Emil
"Bus" Mosbacher
Bus Mosbacher started sailing at the age of five
and by the time he was nine, had his own boat, a Star-Class
sloop. In 1935 and 1936, he won the midget championship
in his Star, and in 1939 captured the junior championship
and was runner-up in the Star Nationals.
Bus became known for his "tailing starts",
a technique of following an opponent so closely that
the other helmsman would neither tack nor jibe until
Mosbacher broke for the line. He would also initiate
furious tacking duels, counting on the superb condition
of his crew to exhaust the competition.
A shrewd tactician and helmsman and a master of twelve
meters, Mosbacher startled the New York Yacht Club
Selection Committee in the 1958 Cup trials by sailing
the older, slower VIM in close pursuit of the eventual
defender COLUMBIA.
n 1962, Mosbacher skippered the four year old WEATHERLY
to a hard fought victory over the Australians and
their new GRETEL II by a 4-1 margin. His greatest
racing triumph was in 1967 when he skippered INTREPID
to four straight victories over Australia's DAME PATTIE.
His America's Cup racing philosophy is best summarized
by a comment he made aboard WEATHERLY in 1962: "This
is no democracy. However, I do like to hear any well
thought out, reasonable suggestion. Once."