Briggs Swift Cunningham II (January 19, 1907 – July 2, 2003) was an American entrepreneur and sportsman. He is best known for skippering the yacht Columbia to victory in the 1958 America's Cup race, and for his efforts as a driver, team owner, and constructor in sports car racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Early years
Cunningham was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on 19 January 1907. The family were long-time residents of the Cincinnati area. Cunningham's grandfather had been involved in operating river boats and in shipping, then had gone into the meat packing business with son Briggs Swift Cunningham Senior. The meat packing business was eventually known as Evans, Lippencott & Cunningham. Cunningham Sr. later became founder and president of the Citizen's National Bank, as well as director of the Pennsylvania Railroad, among several others. Cunningham Sr. was also the chief financier of soap company Procter and Gamble. William Cooper Procter would be Cunningham's godfather.
Cunningham Sr. died when Briggs was five years old. The estate was structured such that the Cunningham heirs did not receive full control of it until age forty.
Cunningham's maternal uncle was Dr. Ashton Heyl, a former Rough Rider. Heyl had installed a Hispano-Suiza aircraft engine in a Dodge touring car. As a boy Cunningham was a passenger during some impromptu street races in the car with Heyl.
Cunningham's early schooling took place at Groton and the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. His university days were spent at Yale. He was also a brakeman on the Olympic bobsled team.
On 2 October 1929 he married Lucie Bedford, the granddaughter of E.T. Bedford, a co-founder and director of Standard Oil. The couple spent an extended honeymoon in Europe, where Cunningham won a concours with a Mercedes Benz SS delivered to him personally by Rudolph Caracciola. It was also during this trip that he attended his first major automobile race, the 1930 Monaco Grand Prix. When the couple returned to the US they settled on the Long Island Sound.
During World War II (WWII) he tried to enlist in the US Navy but was deemed ineligible due to a combination of age and a pre-existing condition. He instead joined the Civil Air Patrol, flying submarine patrols off the east coast, first in a Fairchild and later a Sikorski S39B amphibious airplane, both paid for by himself.
Sailing
Owing to his mother's concerns about the dangers of automobile racing, Cunningham did not pursue a driving career until after her death, but did race sail boats competitively.
At seventeen he joined the Pequot Yacht Club and began to race Star Class boats. He said that it was his wife who taught him to sail.
Cunningham partnered with his father-in-law Frederick T. Bedford to purchase the eight meter Loke in 1928.
In 1929 he bought the six meter Akaba, and renamed her Lucie — the first of two of his boats with that name. In 1930 Cunningham commissioned Clinton H. Crane to design a new 6 meter, also to be named Lucie. She was built at the Henry B. Nevins Boatyard in New York in 1931. He spent part of his honeymoon sailing the new Lucie. Cunningham won 6 world titles in 6 meter yachts.
F.T. Bedford commissioned the 12 meter Nyala as a gift for Cunningham and his daughter Lucie when they married.
In 1931 Cunningham was a crew member aboard the Dorade when it won the race around the Fastnet Rock.
In 1937 he was a member of the crew for Harold Stirling Vanderbilt on his yacht Vim.
Cunningham bought the schooner Brilliant from the Coast Guard after WWII, and modified it in an attempt to increase its speed. In 1953 he donated the Brilliant to the Mystic Seaport to be used as an off-shore classroom.
The Brilliant was the first vessel to receive a Cunningham downhaul, an improved downhaul invented by Cunningham that has come to bear his name.
Cunningham was part of the syndicate that commissioned construction of the 12 meter sloop Columbia to contest the first post-war America's Cup race in 1958. The original choice to skipper Columbia in the America's Cup was Cornelius "Corny" Shields, but when he was sidelined by heart troubles Cunningham stepped in and led the boat and crew to victory.
Racing driver and team owner
Cunningham began racing internationally in 1930 with brothers Cowles "Miles" Collier and Sam Collier. These college friends of Cunningham's established the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) in 1933, which became the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) in 1944. Cunningham took part in the first ever SCCA race. He was described as one of the most successful drivers in SCCA sports car racing at the time.