The Americans had also commissioned their own ship for the 1922 races, designed by a famous marine architect, Starling Burgess. The ship seemed fast but sank off Sable Island in the banks before it could be put to the test.
A second vessel, the Henry Ford, was commissioned, and this time the results were closer than in 1921. Bluenose lost the first race to the Henry Ford, but it was ruled that the American ship had jumped the gun, and the first race was run again. However, the Henry Ford won again, putting Walters and his ship against the ropes. They had to win the second race or lose a chance at the title.
Bluenose won the second race, but a heavy wind caused the American ship to lose a mast. The Americans claimed that the result was not fair. Their complaints were not recognized, however, and Bluenose won the third race to capture the trophy again. The legend of the unbeatable ship was starting to develop.
In many ways Burgess’s career paralleled Roue’s. He was born in 1870, and his first love was aviation. In 1909, he built a plane that made the first ever flight in New England. He later turned his attention to ships and designed a number of very successful racing ships.
Angus Walters received a congratulatory telegram from the Canadian Prime Minister himself, W. L. Mackenzie King, after the 1922 race.
Bluenose and the Henry Ford in the 1922 final