Thomas Francis McManus (September 11, 1856 – November 14, 1938) was a fish merchant who became a naval architect, who introduced a shortened bowsprit and long stern overhang to make his vessels faster.

He made the fastest vessels of their type in the world, and was honored on two continents for his skill as a naval architect.

[5] Burgess chose McManus again when the Mayflower was built and won the sixth America's Cup in 1886 against Scottish challenger Galatea.

[6] Thomas McManus spent much of his youth at the waterfront in boats and visits with the merchants at the Boston wharfs.

He studied ship construction under Dennison J. Lawlor, who was friends with the McManus family for half a century.

[1]: p1 McManus introduced a design innovation where he shortened the bowsprit and increased the stern overhang to give speed to his vessels.

[9] The fishing schooner John H. McManus was built in Essex County, Massachusetts by Arthur D. Story in 1885.

The design combined Lawlor's hull-modeling experience with McManus' innovative ideas in her plumb-stem, deep-draft hull and improved rig.

[11] The America did not resemble her famous namesake, rather she was designed with a fishing schooner Indian head bowsprit.

[12] On July 8, 1897, the pilot-boat America was in the Fisherman's Race against the fishing schooner James S. Steele, both designed by McManus.

[13] On August 1, 1907, the Lipton Challenge Cup Fishermen's Race was between McManus's Gaff rig Rose Dorthea, the Jessie Costa, and three other boats.

"[2][4]: p136  Later in August 1907, after Theodore Roosevelt's speech in Provincetown to lay the cornerstone of the Pilgrim Monument, the president spoke to McManus about the recent fishermen's race.