Career
In 1940 Churchill designed and patented the swim finance improving it from the earlier version made by Louis de Corlieu in 1935. With skin-diving"s low popularity in America, he sold under a thousand pairs. He thought of the idea from seeing Tahitian boys using the same concept.
They would use soft rubber and metal bands shaped like a fish tail.
Churchill improved the shape and used vulcanized rubber. The income from his then-patented and now-commonplace device let him pursue his passion of competitive sailing.
Churchill became the primary patron and team captain of the United States Olympic Yachting team at both the 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1936 (Berlin) Olympic Games. During the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, special recognition was given to Churchill by Peter Ueberroth for his lifelong efforts to promote sailing.
Churchill"s Star Fleet yacht, The Angelita, was fully restored for the occasion and re-christened at the time in Los Angeles harbor.
