History of this model:

In February 1924, George Crouch started designing Baby Bootlegger for Caleb Bragg, a wealthy New Yorker, former automobile champion and seaplane pilot. Caleb Bragg had already participated once in the Gold Cup and as a member of the very select Columbia Yacht Club, he vowed to regain the lost trophy which since 1915 had been held by the yachtsmen of the east coast of the United States to the benefit of the Detroit industrialists.
Built by the Nevins shipyard in City Island, New York, Baby Bootlegger created a real aesthetic shock as the style was original and the shapes exceptional. It is equipped with a Hispano -Wright V8 engine whose marinization is very promising. In 1924, the Wright company, which had the license to manufacture Hispano Suiza engines, became very interested in the link between aircraft and motorboats. It is not surprising that the shape of the Baby Bootlegger and its behavior in navigation place it on a subtle border between air and water, close to a seaplane float. The very careful construction is in double mahogany planking from Honduras, the assembly is made by means of thousands of screws with milled heads.
In 1924, the Gold Cup, which took place in 3 rounds, saw 3 competitors clearly above the lot, Rainbow IV, Baby Bootlegger and Miss Columbia all 3 designed by Georges Crouch.
These 3 boats finished in the order above but a competitor not concerned by these 3 first places made a complaint against the winner Rainbow IV on the illegality of its hull. Finally Rainbow IV was diqualified in favor of Baby Bootlegger which won this Gold Cup.
Not content with this victory by default, Caleb Bragg won again on Manhasset Bay in 1925 in front of Miss Columbia. The best speed recorded by Baby Bootlegger was 73.5 Km/h. In 1927 Baby Bootlegger stopped racing and was sold to the Timberlake family who kept it until 1947 and left it almost abandoned. It will be restored later by Mr Mason.