12 Metre Class, “A History of the International 12 Metre Class”. 

The Roswell S. Bosworth Jr. Lecture Series is presented by the Men's Club, a local organization that pays tribute to its founding member, former editor and publisher of the East Bay Newspapers, with lectures of interest to the public.

Upcoming Lectures:

May 9 – Edward Karle on The Challenges of Beekeeping

June 13 – Gov. Dan McKee “Recollections on Independence Day”