CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Forty Two Australian Wooden Sailing Boats www.classic-yacht.asn.au/42-australians/ <

FRONT COVER ACKNOWLEDGMENT On 19th January 1907, along the shores of Port Tony Blake, marine artist and CYANZ member, gifted The CYAA thanks the ANMM Curator of the Phillip, defender SAYONARA draws ahead of this exquisite painting to the CYAA as a tangible Australian Register of Historic Vessels, David challenger RAWHITI and successfully retains the expression of strong links between New Zealand and Payne, for his support of the CYAA’s Forty Two Sayonara Cup. Copyright A. D. Blake 2015. Australian classic sailors and their Associations. Australians Wooden Sailing Boats project.

Page 2 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats hen Melbourne went into stage three lock down Win July 2020, we lost the opportunity to go sailing Contents in our beautiful old wooden boats. Suddenly, most of us also had more time on our hands than we were KATHLEEN GILLETT 4 AKARANA 52 accustomed to. It was under these circumstances that SAYONARA 6 LAURABADA 54 I chose to compile a personal list of 42 boats that are important to Australia’s sailing history. 42, because the MORNA (KURRAWA IV) 8 BALANDRA 56 lock down was meant to last for 6 weeks. STORM BAY 10 FRANCES 58 The criteria I set were the following; UTEIKAH III 12 SOLVEIG 60

The boat had to be floating, or at least able to float, i.e. no wrecks. It also had to RIPPLE 14 STRUEN MARIE 62 be primarily made of wood in one form or another, it had to be designed to sail LOVE and WAR 16 JUDITH PIHL 64 and perhaps most difficult of all to decide, it had to have made an important contribution to Australia’s maritime history. “Importance” is a difficult characteristic FREYA 18 ALWYN 66 to judge. Design pedigree, construction methods and provenance all factor in, MALUKA 20 WESTWARD 68 but because this is a subjective list I probably weighted achievements, whether CAPRICE of HUON 22 ISE PEARL 70 through racing or adventuring, more heavily. MERCEDES III 24 RUTHEAN 72 The content and order of my initial list of 42 boats changed considerably as I learned more and more about our unique sailing past. Some boats were chosen FIDELIS 26 AORERE 74 as representatives of bigger successful fleets, and others are just individually GRETEL II 28 WRAITH of ODIN 76 brilliant. It’s not the sort of thing that can ever be fully resolved. As knowledge of the past grows opinions and judgements change. MARGARET RINTOUL 30 ARCHINA 78 ACROSPIRE III 32 YENDYS 80 The most important thing however, is not who is right and who is wrong, but that these boats and others are being discussed, valued and cherished. So when the TASSIE TOO 34 CYGNET 82 day comes that we can untie the mooring lines again we will do so with a renewed YVONNE 36 AOTEA 84 passion and enthusiasm for their custodianship. MARIS 38 WINDWARD II 86 HURRICA V 40 Photo credits 88 MARK CHEW LANDFALL 42 FAIR WINDS SIANDRA 44 ASTOR/ADA 46 NERIDA 48 VANESSA 50

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 3 KATHLEEN GILLETT

LAUNCHED: 1939 DESIGNER: Colin Archer BUILDER: Charles Larson

Vessel Dimensions: 43.25 ft x 38 ft x 15 ft x 6.85 ft, 23.85 tons x 8.13 tons x 2.24 tons, 1057.66 square feet

Page 4 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats This unpretentious double ender has one of the more remarkable histories of any Galapagos Islands, Marquesas, Tahiti, Tonga and New Zealand. Earl painted pictures yacht I know. She played a key role in the creation of Australia’s greatest yacht race, during the voyage and at ports of call to help pay for stores along the way. she circumnavigated the world when few had done so (a voyage that was beautifully recorded) and then after years of a colourful tropical existence was wrecked and The adventures of KATHLEEN GILLETT and crew were detailed in articles written by then reborn in extraordinary circumstances. In my eyes, she embodies the first mate Mick Morris that were published each month in Seacraft magazine and characteristics that make Australia’s sailing history so special; utilitarian, practical, followed by an appreciative audience. The articles also featured Jack Earl’s drawings adaptable and adventurous. She is truly a treasure of Australian sailing history. and sketches. Earl illustrated a log of the voyage and sent it home from ports of call to his family. In Sydney, the log became as celebrated as the voyage; friends, family, Built in Sydney between 1933 and 1939, KATHLEEN GILLETT was one of the cruising sailors and colleagues anticipated its arrival and pored over the contents. yachts to enter the first Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 1945. She then became well known as the second Australian yacht to complete a circumnavigation of the Upon KATHLEEN GILLETT’S return to Sydney the Earl family moved back on board, world, from 1947 to 1948. During and after the voyage, the owner and skipper, living in Mosman Bay until the boat was sold. For the next 35 years she had a colourful marine artist Jack Earl (OAM), became widely recognised as a result of the richly career which included over a dozen owners and roles as varied as copra trading vessel illustrated articles and logbook he created during the voyage. Earl’s in New Guinea, Tourist Charter boat, trochus shell carrier, crocodile hunter and private circumnavigation was made in a simply built and maintained yacht adapted from yacht. another design and the crew supplemented their small funds with the sale of Earl’s paintings along the way. In this way it was an inspiration to the public and Earl and In late May 1975 super-typhoon Pamela formed in the lower part of the North Pacific his crew achieved great recognition for their voyage. Ocean and bore down directly on Apia Harbour during the afternoon of 21 May where KATHLEEN GILLETT was at moored. After a valiant struggle to save the yacht she was She was built by Charles Larson at his Wharf Road boat yard in Gladesville, New eventually wrecked on a coral reef in the harbour. South Wales. Larson was Swedish and had been a ship’s carpenter on square riggers. Construction proceeded at Larson’s shed over a six-year period at a pace KATHLEEN GILLETT was severely damaged along the port side and keel, but was appropriate to Jack Earl’s resources. Larson’s team would often work on the yacht salvaged by Reg Stephenson, the owner at the time. After a series of disputes between when there were no other projects needing immediate attention. the yard and the often absent owner she passed into the ownership of Vaughan Tyndzik (a captain of a local research vessel). Vaughan and his wife Jane worked on A gaff ketch, just over 13 metres long, her design was based on an unknown set of the yacht in a piecemeal way as their funds allowed, living on board for some years plans from the famous Norwegian naval architect, Colin Archer, which Larson and eventually restoring KATHLEEN GILLETT to sailing condition. possessed. The Norwegian government bought the boat from the Tyndziks in 1987. The ketch In preparation for the circumnavigation the yacht had a shelter built around the was shipped back to Australia for restoration by Halvorsen Boats Pty Ltd (in cockpit to protect the crew and the brightwork was painted because it was easier consultation with Jack Earl) in preparation for its handover to the Australian National and cheaper to maintain than varnish. Maritime Museum as the Norwegian bicentennial gift to Australia in 1988. KATHLEEN GILLETT was accepted into the National Maritime Collection in 1991 where it has They were away for exactly 18 months, leaving on 7 June 1947 and sailing through been maintained in sailing condition at the museum wharves. Sydney Heads again on 7 December 1948. They covered 26,000 nautical miles in a voyage that went first to the north of Australia, then across the Indian Ocean, then Jack Earl was awarded the OAM in 1992. As the traditional seaweed was draped over the Atlantic Ocean to Panama. From there they crossed the Pacific, including the his coffin, a dirge was blown from a conch shell

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 5 SAYONARA

LAUNCHED: 1897 DESIGNER: William Fife III BUILDER: A McFarlane & Sons. Vessel Dimensions: 57.6 ft x 38.2 ft x 10.6 ft, 18 tons

Page 6 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats SAYONARA (Japanese for Goodbye) was built for Melbourne businessman George begun another career as one of the famous Sydney Harbour based Griffin charter Garrad in 1897. William Fife III was considered the most important naval architect yacht fleet working out of Lavender Bay, North Sydney. During World War II of the period. She was built in Adelaide by A McFarlane & Sons. Carvel planked SAYONARA was very popular with visiting American servicemen, keen to show off in New Zealand kauri on Australian hardwood frames, the design was clearly one to the local ladies. that Fife held in high regard. At almost the same time SAYONARA was being in built in Adelaide, Fife built a sister vessel from the same plans called CERIGO for Dick Sargeant, Tokyo Olympic gold medallist who crewed on the 5.5 metre his own use in Scotland. Launched in November 1897, SAYONARA immediately BARRENJOEY and GRETEL, recalls starting out as a 15 year old crew member during cruised to Melbourne in record time. the 1950s when SAYONARA was one of about 10 craft operated by Griffins. She usually went out with a skipper and one or two crew, sailing under mainsail and George Garrard was Commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and raced staysail. Jack Wiley was often skipper, but Dick recalls that by the time he was 18 or SAYONARA with immediate success in the Intercolonial Regatta held on Hobson's 19 he skippered SAYONARA himself on a couple of occasions. The CYAA maintains Bay, February 1898. She won in a fleet that included the then undefeated South contact with this era of SAYONARA through the family of another SAYONARA crew Australian champion ALEXA. SAYONARA was especially good in light weather and member during the 1950’s, the then well known Seacraft magazine article and won so many events that the Victorian clubs banded together and put a size limit Sargasso opinion contributor,Tony Johnson. on yachts, effectively barring SAYONARA and ALEXA from many races. In early 1904 the third owner Alfred Gollin challenged NSW to an Intercolonial (interstate) SAYONARA remained with the Griffin fleet until the 1970's and then became a private race series. It was accepted and arrangements were made for SAYONARA to race yacht, eventually becoming home to Henk Kossen. He bought the yacht in a the NSW yacht BONA off Sydney Heads. Gollin imported a hollow spar from dilapidated, wrecked state having sunk at her moorings. Had he not bought America to further improve her performance. SAYONARA then sailed to Sydney SAYONARA, the yacht would probably have been scrapped for the value of its lead and the series became a major public event. Competing against the Sydney yacht keel. Henk was able to rebuild the boat to sailing condition and then cruised the BONA, the series was won by SAYONARA, two races to one. Owner Alfred Gollin eastern seaboard, often single handed and with no motor installed. then donated a cup under the yacht's name as a perpetual trophy for interstate racing, with a deed of gift that was similar to the America's Cup. Kossen sold SAYONARA to the current owners in 1996. After an extensive and meticulous restoration project that returned SAYONARA to its 1904 gaff cutter racing The Sayonara Cup was then defended by SAYONARA on Port Phillip, Victoria configuration, she once again sails with the CYAA fleet on Port Phillip. She is currently against NSW challengers. In 1907 racing against RAWHITI, SAYONARA won 2-0 listed for sale with the European based brokers Sandeman Yacht Company. and then in 1909 racing against THELMA it won 2-1 in a close series. Today, the CYAA retains a direct connection to these times through the family of the The Sayonara Cup and SAYONARA are clearly bonded together and are a rare world SAYONARA paid hand, Francois Henri. wide example of a yacht that began a significant race or regatta remaining extant over a century from when the first race was held. The Sayonara Cup events became the premier yacht races of the period and followed closely by the media and public. Although SAYONARA no longer contested the cup the series remained a major yachting event until the 1960s. It was primarily raced between Victorian and NSW yachts until a Tasmanian challenge was accepted in the late 1950s. In 2018 the trophy is still contested but is raced in International Dragon Class yachts. By the 1940’s it appears to have

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 7 MORNA (KURRAWA IV)

LAUNCHED: 1913 DESIGNER: William Fife III BUILDER: Morrison and Sinclair

Vessel Dimensions: LOA 18.8m LWL 13.65m Beam 3.96m Draft2.65m Sail Area: 272 sq.m Displacement: 55.2 tons

Page 8 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats A product of the most famous designer of the last 150 years… This magnificent In 1954 she was bought by the Livingston family and renamed 'KURRAWA IV' (fast yacht is a pivotal part of the story of Australia’s yachting history. She has been swimming fish). She remained in Sydney sometime and then went to the Livingston’s owned by some of Australia’s greatest yachting personalities, including James home club, the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. Between 1954 and 1960 she entered Hardie, Sir Frank Packer, Claude Plowman, and the Livingston brothers. But during six Sydney-Hobart races and achieved the fastest time in four on four occasions. In the 2000's and 2010's every time I sailed up to Sydney from Melbourne I would these races, John Livingston would stand in the bows playing the bagpipes as a see her sitting on her mooring at Kirribilli, pumps running, looking sadder and challenge to the rest of the fleet and to warn the spectator boats to keep clear. sadder. I’ve had a bit of trouble working out what’s happening to her now, but it seems that a restoration is a possibility thanks to Sean Langman and Noakes Bear in mind the last of these Sydney to Hobart victories was 47 years after she was Shipyard, (any further information gratefully received). launched.

Although MORNA was never rated as a 12-Metre her drawings probably came Of her final victory in 1960 the Canberra times wrote: from the First International Rule. She was built for Sir Alexander MacCormick, “KURRAWA IV finished at 7.11 p.m. after covering the last 40 nautical miles at an named after one of his daughters. Incredibly, this yacht was built for day sailing average speed of 8 knots…When the yachts rounded Tasman Light only about 15 and as a flagship for her first owner who was Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron miles separated the three leaders, but KURRAWA IV, flying before a 30-knot Commodore. southerly left SOLO and ASTOR both in lighter breezes, well behind. The remainder of the fleet is strung out up the length of the Tasmanian coast. Veteran blue water Sir Claude Plowman, a radio manufacturer, bought her in 1930. He loved ace Jock Muir, of Hobart, who was KURRAWA’S IV sailing master, said the race was competition and fitted her out for racing. She began to show her potential and one of the easiest in which he had sailed. "We were in front for most of the way consistently won races in the 1930's as the scratch boat on Sydney Harbour. He except for one day when ASTOR hit the front," he said. "But we were a bit worried then entered her in three consecutive Sydney-Hobart races from 1946 to 1948 when we spent five and a half hours almost becalmed getting round Tasman Light." and she won line honours in each event. "At times it was frustrating and at other times exciting, "said John Livingston. "We carried the big spinnaker 2.500 square feet—for 17 hours at one stage and made The Canberra Times of 1947 reported: 200 miles in 24 hours." “The yacht race from Sydney to Hobart finished when the 65 ft Sydney cutter, MORNA crossed the finishing line at 1.53 p.m. today. More than 3,000 people on Through the family of KURRAWA IV watch captain, Doug Robertson, CYAA has access the Hobart waterfront cheered wildly as the MORNA sailed in. … She has the to significant KURRAWA IV documents of record. Doug’s eldest brother, Ron, when greatest length of any entrant and a width of 13 feet. The MORNA wins the special skippering KURRAWA IV, was lost overboard off Sydney Heads during a June 1958 challenge trophy presented by Captain John H. Illingworth for the first yacht to storm. Doug Robertson’s son, Ian, as a 10 year old, sailed on her return voyages to finish. Yachting experts tip the Sydney cutter, CHRISTINA, to win the handicap. Sydney. Now, as ex Sailing Administrator of Hobsons Bay Yacht Club, Ian reports, “Although sea sick all the way, for a 10 year old, what a life”. Tony Gray, ex-R.A.N., one of the MORNA’S navigators, who suffered a sprained ankle, was the only member of the crew to suffer any injury. The MORNA had a Contrary to the Livingston’s opinion they would rather send KURRAWA IV to a close shave when the freighter, IRON BARON came out of a dense fog on Friday Viking funeral than sell her, this yacht deserves to be out there sailing again after morning and passed her so close that, according to one of the crew, he could have so many years languishing in Careening Cove. Let’s hope there is the determination thrown an apple on board. On Sunday morning the MORNA struck one of the and the dollars out there to make it happen. Tasmanian east coast calms, and progress was slow until the wind freshened to S.S.W. on Monday night.”

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 9 STORM BAY

LAUNCHED: 1925 DESIGNER: Alfred Blore BUILDER: Percy Coverdale

Vessel Dimensions: 54 ft x 40 ft x 13 ft x 6.5 ft, 25 tons

Page 10 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Anybody who has seen STORM BAY reaching fully canvassed in 20 knots of breeze will have no issues with her being in my top five Australian wooden sailing boats. But more importantly, she sits at that precise point where form and function meet, beauty from efficacy and efficacy from beauty. She is an outstanding example of how century old sailing culture can be embraced and actively incorporated into the lives we live today. STORM BAY was built in 1925 for fisherman George Bridge who lived in Nubeena. The name comes from Storm Bay where the Derwent River opens to the sea in South East Tasmania. This was a significant fishing ground with large schools of barracouta. Percy Coverdale built STORM BAY at his Battery Point boatyard in Hobart. She has blue gum frames, with hull and decks of Huon pine. Some of the hull planks are full length from stem to counter. The Mercury newspaper announced her launching as follows “…STORM BAY is a very handsome addition to the Tasmanian fishing fleet. Looking at the smack as she stands at present she resembles a cruising yacht rather than a fishing vessel – her lines are graceful and she should prove to be speedy under sail.” She is a jackyard topsail cutter, and is an excellent sailing craft. The moderate draft hull has more deadrise than other fishing boats of the period, and with its long keel and centreboard has all the qualities of a fine yacht. Fishing for barracouta took place while the boat drifted under a double-reefed mainsail. The 'couta jig or lure was a piece of white Huon pine about 150mm (6 in) long, tapered with two big barbless hooks, attached to a linked wire chain, fastened to a 4. 5m (15 ft) long sassafras sapling. With no refrigeration, STORM BAY had a wet well made of 100mm (4 in) thick Huon pine. The Bridge family owned STORM BAY from 1925 until 1963, and throughout their ownership she was looked after like a yacht. George died in 1954, but his four sons carried on the business until 1964. George’s grandson Jim Bridge of Lutana followed in the family business and fished for 14 years aboard STORM BAY during the 1940s and 50s. After being sold by the Bridge family she became a crayboat operating out of St. Helens, acquiring a wheel house for shelter on the open seas off the rugged Tasmanian coast. During a superb 10 year restoration carried out at Tim Phillip’s Wooden Boatshop at Sorrento in Victoria, she was restored to her original configuration, complete with wet well and gaff rig. She now continues her adventures throughout Tasmania, Bass Strait and along southern Australia’s coast line every year, with a deck full of craypots and often a well-stocked wet well. CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 11 UTIEKAH III

LAUNCHED: 1925 DESIGNER:Jack Savage & Ireton Giles BUILDER: Percy Coverdale

Vessel Dimensions: 56 ft × 43.75 ft × 6.9 ft, 38 tons

Page 12 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats It might seem odd that a boat that seems to have never raced in its life, and is not power, fitted with a 3.5 tonne reinforced concrete keel to replace the one lost on renowned as a great explorer should come so high up on my list . However this the reef, then brought back to Australia and sold. It ended up in Hobart and was vessel and her long time skipper “Spuddo” Giles safely introduced over 4000 sold again, but the two owners fell into a disagreement and it was bought by John Australian boys and a few girls to the pleasures of ocean sailing over a 30 year period. and Carolyn Mahoney who set out to rebuild UTIEKAH III to its original configuration. This wasn’t just on the odd afternoon, but during long term cruises through Bass Strait, around Tasmania and the South Pacific. Many of those children went on to become lifelong sailors. It’s hard to imagine a greater contribution to the culture of Australian sailing, and this is the yacht that made it all possible. UTIEKAH III was built in Tasmania in 1925 by the Wilson Brothers yard in Cygnet, a family of well-known boat builders in Tasmania over three generations, and was the first non-commercial vessel they built. It took them 10 months. She was built for Ireton Elliot Giles, a charismatic Victorian teacher and adventurer who pioneered sail-training. She is planked in Huon pine and copper fastened. The name UTIEKAH is thought to have Maori origins and refers to the sound of rippling water. Giles collaborated with Jack Savage to design the third UTIEKAH for the purpose of taking students at Melbourne Grammar School on challenging and character building exercises where they learnt the art of seamanship, blue water sailing and understanding the elements of the ocean. UTIEKAH III crossed Bass Strait over 50 times with these voyages. In 1927 Giles set sail with a crew of young Grammar fellows and a couple of 'old salts' on a South Pacific voyage, rationed with bully beef and kerosene they departed from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. Giles was recorded by one journalist as stating that Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands were on the itinerary, beyond which the rest of the passage would be subject to “wherever prevailing winds may take them'. The voyage was reported as the first such cruise by a privately owned Australian yacht, visiting Fiji and Samoa. In the 1950’s Giles retired to Hobart, where he continued to use UTIEKAH III to teach sailing to the local boys from The Hutchins School. Giles sold UTIEKAH III at age 90, and he died two years later. She was bought by the Fowler family in Tasmania. They fitted her with a deck house and a 1958 Ford Thames diesel motor which is still installed. A syndicate purchased UTIEKAH III in 1972 intending to use the yacht for charter work on the Great Barrier Reef. In 1974 it foundered on a reef off Mackay and was written off and abandoned. A storm came up from the south and washed the yacht into a lagoon where it was found floating and recovered by Gary Underwood. It was taken to New Zealand mainly under

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 13 RIPPLE

LAUNCHED: 1926 DESIGNER: Peter Locke BUILDER: Peter Locke

Vessel Dimensions: LOA 26’ 1.5” Draft 2’0”

Page 14 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I selected this beautiful craft as a representative of the magnificent Couta Boats. launching. The RIPPLE spent her early years working from Sorrento skippered by They must surely be the greatest Australian success story when it comes to the Tally Erlandsen whose father had jumped ship and settled in Sorrento in 1890. rejuvenation and preservation of a traditional class of boat. They were originally used for Couta fishing in Victoria from about 1870 until the 1930's and sailed from She passed from the Erlandsen family to the O’Halloran family in the 1950’s and was Sorrento and Queenscliff and other ports as far west as Portland. The boats headed used for recreational fishing along the Gippsland coast. By this time she was purely out to the fishing grounds before dawn, usually through the entrance to Port Phillip, motor driven and a cabin had been added for comfort and practicality. The the infamous and often treacherous Rip, where the Couta boats qualities of O’Halloran children can vividly recall retreating to the cabin top as their grandfather seaworthiness were proven. Once their quota of barracouta was met, the fishermen struggled to subdue a rather large shark in the cockpit – succeeding only after its turned their efforts to sailing back to port as fast as they could — the first boat back thrashing had splintered the engine box. got the best prices. RIPPLE was rediscovered at Port Albert in 1988 by Robert Finkestein. Following a Although load carrying capacity was important, the need for speed under sail was substantial refurbishment at the Wooden Boat Shop, Tally’s daughter, Mrs. Ida also a desired characteristic. The typical Couta boat carried a gaff sail and jib set out Clarke, presided over her re-launching at Sorrento. In 1998 RIPPLE was purchased on a long bowsprit, although the main sail developed into more of a gunter sail, as by Patrick O’Hara of Perth and joined the growing fleet of Couta Boats sailing in the it had a very high peaked gaff or yard. A rig peculiar to the Couta boat evolved, West before returning to her home waters off Sorrento in 2000. This year (2018) she which allowed for sail to be carried much higher than previously, and included the will hopefully still be sailing the waters of Port Phillip on her 100th birthday in 6 distinctive curved down bowsprit. years time. This working fishing craft’s compromise between seaworthiness, speed and capacity has nowadays made it a quintessential recreational sailing boat. Couta boats are highly sought after and keenly raced. Many are built new from scratch, as the supply of originals has been exhausted. There is a Couta sailing boat club in Sorrento and another in Queenscliff. They are now found racing and cruising in all six states of Australia. RIPPLE has strong historical ties with Sorrento, originally built for Tally Erlandsen, the then long standing lessee of the Sorrento Baths and original owner of the Fish and Chips shop. The boat was built at Queenscliff by Peter Locke, the first boat he built in his own right. He started working with Mitch Lacco in Queenscliff in 1924 and took over the business in 1926. Her lines show characteristic Locke modifications to the earlier Lacco lines: a little fuller along the garboard to assist ballasting and under the engine bed, and hence through to the stern. She is shallower of draft than many, but this probably results from a specific request from the owner who wanted to negotiate the shallow waters off Sorrento rather than to ply the Rip. Lacco and Locke worked from a shed at the rear of 31 Beach Street, Queenscliff. Fortunately photographs remain of the launching of the RIPPLE showing the shed, the old jetty off Wharf Street, and the sense of occasion that accompanies any new

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 15 LOVE and WAR

LAUNCHED: 1973 DESIGNER: Sparkman & Stevens BUILDER: Cec Quilkey

Vessel Dimensions: 16.59 ft x 13.42 ft x 7.22 ft, 14.27 tons

Page 16 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Almost 40 years after drawing his first boat commissioned outside of the USA, Olin Kurts continued to sail LOVE & WAR in Australia, and decided to mount another Stephens designed LOVE & WAR. Although she has four decades of design advances serious challenge for handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart race for 1978. He built in, I like to think that flicking through the images of the two boats I can still optimised the rig and trim further, bought new sails, and although the changes recognise some of the same DNA. increased the rating, it was also eligible for an age allowance concession, which then LOVE & WAR is an ocean racing yacht built for Queensland businessman Peter Kurts took back some of the increased rating. Once again it was good tactical sailing that by shipwright Cec Quilkey at Taren Point, NSW and launched late in 1973. Quilkey kept LOVE & WAR toward the head of the fleet, and along with seven other boats, had become one of the leading craftsmen for timber yachts and had pioneered cold they broke away from the rest of fleet off Gabo Island and kept light winds through moulded construction in the mid-1960's starting with MERCEDES III, RAGAMUFFIN to the finish, while the remainder were left for up to 15 hours with virtually no wind. and KOOMOOLOO, yachts that in their time were state-of-the-art internationally. LOVE & WAR finished 6th overall, and held its time on rivals MARGARET RINTOUL Seacraft magazine carried the following report: “Queensland Skipper Peter Kurts has II and CONSTELLATION to take handicap honours for a second time. Still owned by a new Sparkman & Stephens 47, almost identical to the successful German Admiral’s the Kurts family, she came back to win the 2006 Hobart under the IRC rule, with a Cup SAUDADE and the British PROSPECT OF WHITBY. She is rigged similarly to crew led by navigator Lindsay May. He had felt the yacht sailed above its IRC rating RAGAMUFFIN’s latest rig. Her mast is a lofty 60 ft (20m) and carries a small main. in headwinds, and knew that given the right conditions they were a good chance Graham Newland, who is setting up the boat for her owner says she is of medium for a high placing. In 2006 the fleet sailed most the race until Storm Bay in just those displacement and like YANKEE GIRL and CHARISMA in rig, preserving all their great conditions, moderate headwinds with a lumpy sea, which suited LOVE & WAR and windward qualities while incorporating some new ideas on getting down wind faster its experienced crew. For a third time LOVE & WAR had taken handicap honours, and leading with less underwater drag. Deck layout is the fashionable flush deck and only one other yacht has won the race three times, the Halvorsen Bros FREYA with a slight blister aft of the mast. She is cold moulded with four skins and with consecutive wins in 1963, 1964 and 1965. LOVE & WAR continues to be sailed beautifully fashioned as only Cec Quilkey can. Her inside layout is racing clean- no in Sydney and offshore by the Kurts family. fuss. Sails are by Bouzaid and North with Hughie Treharne making the spinnakers. She is named LOVE & WAR”.

Built in four layers of Oregon, she was one of the last racing yachts to be built in this manner in Australia. She had a slow start to her career, taking part in the 1973 Sydney to Hobart race but not gaining a place. She became one of the premier yachts for 1974 when she took out the Cruising Yacht Club’s Blue Water ocean racing point score along with winning on handicap the 1974 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, the first of three wins in this prestigious event. 1974 was a light weather event, they finished eighth across the line and skipper Kurts praised the navigation skills of Magnus Halvorsen as one of the reasons for their victory. She then raced in the delayed selection trials for the 1975 Admiral’s Cup team. LOVE & WAR came out the top scoring boat, and together with the aluminium BUMBLEBEE 3 and balsa/timber plank sandwiched hull MERCEDES IV made up the Australian team for the series in the UK in August. This event was a hugely disappointing series for the Australian team, finishing ninth overall.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 17 FREYA

LAUNCHED: 1963 DESIGNER: Trygve Halvorsen BUILDER: Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd

Vessel Dimensions: 39.25 ft x 33.75 ft x 11.25 ft x 6 ft, 11.7 tons

Page 18 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I have to predicate this selection by saying that I assume FREYA is still “alive”. The last reference I can find to her is that she was for sale in the Caribbean in 2015 (looking ok) so I’m assuming she’s still floating. If anyone has any updates…let me know. This is one seriously special boat! She was built for Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen to race in the Sydney to Hobart and won the prestigious event on three successive occasions from 1962 to 1965, a feat that has never been equalled. FREYA’s lines were an evolution of Trygve’s previous designs including SOLVEIG, ANITRA V and NORLA. FREYA’s construction began in 1962 while the Trygve and Magnus were involved with the GRETEL America’s Cup challenge. The backbone was made from the lofted lines and put aside until they returned from Newport in October 1962. At this stage Magnus asked Trygve to make a significant change to the design. The earlier yachts designed by Trygve had been built with a spade rudder separate from the keel, but Magnus wanted a hull that was very easy to steer and asked for a keel hung rudder and a long keel. The original lines drawn in early 1962 by Trygve show how the keel ended well short of the spade rudder and this was located right aft close to the end of the waterline. The redrawn lines show the vertical rudder stock moved forward about 3 feet and a much longer keel. This helped the boat track very easily but gave the boat more wetted surface which made it slower in light airs. Magnus recalled that “the long keel and deadwood gave her the underwater body of a contemporary 50–55 footer. She had that feeling of a much bigger boat at sea. With her large vertical rudder there was perfect control. She responded to the helm at all times. Never did she broach to! She carried a shy spinnaker longer than any competing yacht. Indeed, a spinnaker could be carried until it was aback, without rounding up. FREYA could also carry full sail to windward in 30 knots.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 19 MALUKA

LAUNCHED: 1932 DESIGNER: Cliff Gale BUILDER: Cam Fisher and Sons Vessel Dimensions: 28 ft x 28 ft x 10 ft x 6.5 ft, 6.91 tons

Page 20 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats It’s now the most important sailing craft we are coming to with some serious keel was retrieved and brought back overland by truck. The keel was bolted back “royalty”. under the hull and then MALUKA was sailed back to Sydney. MALUKA was built by Billy Fisher in La Perouse on Botany Bay in 1932. She is The yacht was then properly repaired by Fisher and 12 months later successfully connected to Sydney Harbour's RANGER class of raised-deck racing yachts and has voyaged to Tasmania and return over Christmas and New Year in 1936/37. This was the same characteristics but is an earlier and larger version with sea-going the brothers last voyage in MALUKA and shortly after they sold the boat and had a capabilities. The owners, brothers William and George Clark were bachelors, and newer version built called MATHANA. She is known to have changed hands a couple had settled in Sydney a few years earlier after retiring from farming. They were of times, and at one point in the late 1930s it was owned by the well-known Sydney interested in racing, cruising and fishing and commissioned the design from sailor, Sil Rohu, designer of the VJ class dinghy. experienced amateur designer Cliff Gale. The 8.53 m ( 28 ft) long gaff rigged yacht Peter Flowers’ grandfather Glen Houston owned MALUKA for many years, and it has what have become the trademark features of a Gale design; raised deck, plumb was berthed at both Cottage Point and at their home at Abbotsford. Peter says “ I stem and transom, and well-balanced sailing qualities. MALUKA was planked in learnt to fish ( and drink coffee as a 10 year old ) on MALUKA and fondly remember Huon pine and fitted with a Lycoming auxiliary petrol engine. the stories he use to tell us of how she was built and salvaged and sold on. My The Clark brothers raced MALUKA with the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club and fished fondest memory was eating crabs and fish caught each day on the Hawkesbury offshore or around the harbour. They undertook the first of four well documented followed by Glen playing his mouth organ late into the evening.” cruising voyages in April 1933 when they sailed to North Queensland, spending five The yacht remained in or near to Sydney and in 2005/2006 it was extensively rebuilt months away from Sydney. It was a great success and the gale they experienced and restored so that it could take part in the 2006 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, with very early in the voyage proved the seaworthiness of MALUKA's design. This gave additional structure, fibreglass reinforcement, carbon fibre spars and kevlar sails. them great confidence for their next voyage in September 1934 to Lord Howe Island, Skippered by prominent sailor Sean Langman, MALUKA finished 4th on handicap, taking Sep Stephens as a third crew member. The boat weathered severe gales on an extraordinary achievement for a gaff-rigged craft over 70 years old racing against both passages and again proved itself entirely capable in the open ocean. modern yachts. In 2007 it repeated its voyage to Lord Howe Island.

Their next voyage ended in disaster. The three sailors left Sydney just prior to Christmas in 1935 and south of Eden were a caught in a southerly gale raging against a strong south moving current. The seas were huge so they hove-to for an extended period, and crew member Stephens was injured during one knock down. Unable to take any sights to confirm their position they estimated they were near Green Cape in NSW. The brothers were eventually overcome with exhaustion and lashed the tiller with all three sheltering below, believing they were drifting well out to sea. In fact the current had taken them well south along the Victorian Coastline and the early hours of the morning the boat grounded on a headland at Cape Conran, near the township of Marlo. It grounded with damage to one side and when dawn broke they found themselves on the rocks laying over to starboard and clear of the sea. With help from locals they salvaged the yacht by patching over the one hole in the planking, and removing its ballast keel so they could man-handle the hull across the rocks and back to deeper water. The yacht was refloated and motored to Marlo, while the

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 21 CAPRICE of HUON

LAUNCHED: 1951 DESIGNER: Robert Clark BUILDER: Vivian Innes

Vessel dimensions: 45.34 ft × 32.38 ft × 10.04 ft × 6.73 ft, 11.57 tons

Page 22 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats CAPRICE of HUON and yesterday’s post show MERCEDES III have similar legacies in or up at Broken Bay in the holiday periods. After Ingate sold the yacht to regards to Australia’s yachting history but CAPRICE sneaks ahead in my eyes, because concentrate on other sailing activities, she changed ownership a couple of times, she excelled over a longer period of time, and let’s face it she’s just a little more but remained active. She was extensively restored in 1999, including new engine elegant. and mast, and has since been cruising, club racing and sailing in classic yacht She was launched in October 1951 from Port Cygnet on the Huon River. The builder, events. She has cruised from Sydney to the Whitsundays, Lord Howe Island and Vivian Innes, was once an apprentice at the famous Wilson Bros yard before setting Tasmania. In the 2006/2007 CYCA Short Haul Series CAPRICE OF HUON won both up on his own in the same region. He is understood to have built craft from 1923 the IRC and PHS point scores and again won the overall IRC from 2009 to 2011. until 1951. Innes was in his late 70s when he built CAPRICE OF HUON. Innes worked from plans supplied by UK designer Robert Clark who was one of the principle yacht designers in the UK at that time. It was designed to the RORC rule (then widely in use). The original rig was a 7/8 cutter. CAPRICE OF HUON was originally raced by Charles Calvert and his family including sons Hedley, Barry and Don who all became champion yachtsmen. They had a number of local wins and the yacht was one of the principal craft on the Derwent. In late 1957 it was sold to Bill Northam, in Sydney. Bill had been a motor car racer before turning his sporting attention to sailing in his mid-40s. He bought GYMEA and learnt about ocean racing and in the process became an accomplished skipper, despite his late entry into the sport. In July 1962, he sold CAPRICE OF HUON to Gordon Ingate who had helped teach Northam how to sail when he owned GYMEA. Ingate converted the yacht to a masthead sloop with an aluminium spar that he fabricated himself. He campaigned her fiercely in all the eastern seaboard ocean racing events. Under its various owners it has been a 7 time winner of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadrons’ Gascoigne Cup, a short offshore race keenly contested each year. CAPRICE OF HUON was part of Australia’s Admirals Cup teams in 1965 and 1967 when Australia made an impressive entry into the international ocean racing arena. In 1965, sailing with team yachts CAMILLE OF SEAFORTH and FREYA, CAPRICE OF HUON was the highest placed yacht winning 3 of the 4 races in the series, and the team came second on debut. She returned to Cowes in 1967, under charter to Gordon Reynolds because owner Gordon Ingate was skippering GRETEL in the trial racing for the 1967 Americas Cup. Teamed with MERCEDES III and BALANDRA , the Australian team won convincingly and the three yachts were the top individual yachts in the series, a feat never repeated again. She also had a cruising side. The Calverts took her cruising from Hobart, and in Sydney she was often seen at the usual locations around the harbour on weekends

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 23 MERCEDES III

LAUNCHED: 1966 DESIGNER: Bob Miller (Ben Lexcen) BUILDER: Cec Quilkey

Vessel dimensions: 40 ft x 31.2 ft x 11.25 ft x 6.5 ft

Page 24 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Today’s and tomorrow’s boat selections are hard to separate. They sailed as team launched. The repairs did not compromise the strength of the hull and were barely members during one of Australia’s greatest sailing triumphs. I have a soft spot for visible after completion. this old girl (actually she would be one of the youngest in my list) as I have done a Australia had come second in its first attempt at the Admiral's Cup in 1965, and few ocean miles aboard her over the years…another great example of Aussie surprised everyone with this result in what the English had described as cruising designed pragmatism over and above aesthetics...but oh doesn’t she treat you to yachts rather than racing yachts. Buoyed by how well they had done another team some great sailing! was prepared for the bi-annual series, always held in the UK. MERCEDES III was MERCEDES III was built at Cec Quilkey's yard in Taren Point, NSW south of Sydney. launched for the trials, and over its early period of trials it won nine out of the The design came largely from Bob Miller, who later became well known as Ben fourteen races it contested. It was an immediate selection for the 1967 team which Lexcen, designer of the America's cup winning 12 metre AUSTRALIA II Miller had included CAPRICE OF HUON and BALANDRA. CAPRICE was 15 years old, but a very established a sail making business with Craig Whitworth, but was also undertaking competitive yacht, while BALANDRA was newly built from a recent English Camper boat design work. Contemporary reports and other documents indicate that owner and Nicholson design. Ted Kaufmann, a Sydney engineer and well-known sailor was quite involved with In the UK, the four race series was strongly contested with other teams from the UK, the design as well, but it is understood he commissioned the lines from Miller who Europe and the USA. The Australian team were very consistent throughout and were was then recognised for his pioneering lightweight 18-foot skiff designs. the top placed team in each of the four races, winning the series overall by a She was a lighter displacement, hard bilged concept for an ocean racer, quite commanding 107 points. MERCEDES III won the second race overall, the Britannia different from the heavier classic designs that were standard for the era in Australia. Cup, and was the highest placed yacht over the four races, followed by BALANDRA To achieve the required strength, the hull was cold moulded in four layers of Oregon. and then CAPRICE of HUON, giving Australia the most comprehensive victory ever The keel, ribs, frames and floors are laminated from Queensland maple. Miller was recorded for the Admiral's Cup. familiar with cold moulding as he was a champion sailor in the high performance During the 1970s and early 1980's MERCEDES III raced on Sydney Harbour, with a Flying Dutchman dinghy, which used this method with great success. Quilkey was short period in Melbourne with the Royal Brighton Yacht Club. She also competed also a master craftsmen for moulded timber craft, again through his work building in many Sydney to Hobart races. The current owner bought MERCEDES III in 1986 Flying Dutchman dinghies. and the yacht moved back to Melbourne. She raced again in the Sydney to Hobart Bob Miller, with help from Carl Ryves, drew MERCEDES III’s lines full size from his race in 1995 and 1996, and has had success under the many changing ocean racing early sketches and plans at Fairland Hall in Hunters Hill, NSW. Miller then used the rules, including the IOR, IMS and IRC. Owned by the President of the CYAA she is full sized drawings, which he modified as he went along. The final lines, plan and now one of the standout boats in the Melbourne Classic Yacht fleet. shape evolved during just one weekend. Cec Quilkey was present and the offsets for the frame shapes were taken from Bob Miller's lines, although Quilkey may have marginally modified these offsets during the hull lofting. The strength of this method was tested before it was launched, when it fell backwards from the trailer taking it to the water for the first time. Landing onto its side, there was damage to the planking and some of the frames. Back in the builder's shed repairs were done quickly, before it was again taken to the water and finally

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 25 FIDELIS

LAUNCHED: 1964 DESIGNER: Knud Reimers BUILDER: Lidgard Boatbuilders

Vessel Dimensions: 61 ft x 47 ft x 10 ft x 8.5 ft

Page 26 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I love this boat because she sits at the centre of a famous sailing triangle that is Nowadays the yacht races and cruises regularly both in and around Sydney Harbour Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia. and also offshore. In recent years she has raced in regattas in Sydney, in Auckland, Australia’s sailing connections to Scandinavia reach back to the legendary Norwegian and sailed offshore with voyages to the Solomons, Queensland, New Zealand and Colin Archer (1883-1921), who spent his formative years farming in Queensland. Tasmania. She has completed more than 15 voyages to Lord Howe both in the race Then of course there’s the Halvorsen Family and this link is continues with FIDELIS from Gosford and in the last several years for the Lord Howe Island Classic Yacht and Reimers (who also designed the Tumlaren,) The New Zealand corner of the cruise. triangle is more obvious! Check out AKARANA. FIDELIS is one of those yachts with 200,000 ocean nautical miles of sailing that FIDELIS, originally an out and out ocean racer from New Zealand, made a significant still turns the heads of those who see her on the water… contribution to the continued rivalry between the two countries that started with RAINBOW and RAWHITI in the early 1900s. Her racing career began with a line honours win in the Auckland to Suva Race of 1966. She then made her way to Australia to enter that year’s Sydney to Hobart yacht race. FIDELIS did more than just get the gun in her inaugural Hobart – she set a new race record margin with a time of 4 days 8 hours and 39 minutes. The February 1967 issue of Seacraft Magazine had the headline 'KIWI FLYER SHOWED US HOW ' "Splendid performance of Auckland's Swedish-designed 61-foot flyer FIDELIS was a surprise to Australian yachtsmen and a great joy to her skipper Jim Davern and New Zealanders generally...". FIDELIS won line honours in a rare light weather race, finishing 17&1/2 hours ahead of the next yacht, BALANDRA. Despite this large margin and having been over 80 nautical miles ahead at one stage, FIDELIS was not able to win the rare double, the small Sydney yacht CADENCE came through under spinnaker over a day later to win on handicap. FIDELIS renewed the close links between Australia and New Zealand that were at their strongest during RAWHITI's time, and it even shares a similar triple-planked kauri construction. Building on FIDELIS's performance, another wave of New Zealand boats came across for subsequent Hobart races and achieved more ocean racing success. During the eighties FIDELIS was altered extensively with hours of shipwright labour transforming her from a stripped out ocean greyhound into one of the fastest and most comfortable classic yacht passage makers. The additions of a roller headsail, self tailing winches and up to date navigation equipment transformed the boat. Ten years ago a further update refixed the keel, smoothed the hull and laid new teak decks.. The addition a year or so later of a carbon mast completed the transformation but not the look or feel of the yacht.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 27 GRETEL II

LAUNCHED: 1970 DESIGNER: Alan Payne BUILDER: W.H. Barnett

Vessel dimensions: 62.25 ft x 12.2 ft, 31 tons

Page 28 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Given Australia’s pivotal role in the history of the Americas Cup it would be wrong not to include a 12 metre in the list. Which one? She has to be wooden so there’s only three to choose from… GRETEL II wins out as she is the last timber 12m ever built and she came closer to winning the Cup than DAME PATTI or GRETEL and what is more she is now fully restored and sailing in Australia. Frank Packer had first challenged for the America's Cup in 1962 with the GRETEL, which was named after his wife. GRETEL was competitive but lost that challenge 4–1. In 1970 Packer returned to Newport, Rhode Island to challenge again for the 'Auld Mug' with his new 12-metre yacht GRETEL II representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. She was skippered by Jim Hardy with Martin Visser as tactician and starting helmsman and Bill Fesq as navigator. The crew included future Olympic Star class gold medallists David Forbes and John Anderson and future America's Cup–winning skipper John Bertrand as port trimmer. After defeating Baron Marcel Bich’s FRANCE in the challenger selection series 4–0, the Australian yacht took on the American defender INTREPID, skippered by Bill Ficker in a best-of-seven race series. INTREPID won the first race when GRETEL II's David Forbes was swept overboard but managed to hang on to the sail and scramble back on board. Then in a controversial second race, GRETEL II crossed the finish line 1 minute 7 seconds ahead, but due to a collision at the start the Australian challenger was disqualified. INTREPID won the third race but GRETEL II recorded a win in the fourth race by a margin of 1 minute 2 seconds. INTREPID then took out the fifth race to win the America's Cup 4–1. Many observers, such as 1977 America's Cup winning skipper Ted Turner, believed that GRETEL II was a faster boat than INTREPID but that the tactical cunning of Bill Ficker and Steve Van Dyke and the performance of the American crew were the deciding factors in the Americans' victory. She underwent a major refit in New Zealand in 2009 and was relocated to the Royall Yacht Club of Tasmania , as the open waters of the River Derwent were considered more suited to sailing a 12-Metre than Sydney Harbour.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 29 MARGARET RINTOUL

LAUNCHED: 1948 DESIGNER: Philip Rhodes BUILDER: Ted Haddock

Vessel dimensions: 44.25 ft x 31 ft x 11.25 ft x 6.5 ft

Page 30 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Perhaps with this selection I’m letting my heart rule my head. She’s the only Philip Rhodes boat on the list. Rhodes is perhaps the most underrated designer of the 20th Century and he drew a sheer line like no other…and I’m including Stephens, Alden and Herreshoff in that assessment!

MARGARET RINTOUL was built by Ted Haddock in Sydney for Austin Edwards, who had chosen a design from Phillip Rhodes, an emerging American naval architect. Rhodes had been chief designer at Cox and Stevens from 1934 and took over the firm in 1947. He then gave the firm his own name and quickly became one of the leading yacht designers in the USA in the 1950s and 60s. The builder Haddock is less well known. He had a yard at Margaret St in Greenwich for a short period and is also remembered as the builder of the Alan Payne designed light-weight ocean racing sisterships NOCTURNE and SERENADE in the late 1940s. She is an early example of a post war ocean racer built in Australia to the latest international concepts, at a time when many local ocean racing boats were dated to the 1930s. The custom built, up-to-the-minute design of MARGARET RINTOUL in 1948 just three years after the event had started, illustrates how early the development of a serious and competitive approach to all aspects of ocean racing had begun, an approach that was dominating the event from the late 1950s. MARGARET RINTOUL also represents another stage in a growing trend away from local designers toward designs from the USA and Europe, that had its beginnings in the 1930s. The yawl rigged yacht won line honours in two successive Sydney to Hobart races in the early 1950s and set a record for the race with its second victory. Line honours, which was the first yacht to finish, has always captured the public's attention for the Sydney to Hobart race, and the challenge of setting a new record has since become a fascination and focus of media speculation each year in the lead up to the event.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 31 ACROSPIRE III

LAUNCHED: 1924 DESIGNER: Charlie Peel BUILDER: J Hayes and Sons

Vessel Dimensions: 50 ft x 59 ft x 8 ft x 7 ft, 8 tons

Page 32 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Even without her substantial achievements, this yacht would get into my list on sheer second race was sailed in light conditions, and NORN took the lead on when the southerly elegance alone. Pencil thin with a vast spread of sail, I have seen her power through fleets turned toward the east and then north east during the second leg and it was better placed of modern racers with a few knots of breeze on the water… (and a few more higher up) … to pick up the new breeze. ACROSPIRE III made up some ground on the final leg as the with topsail working, healing her a little as she carves through the glassy water. breeze freshened, but NORN ended up winning by a huge margin of just over 23 minutes. The cup was therefore retained by NSW, and ACROSPIRE III returned to Victoria. ACROSPIRE III is a 50 ft long gaff cutter, carvel planked in New Zealand kauri. She was designed by Charlie Peel, a Victorian. She was built during 1923 and early 1924 in Sydney Joe White then commissioned a new design from Peel for the Sayonara Cup and this at James Hayes and Sons yard in Careening Cove. Peel was working there at the time, and became the 9 metre ACROSPIRE IV which was launched in 1929. was part of the team building his design. ACROSPIRE III was built for Joe White, then Vice She remained in Victoria racing in the A class during the 1930s. The sail number changed Commodore of the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club and a prominent yachtsman in Victoria. She from S1 to S17 when ACROSPIRE IV was launched. ACROSPIRE III was changed to a was built with the intention of being Victoria’s challenger for the Sayonara Cup, an event Bermudan rig in the early thirties and sold to Hobart owners around 1938 where sailed that had not been raced for since 1911 when it was won by NSW. White had a brewing under the new name ACUSHLA. It raced in A division until after 1948 when it sailed to business, and the name ACROSPIRE is taken from the term that relates to a stage in the Sydney with a new owner R.A. and JAS Dickson and was renamed WAREE. in the 1949/50 grain used in brewing. When it has grown its first shoot is the right time to use the grain, season it won the RSYS Norn Cup. and that shoot is called the ‘acrospire’. An anonymous correspondant wrote about WAREE in Seacraft Magazine early in the 1950s… ACROSPIRE III was completed in early 1924 and shipped to Melbourne aboard the SS ECHUNGA. She was launched, rigged and sailed on Port Phillip in the A class. She was “At the time of writing, WAREE is sitting forlornly on the RSYS slip awaiting a new designed to rate as an 8 metre and provide an even match with the likely defender of the owner.....WAREE was being raced hard and consistently. She's an old-timer, but a real Sayonara Cup for NSW, which would also be an 8 metre class yacht. However her whizzer, with an underbody that bears a striking resemblance to some of the really modern construction proved too light for the rough conditions on Port Phillip and it was designs.... Boats like WAREE were built as day sailers 40 to 50 years ago, so it didn't matter strengthened, adding weight. The outcome was that the yacht sat lower in the water than if they were wet, and they certainly were just that; they had less freeboard than some of intended by the designer and with a longer waterline it ended up rating nearly 9 metres. the modern counterparts like the Bluebirds, which have only half the length of WAREE's ilk. On the other hand, of course, driving WAREE hard in a breeze with her stern wave The Sayonara Cup series was eventually organised for early 1928, and by this time White roaring astern gives such a thrill as could never be had from a Bluebird, no matter how was commodore of the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club. The cup rules required the yacht to sail hard you drove her". from Victoria to New South Wales. A subsequent owner was well known ocean racing skipper Bill Psaltis. He raced it for a few ACROSPIRE III left Williamstown on Boxing Day 1927, starting out in rough conditions. years before selling it to an owner who left it on a mooring off Scotland Island in Pittwater Light winds were encountered off the NSW coast until just after Jervis Bay when they met and rarely used it. The yacht was later purchased in poor condition by Sandra and Michael strong NE headwinds, and they eventually sheltered in Kiama until a southerly change had Paul who had a property on the island and enjoyed having the graceful yacht to look at swept through. On the tail of that wind they made Sydney Heads early on the afternoon from their window. Unfortunately it was not used and kept afloat at times by regular of January 2 1928. pumping out from local marine tradesman Ian "Bomber" Treharne. It is even understood NORN was chosen as the NSW defender, and the first race took place on 21 st January that it sank on at least one occasion. He eventually suggested they donate the yacht to with NORN measured at 8.03 metres and ACROSPIRE III at 8.83 metres, giving NORN a the current owner Col Anderson the legendary sailmaker who had experience with other substantial handicap advantage. The race was sailed in a north east breeze, and ACROSPIRE yacht restorations including WAITANGI and SAYONARA. III gradually took the lead on the windward beat to be nearly 3 minutes ahead at the In 1996/97 She was returned to Melbourne and completely restored by Col to her original windward mark, increasing this to almost four minutes at the finish. This was not enough gaff cutter configuration. Nowadays she is the glamour boat racing with the Classic Yacht to win on handicap, and NORN’s rating advantage gave it a win by 3 and ½ minutes. The Association fleet on Port Phillip.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 33 TASSIE TOO

LAUNCHED: 1927 DESIGNER: William Percy (Skipper) Batt with Alfred Blore and John Tarlton BUILDER: Charlie Lucas and Chips Gronfors

Vessel Dimensions: 25 ft x 21 ft x 8 ft x 2.5 ft, 2 tons

Page 34 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats TASSIE TOO was launched from the Battery Point slips (near Hobart, Tasmania) on 26 November 1927 having been built by Charlie Lucas and Chips Gronfors. The 21 ft Restricted class yacht was designed by W. P. "Skipper" Batt in conjunction with Alfred Blore and John Tarleton. Class requirements called for a vessel of 21 ft on the waterline, 25 ft overall with a maximum beam of 8 ft. TASSIE TOO was commissioned by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania (RYCT) and paid for by subscription to allow a second Tasmanian boat to compete for the hotly contested Forster Cup; the national event for the 21 ft Restricted class. Skippered by several members of the Batt family, including Skipper Batt, his brother Harry, and later Harry's son Neall, the vessel was a standout at the Forster Cup, winning the event ten times between 1928 and 1952; a statistic unmatched by any other vessel. She is planked in Huon pine on hardwood frames as specified in the class rules, and features a pivoting centreboard - a detail introduced to the class by the Tasmanians. The centreboard was also designed to flex when sailing upwind. The thought was that this would create more lift and improve the yacht's windward abilities. The round-bilge hull shape was designed to be at its best in heavy conditions, but it performed well in all conditions. It was considered an extreme design by other sailors in the class. The demise of the 21 ft Restricted class following World War II was gradual. After 1952 the Tasmanians no longer contested the series, and after 1955 interstate racing stopped. TASSIE TOO, like many of the class, competed in mixed fleet events and by the 1960s was racing on Port Phillip Bay in Victoria under new owners. The vessel remained in Victoria for several decades and was rescued from decline in 2003. It was then restored by owner Tony Siddons to its original configuration, including the gaff rig sail plan, in time to be re-launched at the 2005 Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart. Veteran skipper Ediss Boyes, who had successfully taken the helm of TASSIE TOO in 1951, was welcomed aboard again and remarked on how wonderful the yacht was to sail. The vessel returned to Melbourne and was kept on a mooring at the Sandringham Yacht Club in the intervening years. She made a triumphant return home to Hobart in September 2017. A “Friends of TASSIE TOO” not-for-profit organisation (www.friendsoftassietoo.org) has been established to coordinate administrative, financial, insurance, scheduling and maintenance efforts. With support from the Tasmanian maritime industry, maritime history and sailing community, the “Friends of TASSIE TOO” organisation will ensure that TASSIE TOO is well cared for into the future, and well used.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 35 YVONNE

LAUNCHED: 1938 DESIGNER: Knud Reimers BUILDER: Charlie Peel

Vessel Dimensions: 27.5 ft x 22.5 ft x 6.3 ft x 4.5 ft, 1.92 tons

Page 36 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats YVONNE has rightly been described as the most successful keel boat ever on Port under full sail. By November 1937 five yachts built at an average cost of $700 were Phillip Bay, Melbourne. But she’s in this list not only as an outstanding yacht in her ready for the first race of the season at St Kilda. own right but as a representative of a one design class that may have introduced The most successful Tumlaren, YVONNE was launched in 1938 (No 97). Ably more young sailors to keelboat racing than any other design in Australia. In 1936 skippered by Alick Rose she won her first two races and had a successful season the then Royal St Kilda Yacht Club, now Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, decided But this was just the start. Over the next 40 years YVONNE won the P. A. Roberts to choose a new One‑Design Class to stimulate the club's activities, as the yachts Trophy for the champion Tumlaren more than 20 times almost always skippered at the time were a motley bunch. A class of yacht that could be built at a figure by the legendary Selim Nurminen. within the reach of all yachtsmen, one that could be easily handled by small crew and importantly would stand up to the conditions encountered on Port Phillip. In the 1980’s the Melbourne Tumlaren fleet began to fall apart with many boats Several designs were under scrutiny ‑ the Dragon Class, two designs were submitted abandoned on moorings or drying out in sheds and barns around southern by Charlie Peel. A late inclusion was the Tumlare, (meaning porpoise) from Knud Australia. In the early 2000 a revival of the class began, thanks to the unquenchable Reimers in Sweden whose lines had at that time only just been published in Yachting enthusiasm of Richard Downey and Roger Dundas, who each owned three Tumlare World Magazine. over the years. In 2016 YVONNE was discovered by Roger in a shed in South Australia and brought back to Melbourne by a syndicate of like minded wooden The Tumlare design was the favourite, resulting in a letter to the naval architect, boat enthusiasts including and advised by traditional shipwright Ferdi Darley. She Knud. H. Reimers of Stockholm, Sweden, for further information and the complete has been in Ferdi’s shed in Williamstown for the last few years undergoing a full set of plans then costing 100 Kroner. The Tumlare Class was unanimously adopted volunteer restoration by the syndicate members led by Roger, Ant Perri, and Chris ‑ the first One‑Design displacement keel boat class to be introduced into Victoria. Clapp. At that meeting, Commodore Joe White, Roy Siddons, Fred Heber, Otto Tuck, Wally Pask, Morrie King and Jack Richardson promised to have six yachts built. She just qualifies for this list as the Huon pine hull is now sound and hopefully watertight so she would float again if tested! The restoration was scheduled to be In their wisdom to keep prices down, sails were only to be made in Australia, completed this year but like so many things, the RONA (POLLY WOODSIDE) has mainsails and genoa jibs were not permitted to be renewed more often than once interfered. The revival of the class continues and there are now about a dozen of every four years, No 1 Jibs and spinnakers every three years. Yachts had to remain these stunning craft racing and cruising again on Port Phillip with the Classic Yacht in the water for two consecutive Saturday’s before being eligible for slipping, Association of Australia. expensive fittings were not permitted, however from time to time certain restrictions were relaxed in line with modern day thinking and maximum crew limit set at four. Thanks to the late Bert Ferris for much of the content in this post. Reimers design was described as being a cross between an archipelago cruiser, a canoe and a Norwegian 19.5 square metre SPIDSGATTA. Resulting in an unusually narrow in beam canoe stern yacht, having a long keel with an extremely cut away forefoot and uniquely a distinctively sharply raked stern hung rudder. Being narrow in beam, general belief was that they would lay over and kick in a hard blow. That was not so. If overpowered they had the attribute of spilling wind out of their sails. The large open cockpit, even if the yacht was knocked down, which happens to all racing craft, shipped little or no water due to the inherent buoyancy in the hull shape. It was therefore not uncommon for the Class to race in 30 knot conditions

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 37 MARIS

LAUNCHED: 1958 DESIGNER: lan Payne BUILDER: Jock Muir

Vessel dimensions: 36.5 ft x 24.7 ft x 9.5 ft x 4.7 ft

Page 38 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats MARIS was laid down in Jock Muir's Battery Point yard in Hobart in 1958, and was the first of the Alan Payne-designed Tasman Seabird class yachts to begin construction. It became the second to be launched after sister ship CHERANA, but was the first to go sailing. She was commissioned by the globe-trotter and famous marine artist Jack Earl (OAM) who had sailed his previous yacht the double-ended ketch KATHLEEN GILLETT in the first Sydney to Hobart race, and then undertaken a circumnavigation of the world. Jack initially approached Payne with sketches of a double-ender similar to KATHLEEN GILLETT for ocean racing and cruising. Payne showed him the plans he was preparing for the sloop-rigged Tasman Seabird and was able to convince Earl that this would be suitable. Earl had one condition; he wanted a two masted rig, and after MARIS was launched it was fitted with a mizzen mast and rigged as a yawl. Earl also instructed the builder to include a rack and pin arrangement to secure the tiller at different angles, while balancing the boat with the set and trim of the sails, a feature he had used with success on KATHLEEN GILLETT. MARIS was built using Huon pine planking over hardwood ribs and backbone. She was particularly special for Muir’s because she was the first boat on which splines were used. The splining did away with the cotton caulking and putty traditionally used for sealing the planks. When splining, you take two planks and cut a normal 'V' shape, then take a cut spline and run it through a small trough of glue and hammer it in with a club hammer and a lump of wood. The hull then becomes one solid skin instead of a series of planks on their edges. MARIS has a Huon pine hull, Tasmanian oak keelson, spotted gum frames, oregon spars. Many of the fittings Payne drew for this design were custom made items. Jack Earl (OAM) competed in two Sydney to Hobart races in MARIS, and sailed it extensively around the Pacific to Canada and the USA, often with his family. In 1971 Jack decided it was time for a smaller boat and sold the yacht to Ian Kiernan.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 39 HURRICA V

LAUNCHED: 1924 DESIGNER: Camper & Nicholsons BUILDER: W M Ford Boatbuilders

Vessel Dimensions: 58.6 ft x 41.8 ft x 14.25 ft x 6.56ft., 35.56 tons Reg Dim 20.58 tons

Page 40 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I love some boats because they are such great racers but I love this one because she never “condescended” to race! The gaff rigged ketch HURRICA V was built by W.M. Ford as a gentleman's yacht for the owner William Oliver, a wealthy pastoralist. He was 73 years old when she was delivered to him in Melbourne in 1924. Under his ownership she cruised Bass Strait area and was a well known yacht at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. HURRICA V changed hands for the first time in 1941 and was brought up to Sydney by William Stuart. Shortly after, in 1943 the World War II emergency laws allowed the Commonwealth Government to requisition the yacht for war service. Stripped down, with a new diesel and machine guns mounted on deck the renamed HMAS STINGRAY served in the Port Moresby and Milne Bay areas of New Guinea. In 1946 it was offered back to Stuart who re-purchased the vessel, but now also owned the big schooner ADA. (See page 46.) Stuart sold HURRICA V in 1948. Subsequent owners used the yacht in Sydney and Pittwater for some years before it headed back to the New Guinea and New Caledonia area, a trip that included weathering a 5 day cyclone. Another cruise took the craft to Indonesia and another cyclone, then keel damage on a reef. HURRICA V's final cruise was to Fiji, at a time when it was also the home for its owner on Pittwater, north of Sydney. Throughout the period after Oliver had sold the yacht it underwent a series of changes including a Bermudan rig and major revisions to the interior, deck and superstructure. Although probably necessary due to age, some of this work was not very sympathetic to the original character and fine construction of the vessel. From 2002 a project was started to refurbish HURRICA V, including a complete re-fastening programme, and it was fitted with a new Bermudian rig on a timber spars, a restored deck and restored superstructure arrangement. HURRICA V has now been returned to its original elegant appearance. HURRICA V's restoration was completed by 2011, in time for the yacht to sail south and be a major attraction at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart that year. It has since appeared at other Classic and Wooden Boat festivals, and played an important role in the film The Great Gatsby. HURRICA V was sold in 2020 and is now on the west coast of the United States.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 41 LANDFALL

LAUNCHED: 1934 DESIGNER: Olin Stephens BUILDER: Percy Coverdale

Vessel dimensions: LOA: 44′ 0″ / LWL: 32′ 9″ Beam: 9′ 9″ Draft: 6′ 6″ Design

Page 42 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats LANDFALL makes it into my list of the most important Australian wooden sailing boats for two main reasons. The first is that her hull shape in my eyes is near to perfection. (my first wooden boat was an S&S so I’m biased) The second is more historically significant reason…. She was the first yacht built outside of the USA to a design by (arguable) the 20th century’s greatest naval architect, Olin Stephens. Sparkman & Stephens, 79 Maddison Avenue, New York NY, was then at the beginning of what was to become the most famous yacht design firm in the world. Olin Stephens, at just 25 year old, was extremely surprised to find his first overseas commission came, not from Europe, but from Tasmania. LANDFALL was ordered by Guy W. Rex and C.E. Davis, of Hobart, to be an updated ‘DORADE type,’ similar to DORADE, but with a slight decrease in proportional beam. In DORADE the ratio of beam to LWL is 3.63 whereas in Landfall it is 3.36. It’s easy to see the influence of DORADE (design #7) and STORMY WEATHER (design #27) in her hull shape and how she fills the gap between these two early designs and SONNY (design #94) and SKYLARK (design #146), which were yet to be imagined. She was built at the famous Coverdale Yard at Battery Point, Hobart. She has started 6 Sydney Hobart Races between 1952 and 2016 and she may be the only S&S yacht to sail continuously for 85 years, without rebuilding… just standard maintenance. Originally a yawl, she was later converted to a sloop. Original Displacement: 24,000 lbs (w/o engine) Current Displacement: 25,000 lbs Hull: Huon Pine/Huon Pine Frames.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 43 SIANDRA

LAUNCHED: 1956 DESIGNER: Arthur C Robb. BUILDER: Ron Swanson.

Vessel Dimensions: 35.2 ft x 24 ft x 8.75 ft x 5.65 ft, 6.2 tons.

Page 44 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I love that so many of the successful Sydney Hobart yachts from the 50s and 60s SIANDRA is probably the most successful of the Lion Class yachts designed by Arthur went on to be adventurous world cruisers. It’s hard to imagine that happening with C. Robb in England where they were a popular offshore racing yacht. The 10.7 m today’s winners! SIANDRA is a 35' Lion Class Yacht and became one of the (35 ft) long carvel planked sloops are a classic deep-keeled yacht designed to the outstanding offshore yachts of the 50's and 60's. In 1954 Graham Newland RORC rule, and were one of the types that influenced Alan Payne's locally designed commissioned Ron Swanson to build him the Robb design. Tasman Seabird Class in the late 1950s. The yacht went on to compete successfully SIANDRA and her sister KAIYU were built in the rear of the factory nearly opposite in many of the blue-water ocean racing events along the east coast of Australia the Mater Hospital in Crows Nest. The difficulties of building a yacht in this period under various owners. Since retiring from ocean racing SIANDRA has become a were profound. Australia was still suffering from great shortages caused by World cruising yacht, and has circumnavigated the world. She has an ideal configuration War II. The purchase of the north coast White Beach for the planking gives an idea. and a very seaworthy hull shape. In 2007 SIANDRA has no permanent mooring, she continues to cruise Australia and the world. She is often featured in Classic Yacht Sufficient timber for the construction of four yachts was required, three Lion Class magazine's pages. yachts SIANDRA, KAIYU (Bill Henderson), MALOHI (Nev McEnallyy), plus EOS for Tom Flower. All owners wanted full length planks so the only way was to purchase eleven trees in the forest where they stood. No local timber mill could handle these logs in their full length, so they were railed to Sydney. After much searching, a timber jinker was found that could carry the logs to a mill with a 40 foot run-out in Baulkham Hills. Here the logs were cut into planks. The mill however did not have a planer . So the four owners, with some help, loaded the planks onto a semi trailer and transported to Hayman & Ellis Mill at Manly for planing. Again the owners provided the labour to reload the planks on to the semi for distribution to the various building sites. SIANDRA's first win was the second time the yacht had entered the race. The yacht was a hot favourite amongst the fleet in 1958 and won in mildly dramatic circumstances, as reported in Seacraft's January 1959 issue. The race was sailed in relatively easy conditions, but SIANDRA's progress remained a mystery as its radio had gone 'on the blink’ shortly after the start. The race lead changed many times, the Halvorsen Bros ANITRA V appeared to be the likely winner until SIANDRA appeared on the Derwent, 'out of the blue' to take handicap honours by 34 minutes. Re-rigged from a 3/4 sloop to mast-head sloop in 1960, SIANDRA won another light weather race with good tactics across Storm Bay after rounding Tasman Light. It was then only the second yacht to win the race twice. It sailed under the burgee of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney and included in the crew club member and SIANDRA's builder, Ron Swanson.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 45 ASTOR/ADA

LAUNCHED: 1923 DESIGNER: William Fife III BUILDER: Wm. Fife & Son Fairlie

Vessel Dimensions: 73 ft x 86 ft x 56.01 ft x 15.49 ft x 10.5 ft, 58.1 tons

Page 46 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats To take us to the halfway point of the countdown we have a seriously glamorous a famous racing yacht from the USA owned by Huey Long. It was a fight to the finish boat! We once had the privilege of seeing her very close up, racing against her as as ASTOR lost that day by only 57 seconds. It still stands as one of the most exciting the only two Classics at the 2016 Hamilton Island Race week. She’s Another Fife… finishes in Sydney to Hobart Race history. Warner also raced her in the 1963 Trans the first schooner on the list, and a multiple Sydney Hobart line honours winner. Pac race (where she finished 4th on corrected time) and a Trans-Tasman race. She Some would say she should be higher up the list, but the Scottish build, entitling remained in the USA between 1964-1987 owned by Wm. Adolph, based at the her to the Fife Dragon, and her long term residence in the USA, count against her Marina del Rey in California. Used as family yacht, Dr. Adolph and his four sons sailed in relation to “Australian Importance.” ASTOR extensively throughout Hawaii, Mexico and California. Her keel was laid at Fairlie in 1922 and she was launched the following year. She In 1987 Richard, Lani & Mariah Straman of Newport Beach, acquired the boat and was ordered by Dr. McCormick- A Surgeon living in Sydney, Australia. He had owned in 1990 began gradually restoring her with a thorough programme that covered the another Fife designed boat that was built in Australia and over the years he had entire structure, fit out and rig. Once completed in the mid 1996 ASTOR was again become a friend of William Fife and decided to have a very special boat built at their in superb condition and is considered to be one of the finest examples of an existing Fife yard. Listed in "Fast and Bonnie" by May Fife McCallum, ASTOR was originally Fife yacht. ASTOR is now used for cruising in 2006, and has spent considerable time named "ADA" and is design number 704. amongst the many Pacific Island groups. On two occasions ASTOR has again Sir Alex MacCormick had a thriving medical practice in Sydney, but often returned returned to Sydney Harbour, using it as a base to spend the summer period. to the UK . In 1928 he sailed ADA out to Sydney via the Panama Canal with only a small crew. It was an uneventful voyage other than sitting out one gale as they avoided a cyclone off Fiji, and on arrival in Sydney they remarked how well the ADA performed at sea in all conditions. In her early years she was used primarily as a day sailor by Sir MacCormick himself and a crew. He had a wonderful home on Sydney Harbour that had its own slip to haul her out of the water. During his ownership he was known to travel extensively while slipping ASTOR during his absence. It is reported that once she was up for a period of 10-12 years. He enjoyed her as a family yacht until the Japanese entered Sydney Harbour. It was at that time that he sold the house and yacht to the Stewart Family. Little is known of the period between 1942-1959 when she was owned by the Stewart Family who changed the sail plan to a Bermudan rig in 1953. We do know that she was a family yacht and made a yearly adventure down the coast 60 miles south for a family vacation presumably to Jarvis Bay. In 1959 Peter Warner also from Sydney bought her. Although his tenure was, as owner, was the shortest, Mr. Warner made her famous. He says that he admired her in Sydney Harbour, thinking that with those lines she must be fast. The Warner family was an active yacht racing family and participated in the Sydney to Hobart race many times. He set about fitting her for racing, as she had not raced previously in her history. A young man at this time he and his young crew raced and won Line Honours 3 times. In 1962, she raced and lost after being 8 hours ahead to "ONDINE”-

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 47 NERIDA

LAUNCHED: 1933 DESIGNER: Alfred Mylne BUILDER: R.T. Searles and Sons Vessel Dimensions: 45 ft x 33 ft x 11 ft x 6 ft, 16 tons x 6 tons, 1105.13 square feet

Page 48 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats NERIDA is a the first South Australian on my list built by the exceptional yard of Searle and Sons who were one of the premier boat builders in Port Adelaide for many decades. She is carvel planked and rigged as a gaff cutter. NERIDA was designed by Alfred Mylne in England who, along with compatriots Wm Fife and George Watson, were the most acclaimed yacht designers internationally. At 13.7 metre long the yacht was initially built for Tom Hardy. Hardy was a prominent figure in his home state and keenly supported yachting but was tragically killed in an air crash in 1938 and NERIDA left the family for a period of time. She was refitted into a yawl and her tiller was replaced by a wheel. It was in this configuration that she won the 1950 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Amongst winning offshore she was also raced and cruised regularly in the Spencer and St Vincent Gulfs. Thomas Hardy & Sons purchased her in 1971 and Sir James had her restored to her original configuration, with tiller. In 2007, during a severe storm, a yacht moored near NERIDA broke loose and hit her, leaving a gaping hole. In a second storm one week later, she slowly sank. Sir James was devastated. The NERIDA was raised and once again restored to her former glory. The only change to her original design was the addition of electric winch-halyards for the main sail, making her easier to operate. Sir James’ son David Hardy continues the family tradition by sailing NERIDA.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 49 VANESSA

LAUNCHED: 1928 DESIGNER: William Fife III BUILDER: Hayes & Sons

Vessel dimensions: 53.5 ft x 33.5 ft x 9.25 ft x 6.95 ft, 10.7 tons

Page 50 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Yes…two international 8 meters …I know … But I love the subtle contrasts between them. Yesterday’s yacht… Conceived and built in Australia, utilitarian, effective, slightly muscular. Today’s boat built to the same rule but delicate and curvaceous with impeccable breeding. One is the wild colonial…the other the elegant aristocrat. It’s worth comparing her lines to little Fife sister JUDITH PIHL The history of these boats is inextricable linked to the Sayonara Cup. VANESSA, the first 8 meter built in Australia, was launched underneath what was yet to become the northern access to the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the famous Hayes Yard who also built ARCHINA. The Sydney Evening News cover the launch… “Mr. Percy S. Arnotts's 8-metre yacht, VANESSA, was launched today from the yards of James Hayes and Son, Careening Cove As Mrs. Amott broke a bottle of champagne bottle the bows, a representative gathering of yachtsmen associated with all clubs raised a rousing cheer. Later, at Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's club-house, Mr. S. M. Dempster presented Mr. Amott with a dinghy on behalf of the crew, and toasts were honoured. VANESSA will compete in the test races which will be held to select the N.S.W. defender of Sayonara Cup. She will also take part in the racing Programmes of the various clubs. VANESSA is the first 8-metre yacht to be built in Australia, and will make the third of her class on Sydney harbour.” She immediately proceeded to win the Sayonara Cup, the most prestigious Yachting events in Australia, for the following four years, beating EUN-NA-MARA, ACROSPIRE IV (twice) and NORN the Norweigen Anker designed yacht that went on to become VARG The final of these four victories is interesting as the Victorians having failed to win the Cup from the New South Welshman, decided the most effective way to win it back was to buy the invincible boat that had been beating them! So in 1932, under the ownership of James Linacre from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club and Lance Randerson from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Vanessa beat NORN thus returning the Cup to Victoria. Over the past 30 years Vanessa has spent much of her time sitting in her pen at Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, rarely going out and slowly disintegrating. However there are strong rumours that an extensive restoration is on the cards. Imagine the day when VANESSA and VARG and FRANCES could race against each other again!

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 51 AKARANA

LAUNCHED: 1888 DESIGNER: Robert Logan Senior BUILDER: Logan Brothers

Vessel Dimensions: 39 ft x 29 ft x 6.7 ft x 6.7 ft, 9.63 tons x 0.61 tons x 5.08 tons, 987.69 square feet

Page 52 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats AKARANA was built in Auckland in 1888 to represent that country in the Australian The yacht remained in Sydney, passing through several owners. These owners made Centennial Regatta held on Hobson's Bay, Victoria. She was restored as New many changes, including progressive reduction of the rig and loss of 4 feet (1.2 m) Zealand's bicentenary gift to Australia and is today currently the oldest vessel in the off the stern. Modifications to the keel and rudder resulted in a shallower draft and collection of the Australian National Maritime Museum. ("AKARANA" is the Maori reduced her ballast. The original lead keel was removed in the mid 1920s, and it was name for Auckland). not until the 1950s that a smaller section of lead was restored. She was designed and built by Robert Logan (Senior) as a spec project with the hope The New Zealand government decided in 1987 to restore AKARANA and give her of successfully completing in the Australian Centennial Regatta which was being to Australia as the county's gift to celebrate the Australian Bicentennial in 1988. The held over the summer of 1888-1889. The boat building market in New Zealand was government purchased her from her existing owner, Andrew Bishop. Instead of the in a downturn as the country was in the grip of a depression, and Logan hoped that planned start date of 14 May 1987, delays meant she did not arrive back to New success in completion would not only allow him to sell her in Australia, but would Zealand until 24 July 1987. Overseen by the Ministry of Transport in conjunction also lead to commissions from that country. She was launched at North Shore, on with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the restoration of the hull was undertaken by the Waitamata on 5 October 1888. Salthouse Boatbuilders at Greenhithe, while the Navy Dockyard at Devonport were The day after being launched, AKARANA, accompanied by Robert Logan, his skipper responsible for the masts, spars and rigging. The outer skin and decking were Jack Bell, and crew, was shipped on the SS NEMESIS to Melbourne. Other New replaced. Where possible, the configuration of the stern and above water sections Zealand yachts had previously fared well in competition on Hobson's Bay, and of the vessel were restored to the cutter's original appearance. The tight deadline AKARANA's arrival created great interest in yachting circles. The first race which took meant that research into the vessel's configuration could not be completed, place in Hobson's Bay was for the Royal St. Kilda Yacht Club medal, which she won. preventing full restoration of sections below the waterline. There was also no time Logan had designed AKARANA to complete in the five-ton race. However the for sailing trials. organising regatta's committee rated her at seven tons with a five-ton (5.1 tonne) AKARANA was returned to Australia and ended up in the ownership of the Australian lead keel. As a result, AKARANA then completed in the first day's racing of the National Maritime Museum in Sydney. Australian Centennial Regatta in the 5-10 ton class race for keel and centreboard Following the bicentennial restoration, the museum found the first time that she yachts. This race she won, beating the yachts COOEEANA, MADGE, GALETEA and was sailed on Sydney Harbour that excessive heeling meant she was unable to carry PERT. full sail. After intensive research, the keel, rudder, and other structures were rebuilt Logan then shipped AKARANA on the SS BURRUMBEET to Sydney to compete in during 1997-98 to as close as possible to her original configuration. This research the National Regatta on Anniversary Day, January 1889. Logan was disappointed identified that the keel was light by two tonnes, and she was lacking some internal upon arrival to find out that nearly all the yacht racing was club racing, and that, as ballast. With a new five-tonne lead keel and the rudder rebuilt, AKARANA obtained he was not a member, AKARANA could not compete. Logan however entered her a deeper and more efficient profile. Combined with adjustments to the spars and in the race for all yachts under 10 tons at the Anniversary. sails, AKARANA returned to service with an improved sailing performance. Regatta held on 26 January 1889. Before this race Logan had an extra half-ton of She is currently part of the permanent exhibition at the Australian National Maritime load added to her keel. Skippered by Dick Hellings, she won the principle event of Museum. the day, an open race for the first prize of £20 and three cases of Moet and Chandon champagne, beating Sydney yachts ASSEGAI, IOLANTHE and SIROCCO. In May 1889 Logan sold AKARANA to Sydney chemist John Abraham, who sailed with the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 53 LAURABADA

LAUNCHED: 1953 DESIGNER: Ivan Holm BUILDER: Ivan Holm

Vessel Dimensions:LOA 58'9" 57'1" LWL 41' Beam 14'3" Draft 7'6" Sail Area: 1700 sq/ft

Page 54 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats One of the most “Australian” of yachts, there is no smart overseas designer here, Gladstone race. After completing its 50th consecutive race in 2003, a feat unlikely just a lot of not so common, common sense and an amazing history of achievement. to be equalled by any other yacht, LAURABADA retired from ocean racing. LAURABADA is a racing and cruising yacht designed and built in Queensland just LAURABADA has probably sailed over 200,000 nautical miles, and three generations after World War II by its owner Ivan “Skipper” Holm (OAM). It has raced extensively of the Holm family have now sailed on the yacht. In 1999 it was fitted with a new in Queensland and has the remarkable record of sailing 50 consecutive Brisbane to engine, spars and sails. Gladstone races. It has been owned by the Holm family through two generations, and has not had any significant alterations. It remains one of Queensland’s most well-known yachts, and is an outstanding story of one man’s passion to build the yacht of his dreams. LAURABADA’s construction began in 1947 on the banks of Cabbage Tree Creek at Sandgate, north of Brisbane. Ivan “Skipper” Holm had commanded a Fairmile patrol boat during the war, serving in Papua New Guinea and the south west Pacific areas. During the war he continually thought about building a yacht for himself, and was keen on the design of a 44 foot Alden schooner. However the cost of plans for this craft was more than he could afford, and although both Norman Wright and the Halvorsens offered plans of previous designs, he could not find something to fit his exact requirements. Instead, using a copy of Howard Chapelle’s ‘Yacht Designing and Planning” he went ahead and designed his own vessel. He then built a shed fitted with workbenches and equipment before beginning the hull, laying a backbone of grey ironbark in September 1947. The yacht was built in Holm’s spare time from his work as a trade teacher at Brisbane's Central Technical College. The carvel planked hull was built with the best available regional timbers, supplied by a relative in Cairns. The hull is planked in ironbark at the two garboard strakes, spotted gum for the next four above, then finally Queensland maple for the remainder. Frames are yellow wood or silver ash, stringers and other longitudinals are spotted gum, and the deadwood and horn timbers are messmate. In the 1955 Brisbane to Gladstone race, running before a strong breeze Holm instructed the crew to hold onto sail and ‘drive the sticks out of her’- only to get caught minutes later, knocked down by a big following sea. The weight of the water in the spinnaker broke the mast, but with a jury rig in place they still set a reefed spinnaker and finished the event 3rd overall. In 1957 it was first home by 41 seconds from SYONARA, the closest finish recorded in the event. In 1971 and 1983 the yacht took the family on extensive South Pacific cruises. Ivan Holm passed away in 1997, 50 years after laying LAURABADA’s keel, but his son Ivan (jnr) had grown up with the yacht and maintained the family commitment along with his wife and children, and continuing its involvement with the Brisbane to

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 55 BALANDRA

LAUNCHED: 1966 DESIGNER: Camper & Nicholson BUILDER: Jock Muir

Vessel Dimensions: 46.1 ft × 35 ft × 12 ft × 7.5 ft, 14.34 tons, 1164 ft²

Page 56 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats BALANDRA was built in Hobart by Jock Muir in 1966 for Sir Robert Crichton Brown, From the fibreglass-covered plywood deckhouse roof to the considerably a well-known businessman and yachtsman. BALANDRA was selected to represent cambered decks fore and aft and the very high bulwarks for'ard, there is evidence Australian in the team for the 1967 Admiral’s Cup, the principal event for offshore of profound thought given to the crewmen's lot. The bulwarks, for example, racing at the time. The three-yacht team, BALANDRA, CAPRICE OF HUON and protect the for'ard hands and also disguise the hogged sheer. BALANDRA and MERCEDES III went on to win this event, the first time it was won by Australia, and her crew hope for success in this month's Hobart race and the big ones in Britain. BALANDRA was the second highest point scoring yacht in the series. In 2017 BALANDRA was undergoing the final stages of an extensive overhaul and SEACRAFT magazine gave two pages to BALANDRA in their December 1966 edition, restoration project in Hobart. at which time BALANDRA’s position in the team was assured. “ BALANDRA is an ocean-racing man's dream. She is big, roomy, well laid out, fast and beautiful. Her speed is emphasised by her berth in Australia's Admiral's Cup team to challenge British supremacy next September in the Fastnet and other races. Two years ago, her British sister-ship, QUIVER IV blazed the trail for her country's success in the Admiral's Cup and the clash between these two magnificent yachts may be the highlight of the 1967 series. Built in Hobart by Jock Muir, she will always remain— in the minds of Tasmanians — a Tasmanian boat although owned by Sydney yachtsman Robert Crichton-Brown and registered in that city. To keep faith with her admirers, her crew will be taking her to Hobart this Christmas. Two layers of Honduras mahogany (inner skin 3/8 in. outer 5/8 in.) give BALANDRA a strong but light hull aided by laminated mahogany frames at 8 in. centres and Tasmanian swamp gum keel and strengthening timbers. Deck beams are laminated English spruce over which two sheets of 1/4 in. Australian marine plywood have been glued. Spars are alloy by Alspar and feature bolt rope track on mast and boom plus outhaul controls on the mast. Mainsail can be made fuller for running by adjustment to tack and clew — as used on planning dinghies. Twin spinnaker poles make jibing a snack, one to windward and one to leeward , which saves "end-for-ending" and valuable seconds.” It was fitted with a Parson’s '4107 Penguin 4-cylinder, 39 hp lightweight diesel and the wardrobe of sails were made in Hood sailcloth from the USA by Joe Pearce whose loft was at Careening Cove. It carried Australian made Barlow winches and the latest navigation and performance electronics.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 57 FRANCES

LAUNCHED: 1948 DESIGNER: E.O.Digby BUILDER: E.O.Digby

Vessel Dimensions: 51 ft x 30.75 ft x 8.5 ft x 6.5 ft, 9 tons

Page 58 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I remember when I first started racing seriously on Port Phillip in the 1980’s (and successfully defended the cup off Sydney Heads. SASKIA was clearly in a class above knew little about boats) there was this old thin white timber yacht that would the rest, and there were no further challenges until 1962, when FRANCES, now owned occasionally sail off her mooring in Hobson’s Bay and blitz what was then the by B Magnussen and O Petley and renamed BRIDGETTE challenged unsuccessfully “modern” fleet. In those days she was a little scruffy. She had had a meter or so against SASKIA. This was the last big yacht series held for this trophy, which in 2014 chopped off her transom because of rot, and flew big red slightly faded and patched is now raced for by much smaller International Dragon Class yachts. spinnakers. I didn’t appreciate what a significant boat she was. FRANCES continued to race on Port Phillip under new owners T Kirkwood, then A FRANCES was designed by Ernest Digby who was a well-known yacht builder and Morrison and then M Wood before the current owner bought the yacht. In the right designer based in Williamstown on Port Phillip. He also designed and built RYCV’s conditions she is now the scratch boat in the Melbourne Classic Yacht Fleet. Today primary start boat, the lovely THORSEN and the tugboat VICTORY. The VICTORY is the Digby family, as CYAA members, continue their association with FRANCES, listed as the first non sail powered vessel on the CYAA Boat Register. DEFIANCE and the VICTORY. The 15.54 m (51 foot) carvel planked hull of Frances was planked in New Zealand kauri and displaced 9 tonnes. The International 8 Metre Class rule is quite complex, and the only other Australian designer to prepare plans for the class was fellow Victorian Charlie Peel. Both his ACROSPIRE III and IV designs measured in with a rating that was significantly over 8 metres, and they were uncompetitive in Sayonara Cup racing against the European designed boats such as NORN and VANESSA . The Sayonara Cup was the most prestigious of the three Interstate challenge cups which included the Forster Cup and the Northcote Cup. Digby had already designed and built two other eights- INDEPENDENCE launched in 1932 may have measured at 8 metres but there are no records to show this, whereas Digby’s next yacht from 1935, DEFIANCE, is referred to as the first 8 metre designed and built in Australia and does rate at 8 metres. Although rating just over 8 metres at 8.14 metres, FRANCES had success in Sayonara Cup racing. In 1951 FRANCES defended the cup against the Tasmanian built but European designed challenger ERICA J. FRANCES was then the first Australian designed and built yacht to successfully defend the Sayonara Cup. It repeated its defence against ERICA J the following year, but then lost to ERICA J in 1953. It then became the first Australian designed and built challenger to win the trophy when it won the cup back in 1954 from ERICA J. In 1955 it faced a formidable challenge from both ERICA J and also SASKIA from NSW, imported from Europe and reputed to be the fastest 8 metre of the era. SASKIA won, but Digby’s helming skill and FRANCES’s speed in light weather allowed FRANCES to win one race, and this result was repeated a year later when SASKIA

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 59 SOLVEIG

LAUNCHED: 1950 DESIGNER: Trygve Halvorsen BUILDER: Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd

Vessel Dimensions: 36 ft × 8.75 ft × 5.5 ft

Page 60 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I’m sure a few of you would know the feeling of crossing this little stretch of water success winning the Sydney to Hobart race on handicap, and nearly winning line after 630nm. Looking at the small, slightly portly yacht in these images it’s hard to honours again. After this race SOLVEIG was then sold to Tom Doyle in Honolulu in believe the miles she has done and the races she has won. SOLVEIG (named after 1955, and later it raced once again in a Transpac event. Les Vasconcellos, a diver the character in the play “PEER GYNT’ was designed and built by members of the from the 1950s recalled how he had sailed on SOLVEIG in 1957, when it was moored famous Halvorsen family in Sydney and represents their first offshore yacht where at the Waikiki Yacht Club. The owner was still Tom Doyle at that time, and while the design combined speed with safety. It was also Trygve Halvorsen’s first offshore some of the subsequent owners are not recorded, it appears that SOLVEIG remained racing yacht design. In 1954 SOLVEIG became the first Halvorsen yacht to win the in the Hawaiian Islands from then onwards. 'Chips' Wheeler took over SOLVEIG in Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and participated in many other ocean races helping 2007. He gave her an extensive refit in 2014, replacing the deck and refastening establish the offshore racing career of both Trygve and Magnus. major fittings, ensuring SOLVEIG was once again ready to cruise and sail offshore. She is carvel planked in Oregon (Douglas fir), which was used in many other parts In 2016 he sold the yacht to a new owner who has brought her back home to Sydney. of the construction including the deck. The varnished cabin sides are teak, as is the Further restoration has brought back almost all of her original appearance and a trim. SOLVEIG was the first yacht that Trygve designed, his older brother Magnus new suit of sails for its now mast head rig sail plan has the yacht back up to speed. had designed their previous yachts including PEER GYNT, which Trygve described as an ‘icebreaker’ due to her very heavy construction influenced strongly by the robust, seaworthy designs of the famous Norwegian naval architect Colin Archer. With SOLVEIG they decided to go for a lighter vessel than PEER GYNT, but retained the seaworthy double ended shape, and used a spade rudder as it gave them a vertical leading edge and balance to the rudder. They were not keen on the raked rudders as this type did not steer as well as a vertical rudder. It had a 3/4 fractional sloop rig and was well fitted out. Trygve always maintained their philosophy was to design a good fast cruising yacht that could be raced as well, as this would give them a safe and fast yacht that they could still sail hard in rough conditions. SOLVEIG raced in the 1950 Sydney to Hobart race and finished 5th on handicap and after this event crossed the Tasman Sea to Auckland, New Zealand to race in the 1951 Trans-Tasman race. The Halvorsens were impressed with its good speed downwind so they then took it over to Los Angeles USA to sail in the 1951 Transpac ocean race to Honolulu, a race known for consistent downwind sailing throughout each event. At one point SOLVEIG was 6th on handicap but did not take a place at the finish, as they experienced two days of unusual, adverse southerly conditions. In July 1951 it was offered for sale in Honolulu, but no sale eventuated and it was sailed back to Sydney by three of the crew. In 1953 she participated in the ocean race to Noumea, New Caledonia but retired with mast head damage, a rare thing to happen to a Halvorsen yacht. At the end of the year it was racing again in the Sydney to Hobart race, and in a light airs event it won line honours, an unusual result for a small yacht. In 1954 it had its major

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 61 STRUEN MARIE

LAUNCHED: 1950 DESIGNER: Robert Clark BUILDER: Les & Barry Steel

Vessel Dimensions: 35 ft x 27 ft x 9.5 ft x 6 ft, 7.5 tons

Page 62 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I saw her on the slip at Gonsalves boat shed a few months ago and she seems such an unassuming little boat ..but what a record! It’s hard to go past a wooden Sydney Hobart Winner! (1951) especially as she set a race record which stood for 11 years. She is one of the earliest example of a yacht that was purpose-built for the event. STRUEN MARIE was built by Les Steel at his Speers Point boatyard on Lake Macquarie, NSW in 1950. Steel based the design on a plan by English naval architect Robert Clark. He adjusted the shape to fit the 35ft maximum length allowed for yachts racing with the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club (SASC). The first owner was Tom Williamson, a chemist, whose wife was named Sheila. The yacht was named after their daughter STRUEN MARIE and later in its life, the third owner was his son Michael Williamson and his wife Casandra Firman. The 10.67m wooden yacht is carvel planked in full length Huon pine on laminated spotted gum frames, supported by grown timbers for floors, stem and knees. This sturdy construction is a mark of the high quality skills typical of Les and Barry Steel's boatbuilding. In its first year of sailing STRUEN MARIE won most of the major races it entered and continued to have a fine career racing offshore and on Sydney Harbour for a number of years. Included in its trophy list is the Kelly Cup from the SASC, which dates from 1893 and is one of the oldest remaining yachting trophies in Australia. Now as a classic yacht, STRUEN MARIE has won many classic yacht regattas in Sydney and Queensland. The Mercury December 31 1951 carried the following report. "The crew of STRUEN MARIE thought their inability to take off the yacht's spinnaker off the south-east coast of Tasmania on Saturday night would put them out of the race. In a hard blow the skipper (D. A. Williamson) was forced to head seaward before the wind while the crew worked to get the big running sail down. STRUEN MARIE moving fast through the water, was taken miles off course. A weather change, which gave STRUEN MARIE a big advantage over the rest of the fleet, allowed her to improve her position from fifth to third. Williamson said that at times in her run off course STRUEN MARIE was moving faster through and at times "over" the water than was considered possible by a craft of her size. She finished only 16 minutes behind LASS O'LUSS, which crossed the line 43 minutes after MARGARET RINTOUL."

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 63 JUDITH PIHL

LAUNCHED: 1934 DESIGNER: William Fife III BUILDER: Charlie Peel

Vessel dimensions: 36.42 ft x 23.95 ft x 5.91 ft x 5.25 ft, 3.76 tons

Page 64 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Charlie Peel built JUDITH PIHL and a sister ship ACROSPIRE V in 1934, from plans based on the design of TOOGOOLOOWOO II, owned by Bill Dagg, also built by Peel. The original design came from William Fife III of Scotland, a renowned designer who had a strong influence on designers around the world. After TOOGOOLOOWOO II won the Northcote Cup in 1932 Dagg agreed to make his plans available to others if Fife consented. Fife agreed and asked for only a small royalty fee for each new boat built. The aim was to establish a local one-design class based on the 6 Metre Rule. The 6 Metre class was designed to the International Rule. The class competed for the Northcote Cup, an interstate challenge cup, from the early 1900’s. This series was a major drawcard for spectators, along with the Sayonara Cup and the Forster Cup. The 6 Metres also raced in mixed fleet club events. Peel's three yachts formed this small one-design class on Port Phillip, Victoria. The boats had hulls of Huon pine planking on spotted gum frames to the class scantlings, which were based on Lloyds Rules for Yachts. This gave the yachts a robust construction and they remained sailing for many years. JUDITH PIHL was named after Charlie Peel's daughter, using the original Polish spelling of their surname. It was owned by Alf Watt at the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club on Port Phillip and unsuccesfully challenged for the Northcote Cup in late 1934/early 1935, soon after it was launched. It was beaten by TOOGOOLOOWOO II, but finished ahead of sisterships SJO RO and ACROSPIRE V which were also racing in the series. It raced for the Cup again, and in 1949 was beaten by the more modern design YEOMAN. JUDITH PIHL changed hands and sailed on Sydney Harbour from 1938, later renamed JUNO. Changes were made to the deck and rig in the 1980s and 1990s. JUDITH PIHL was raced with distinction for 4 decades before being converted into a cruising yacht with cabin. By 2010 she was left high and dry in a paddock in Yass where she sat waiting for a complete resurrection by the Simon Sadubin and Tom Coventry at Sydney Wooden Boats in 2016. Her restoration involved a 12 month rebuild where the yacht was completely reframed and all of her original planks were re hung. In 2017 JUDITH PIHL emerged from the shed as one of the most beautiful examples of a William Fife yacht of her era.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 65 ALWYN

LAUNCHED: 1923 DESIGNER: Alfred Blore BUILDER: Woods and Mackey

Vessel Dimensions: 37.3 ft x 29.8 ft x 9.5 ft x 5.5 ft, 6.37 tons

Page 66 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats This one is a little left of centre, but there’s something about this feisty little Royal Yacht Club of Victoria register named CYGNET and then on the Royal Tasmanian that cries out to be recognised! Melbourne Yacht Squadron list as PANDORA when owned by Bill Elliot (son of Phar Lap's jockey in the USA, Billy Elliot). Bill Elliot owned the vessel from about 1961 to ALWYN was built in 1923 by Robert Wood and James Mackey, and named after 1974, and changed the name back to ALWYN when he moved across to Hobsons their wives Alice and Winifred. Mackey was the grandson of James Doig Mackey, a Bay Yacht Club. When Bill passed away at a young age the vessel passed to his Battery Point ship builder. One story associated with the yacht is that the garage brother-in-law, the current owner. had to be demolished to remove the boat from the suburban Hobart backyard in For the last 48 years ALWYN has been on the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club's register and which it was built. It appears the partners may have had a falling out as the yacht a notable competitor in local club racing, and Australia Day regatta racing to changed ownership soon after it was launched. Alfred Blore designed ALWYN and Geelong. In 2008 ALWYN raced with the Classic Yacht Association of Victoria on near sisters GRAYLING and ALTURA as larger, improved versions of the popular Port Phillip Bay. To show its racing pedigree after 83 years, ALWYN won the 2006 Tasmanian One Design class, which were about 10 metres long. GRAYLING was Royal Yacht Club of Victoria Lipton Cup Classic Yacht Trophy. The original hull and launched in 1922, followed by ALTURA and ALWYN in the next year. deck planking is intact, but the floor timbers, deck beams and chain plates have Blore had prepared plans for the One Design class around 1910. The drawings were been replaced using original dimensions, The structure still illustrates typical based on an American design and six were built in Tasmania and raced in Hobart. Tasmanian boatbuilding techniques of the period. It has a Bermudian sloop rig, The three new boats however were Blore’s own work having deeper hull sections which the current owner hopes to convert back to the 1920s fractional rig sail plan than the One Design hull which had a flatter floor shape. The keel shape in particular which Alfred Blore specified for GRAYLING and ALTURA. Sailing again in 2013, the suggests Blore was aware of some of the hydrodynamic suction effects caused by hull has been fully splined during a three year project, with more work planned in different keel sections. During the early 1920s yacht racing on the Derwent was due course. reformed into A,B,C and D divisions, and the existing One Design class was absorbed into the 'A Class', where ALWYN and its sister ships, Blore's newer, larger and faster boats, outraced them. ALWYN is 11.37 metres long, and the hull planking, frames and deck planking are all Huon pine. It was originally gaff-rigged and with its long bow and stern overhangs presented an elegant sight on the Derwent River. ALWYN was well known in the 1920s and 1930s and widely reported in the Mercury and Illustrated Tasmanian Mail newspapers. In 1924 and 1926 it won the prestigious Lipton Trophy at the Hobart Regatta. The yacht was owned and helmed by Norman Wizenberg for most of its Hobart 'A Class' racing career at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and the Derwent Sailing Squadron. In 1938 ALWYN was converted to race in the 'A Class' cruiser division by the then owner G.K.Evans and in 1940 the yacht was modified to a yawl rig. Other modifications included bulwarks for additional freeboard and half the original low cabin was raised to be a doghouse for full head room. In the early 1950’s ALWYN was brought to Geelong, Victoria, by Dick Collins to compete in the 'A Class' racing events at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club. From this time until the 1960’s ALWYN's provenance is not as well documented. It was on the

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 67 WESTWARD

LAUNCHED: 1947 DESIGNER: Jock Muir BUILDER: Jock Muir Vessel Dimensions: 41.76 ft x 11.9 ft x 6.5 ft, 15.4 tons

Page 68 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Jock Muir designed WESTWARD as a fishing cruiser for a Sydney buyer shortly after In 2011 it is now an active sailing boat working from the museum and will be World War II. The sale fell through when the hull was only partly completed and he gradually returned to the original specification over the next few years. sold the boat to George Gibson, his former mainsheet hand in KITTIWAKE from their Cadet Dinghy racing days on the Derwent. She was launched in 1947 from Muir's Sandy Bay yard. The yacht is strongly built with 28mm thick celery top pine planking on laminated blue gum frames, heavy stringers and deck beams. The deckhouse partially covers a self-draining cockpit. The conservative proportions and heavy construction turned out to be an advantage when its handicap was assessed under the RORC rule for offshore racing, and it ended up with a very favourable time correction factor. The yacht was one of the first vessels built by Muir’s Boatyard, and with WESTWARD's success he became well known. He later built other famous yachts such as WALTZING MATILDA and MARIS. WESTWARD's first race was also the beginning of Jock Muir's heyday as an ocean racing yachtsman. Jock liked to remember WESTWARD as the only yacht with a fish well to win a Sydney to Hobart race. Her building virtually marked the start of Muir's Boatyard and her first race and handicap win kicked off Jock Muir's illustrious career as a blue water ocean racer. Jock said of her… “She was a lovely boat and I still can't fault her. She has a fairly long keel and stern-hung rudder and I remember in one race she carried a spinnaker across Bass Strait when other competitors were dragging sea anchors and warps. She rated very low under the RORC rating and revelled in gale conditions - as indeed I did." Jock classes Westward's 1947 and 1948 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race wins as two of the three greatest thrills of his sailing life. She also took part in other offshore events as well. Under other owners WESTWARD cruised the northern coast of Australia and the Pacific for almost 55 years. Its last owner was Stan Field from Queensland who sailed the yacht extensively, including a 15 year cruise with his family, mainly in the Pacific, but also visiting the Panama Canal. In 2010 Mr Field donated the yacht to the Maritime Museum of Tasmania and it was sailed from Hervey Bay in Queensland to Hobart, with plans for it to eventually go on permanent display in Constitution Dock. WESTWARD is in good condition and was sailed back to Hobart during May and June 2010, skippered by the Museum's vice-president Captain Mike Webb. They have since removed some additions to the superstructure and rebuilt the cabin arrangements to return WESTWARD as close as possible to its original configuration.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 69 ISE PEARL

LAUNCHED: 1956 DESIGNER: Norman Wright and Sons BUILDER: Charlie Crowley

Vessel Dimensions: 53 ft × 47 ft × 15 ft × 7 ft

Page 70 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats This selection is a boat that’s more a representative of her genre than an individual ISE PEARL has been involved with film work, with its major film role being in the stand out vessel. Warner Bros production “Tales of the South Seas”which was filmed in the Whitsunday ISE PEARL is a pearling lugger built in Queensland in 1956. Islands. It was also well known on TV, having a role in many episodes of "Flipper", a USA series that was largely filmed on the Gold coats Queensland. The vessel has These boats, used for pearling from the 1870s, were unique to Australia. There were also appeared in several commercial and promotional films including Tourism at least two types: the Broome or North-West lugger, and the Thursday Island or Australia’s Official Campaign in 2012. Torres Strait lugger. The styles are each adapted to their respective areas and modus operandi. Around Broome, the boats had to cope with the extreme tidal range and the shallow sandy shore, on which they had to spend extended periods lying on their sides. The Torres Strait luggers spent longer periods at sea, based around schooners as mother ships. The design of these two types changed after the engines were developed for the boats, and over time they began to look more alike. The last of the pearling luggers were built in the 1950s, and were over 50 feet long. They were some of the last wooden sailing vessels in commercial use in Australia. The builder, Charlie Crowley was well known and the design came from the nearby yard Norman Wright and Sons. This collaboration of builders was not uncommon along the Brisbane River where their yards were located, and is a good example of the shared relationship many of the trades maintained. Charlie Crowley’s yard was in Bulimba on the Brisbane River, more or less adjacent to Norman Wright and Sons. The yards all shared a heritage through the Whereat yard where many fine shipwrights started their apprenticeship, in turn creating their yards and handing on the skills to the next generations. She is a carvel built lugger 53 ft. long and 15 ft. wide. She is gaff ketch rigged and has a cabin on deck. Its original name was ENVY (when registered as No 7 in 1956) and it was built for and operated by Japanese pearlers for 38 years It was later renamed ISE PEARL, after the famous shrine town in Japan called Ise. The original rig did not have topsails, but the current owner has added the additional sail area. After 38 years working in the northern pearling field in Torres Strait the vessel was retired, and sold. It was in poor condition when purchased by the subsequent owner who had fallen in love with its elegant beautiful lines. The lugger became a recreational yacht and charter vessel, and was fully restored and overhauled by 2005. Up until the end of 2017 ISE PEARL was a full time charter boat in the Whitsundays. After that I can’t find a record of where she has gone so I just assuming she meets my criteria of “still floating”!

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 71 RUTHEAN

LAUNCHED: 1947 DESIGNER: Jack Laurent Giles BUILDER: Jim Jones

Vessel Dimensions: 54 ft x 12 ft x 8 ft 19.5 tons

Page 72 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats I’ve always thought that the aesthetic of a Giles design is in an overwhelming sense of Slipways, then RUTHEAN was taken to Sydney to step the masts. RUTHEAN’s initial races functional practicality rather than an eye catching beauty. A perfect example of this is a were sailed on Sydney Harbour and Pittwater, and finally the long planned Sydney to boat we all know…the Vertue… This tiny yacht has safely crossed every ocean on earth, Hobart race in the 1952 event, where they finished 4th over the line and 12th on handicap. including from 1962 to 1965, the first Australian to solo circumnavigate, Bill Nance The next saga was getting her onto Lake Macquarie and its home club where it could be (OAM) in Cardinal Vertue. I see RUTHEAN as the Vertue’s much bigger sister. their flagship. Its deep draught was at odds with the shallow depth of the Swansea Channel. In classic Toll style he took advantage of a lack of inspectors or other authorities RUTHEAN was built in Triabunna Tasmania by J Jones and construction began in 1949 watching the entrance, and hired a barge with a sand pump, lashed the barge to the yacht for Sir Claude Plowman, a well-known Sydney yachtsman. The yacht was design number and then gradually pumped a channel through the bar, until deep water was reached on 78 by Laurent Giles and Partners, She was commissioned as a successor to Plowman’s the other side. 1913 Fife designed MORNA, which had been one of the best ocean racers in Australia up to this point, however modern designs were showing superiority and MORNA's time RUTHEAN was the largest yacht in the fleet and became a ‘landmark’ on the lake for at the top was over. The new yacht, then unnamed, was double carvel planked in Huon almost two decades, leaving occasionally to race offshore, including six Sydney to Hobart pine with a yawl sail plan. events, the last one being in 1963. Many sailors in the region managed to crew aboard her at one time or another, Toll was generous with the use of the boat, and its social RUTHEAN was partially built when, for reasons not recorded, Plowman met with Vic Toll sailing was as important as any racing events. RUTHEAN was known as the “Lady of the at the RPAYC Sydney clubrooms and offered the unfinished vessel to Vic Toll. Toll had Lake’ and that title became a headline banner across a newspaper report when RUTHEAN been a very successful sailor in his home waters on Lake Macquarie NSW, beginning in was sold to a Sydney buyer in 1973, the report noted RUTHEAN’s departure marked’ the the 16-Foot Skiff class before moving onto day sailing yachts. He was very well known on passing of a graceful and exciting era in local yachting”. It was brought alongside the the lake, and was the founding president then commodore of the Lake Macquarie Yacht club’s wharf for people to pay their respects to the graceful RUTHY as it had become Club. His father had founded the Toll transport company, still operating in 2012, and all known, before sailing south. Under subsequent owners in Sydney, Adelaide and family members were respected businessmen and community identities on the central Queensland the name and graceful looks were maintained throughout, but parts of the coast of NSW. RUTHEAN’s adventures began almost immediately. Toll and his son layout and structure were modified or repaired, a taller mast and shorter boom were inspected the unfinished yacht at Triabunna, and reached an agreement to have the added to improve windward speed, and a skeg rudder put on as another modernisation builder complete the hull and deck, and then Toll would sail the yacht back to Newcastle that also helped it sail better. to have it finished off, using only a jury rig and fitted only with internal ballast. He decided Throughout its entire life it leaked, despite attempts to strengthen the hull to keel joint to name it RUTHEAN after the names of his children Ruth and Ian. with stronger floors, and one of the later owners controlled the constant inflow with Vic Toll, his son Ian and three others set sail aboard RUTHEAN from Triabunna in automatic bilge pumps. A Queensland owner sailed RUTHEAN on a world mid-January 1950, with shearers bunks tied into the hull, a 44 gallon drum for water, circumnavigation lasting seven years before returning to Townsville. another for fuel and a temporary galley in the forepeak. A hand-lift pump was carried, In 2011 she was purchased by traditional shipwrights Ferdi and Wendy Darley and and used for 30 minutes every hour throughout the passage north, marking the beginning transported from Darwin to Victoria for complete re-build. This included, complete of a constant pattern of leaking for decades. While the spars were made in Sydney by re-framing and re-ribbing, new stem , new horn timber, new rudder knee, repair to deck Hayes, and sails in Tasmania by Rex, a shipwright fitted out the hull at Newcastle. Casting beams and coach house, new transom, 3/4 re-planked in new huon, new installation of the lead keel was another Vic Toll inspired do-it-yourself process. The foundry had wanted rudder and all internal floors. Completely refastened, newly glassed deck, new fit-out, a 50% margin for wastage in the amount of lead required, so Toll decided to cast it himself plumbing and electrics. New installation of 120HP Yanmar engine, shaft tube and with no more than the required amount as it was an expensive material, and it taken a propeller. Stripped back of aluminium masts and booms. re-paint all. Re-furbish and re-fit while to acquire in small batches. Pinching mould sand from the foundry (which was of all fittings. New suit of Doyle sails. New standing rig and running rig. New deck hardware adjacent to the Toll’s paddock), grabbing a mechanic who had once served time as and winches. Following the refit she completed a South Pacific Cruise and now sails moulder to take charge, and using out-door practices that would alarm the specialists regularly with the Melbourne Classic Yacht fleet. Toll’s team successfully cast RUTHEAN’s keel themselves. It was fitted at the Stockton

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 73 AORERE

LAUNCHED: 1898 DESIGNER: Andrew Lyell Scott BUILDER: E G Phillips

Vessel Dimensions: 38’ X 7’10” x 5’9”

Page 74 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats AORERE’s significance lies not in a design pedigree from a famous designer such as It was a memorable feat to be talked about for years. Skipper Watt’s was so delighted Fife, nor in an outstanding racing career. Her importance lies more in the fact that with AORERE’s performance that he sent her plans to Fife in Scotland and asked to she was independently designed by a young Australian engineer and built using design a Marconi rig which was eventually put into AORERE. local construction methods. Although there are several workboats and open boats AORERE is thought to have been sent to Western Australia around 1987, and was that have survived from earlier times, there are no known ballasted racing yachts purchased at auction in 1992 and taken out of the water for restoration. The old surviving that have wholly Australian origins. deck and superstructure were stripped off and the majority of ribs replaced before AORERE, which is Maori for 'Flying Cloud', (but should not be confused with the the hull was sold to Nicki King Smith and John Buchanan. Logan boat of the same name launched in Auckland in 1892) is a clipper bowed AORERE was subsequently purchased in December 1995 by Andrew Mason and Ed yacht 38ft overall, 8’ beam with a draft of 5'9", a long bowsprit for jib and staysail, van Beem and underwent a two year restoration to original condition. After and a boom hanging over the counter stern about four feet. The luff of the mainsail restoration she was sailed regularly in the Swan River and was a well loved and was attached to the mast with 9 cane rings and these served as a ladder to climb commented upon boat. the mast and make fast the large jackyard topsail. In 2013 AORERE was purchased by Chris and Liana Grannery and trucked to Albany She was built by a Mr. E.G. Phillips of St Kilda and launched 21st March 1898 to where underwent a second refit. immediately go on a maiden voyage to Mornington some 20 miles down the coast. AORERE was designed by one of her original owners, Andrew Lyell Scott, a 21 She was re planked below the water line in Huon Pine had some ribs replaced in year-old engineering graduate. Scott’s co-owner was 21 year-old law student Samuel Karri and a new interior installed in Australian cedar. She is now being sailed in Amess Junior, grandson of the former Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Princess Royal harbour in Albany, WA. For the 1901-1902 season she was sold to Dr. Retallack, who appears to have only owned her for a short time as there is a result on 17/3/1904 of her winning an important race in the name of Dr. Hodgson. She was sold again for the 1907-08 season to another Royal St Kilda Yacht Club member Mr A.C. (Bert) Watts, a wealthy Western Australian grazier and cattle station owner affectionately known as “Skipper Watts”. AORERE became his social racing and entertaining boat, being beautifully lined in French polished Australian red cedar with red plush cushions and furnishings, and she was always a treat to behold above and below decks. Skipper Watts was a well-known figure on Port Phillip and on the reintroduction of the Six Metre class at the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club, had built for the Northcote Cup Challenge JUDITH PIHL

It was about 1938 that AORERE, then fitted with a mast and sails retained from JUDITH PIHL, was entered in the 38 mile Williamstown to Geelong race. It was blowing 35-45 mph from the southwest with big seas. Immediately successful, AORERE tramped, or rather submarined her way through the fleet of great yachts, including “ACROSPIRE IV” and“EUN_NA_MARA” , and eventually gained line honours.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 75 WRAITH of ODIN

LAUNCHED: 1950 DESIGNER: John G Alden BUILDER: Alf Jahnsen

Vessel dimensions LOA 58”9” LOD 57'1" WL 41' Beam 14'3" Draft 7'6" 26 ton

Page 76 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats WRAITH of ODIN was designed by John G Alden, Boston – (design Number Since her restoration she has won every concourse event entered and raced in classic 0823,1945). She was commissioned by Dr Brian and Mrs Dagmar O’Brien and built races in three states of Australia and in New Zealand. by Alf Jahnsen and Leo Royan at Tuncurry, NSW in 1950-1951. Dagmar’s father was a Danish sea captain and her mother English but the O’Brien family heritage was Irish. The choice of the name WRAITH of ODIN reflects a strong sense of connection to things Norse. The literal interpretation of the name is; the ghost like image of the Norse God Odin. (Father of all Norse Gods). . She is carvel planked in 1 1/2 inch thick Brown Beech, copper nailed and clenched to triple laminated Spotted Gum hardwood frames. She has a teak deck with varnished Rosewood margins with Cedar and Rosewood used on the raised cabin house with its distinctive Alden double windows On June 5th 1951 the Dungog Chronicle reported: “The 57-foot ketch, 'WRAITH of ODIN' is on its maiden voyage to Sydney from Tuncurry. The owner of the ketch is Mr. Brian O'Brien, a medical research officer at the Sydney University. It was built by Messrs. Jahnsen and Royan, of Tuncurry, at a cost of £12,000. Mr. O'Brien will be accompanied by his wife, son and daughter; Dr. Gabriel and Mr. Eric Dahlen, of Sydney, Mr. and Mrs. Jahnsen and their five children, Mary, Jill, Lorraine, Barry and Harvey. The ketch took almost two years to build. It has two masts, one 70 ft. and the other 50 ft., a beam of 14 ft. 2 in., and. a 7 ft. draught. It is powered by a 52 h.p. Scammel engine and can cruise at 8 knots. The interior is luxuriously finished in rose-wood and cedar. It has eight bunks, a galley and bathroom. Its overall weight is 29 tons Mr. O'Brien intends entering the ketch in, next year's Sydney-Hobart yacht race and sailing around the world on a scientific exploratory cruise. Over the next 25 years under their ownership of the O’Brien’s, she competed in the 1952, ‘53, ‘54, ‘56 and ’69 Sydney to Hobart races, against the likes of KURRAWA IV, ASTOR, WINSTON CHURCHILL and SOLO among others. She also completed the 1953 Montague Island Race and the 1954 Tasman Island race. She has cruised South America rounding Cape Horn. In the 1952 race she sailed with their 3 & 4 year old children aboard. (But I believe they are not the youngest to complete the race) Between 1997 and 2002. She underwent a five year restoration in Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia. Her ketch rig was increased after consultation with the Alden Office and she had a new deck and the interior was gutted, all of the fitout being removed, numbered and restored prior to refitting as per original design and build drawings.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 77 ARCHINA

LAUNCHED: 1933 DESIGNER: Cecil Boden BUILDER: J Hayes & Sons

Vessel Dimensions: 52.5 ft x 7 ft

Page 78 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats ARCHINA was built in NSW in 1933. She is an ocean racing yacht from a design by Cecil Boden who was one of Australia's first Australian born Naval Architects and practiced in Sydney from the 1920s until the late 1980s. For some of this period he was a senior Naval Architect at Cockatoo Island. Built by James Hayes and Sons in Careening Cove, she was launched with some fanfare due to her size and style. She crossed the starting line in the first ever Sydney Hobart race, but withdrew early on in the strong conditions that the yachts encountered. The Sun Newspaper reported on December 29th 1949 “SYDNEY, Friday:– This afternoon the first ‘casualty’ of the Sydney Hobart yachting race was reported. It was the ARCHINA, a 52 ft. Bermudian ketch, owned by Mr. P. Goldstein, which was observed to be in distress off Montague Island. A ship which rushed to the scene later reported that the crew was safe and would try to continue in the race. At 4.45 p.m. the ARCHINA was seen anchored 20 miles from Montague Island. Late this afternoon the yachts again struck bad weather south of Twofold Bay, with a southerly gale blowing in gusty squalls at never less than 23 miles an hour, and at times reaching a velocity of 50 miles an hour.” She is raced in six Sydney Hobarts races overall and in 1948 it won her division. There are reports that she was originally rigged as a yawl and the converted to a ketch. After a substantial restoration project ARCHINA also took part in the Sydney to Hobart 1994 50th anniversary race. It still sails on Sydney Harbour and is said to be in excellent condition.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 79 YENDYS

LAUNCHED: 1925/2007 DESIGNER: Charles Hayes BUILDER: Charles Hayes/ Col Bailey and Ian Perdriau

Vessel Dimensions: 18 ft x 18ft x 7.75 ft x 2.25 ft

Page 80 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats This one might be a little controversial because YENDYS is not an original boat but an exact replica of an original 1924 design, but how could a list of Australia most important wooden sailing boats not have an 18ft skiff in the mix? And I admit I chose her more as a representative of the Historical 18 foot skiffs based at the Sydney Flying Squadron than a particular design. And I also admit that this is not my area of expertise so I’m very happy to be corrected on any of the info below Sydney 18-footers have raced on Sydney Harbour for over 120 years. They evolved from heavy wooden boats with a crew of 15 to the 3 person carbon fibre speed machines of today. The peak of their popularity was in the early 1920s and 1930s when thousands came out to watch the racing. It was as big as cricket or football is today. Those boats took a unique set of skills to manage. They carried ridiculous amounts of sail. Crew were ballast constantly working to keep the boat upright. One stray puff, or rogue wave, or miscalculation and it was all over for the afternoon. Like most of the past, you would expect it to only exist in museums and books. In this case, it is different. A fleet of boats have been built over the last 20 years that are based on the designs of those boats. Famous 18-footers built between 1900 and 1950. Each has been the subject of research through drawings, photographs, and prodding the memory of the few remaining who sailed the original. The original YENDYS was built for Norm Blackman who raced her very successfully with the Sydney Flying Squadron, with a crew up to 15, until the 1942/3 season. She is one of the the ‘big beamers’, the wide bodied 18-footers, that raced on the harbour before 1933. After that date a new seven-foot beam type began to emerge. The name YENDYS is Sydney spelt backwards.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 81 CYGNET

LAUNCHED: 1925 DESIGNER: Walter Wilson BUILDER: Wilson Brothers

Vessel Dimensions: 32 ft × 8 ft × 4.92 ft

Page 82 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats The Hobart Mercury reported on CYGNET on December 24 1925. into a 32 ft. cruising yacht building upon the original structure and adding to it. A At Cygnet, where yachting is booming, the sport has received a great impetus by long overhang was planked onto the stern, a deep ballast keel was added, along the building of a new 21-foot restricted class boat on the lines of the Tassie, which with a raised deck forward and cabin house." took the water on Sunday morning. This beautiful little craft has been named CYGNET and was built by Messrs Tas Wilson and John and Thomas Cowen. The From there its history is not well recorded, but it was taken across to Port Phillip at designing and drafting were carried out by Mr. Walter Wilson, who bears such a an unknown date and sailed there for a number of years. In June 2014 the current fine reputation as a builder and designer of beautiful ships throughout Australia. owners bought CYGNET, and reported the following: “I was struck by her beauty The timbers are all selected Blackwood, and the planking Huon pine, the natural and without thinking too much about it just said yes. So far it’s been a great project. colours of which have been preserved and beautifully varnished. Every detail has After some cleaning, engine repairs, some timber work and a few weeks in Greg been carefully attended to and no expense and care spared anywhere, and her Blunt's yard in Williamstown she's back in sailing condition and starting to look owners, builders, and designer, who all hail from Cygnet, are to be congratulated pretty good.” on a very beautiful little craft. CYGNET remains in good condition and is listed on the Classic Yacht Association Since her launch she has been for a trial spin or two in the bay, and, although Register. She has many years of cruising ahead on Port Phillip. experiencing the usual preliminary minor difficulties with sails, etc., showed a fine turn of speed, and when tuned up great things are expected of her. She also will make her debut at Esperance on Boxing Day. Other members of the Cygnet fleet are at present slipped, undergoing final preparation for the regattas." CYGNET was the second 21 Foot class yacht to be built in the state and came on the wave of support generated by the first Tasmanian 21 TASSIE, built in a hurry the year before to race in the Forsters Cup series which it then won convincingly. TASSIE TOO and TASSIE III followed later in the 1920’s. The 1921 built LAKATOI had been bought in 1923 to begin the fleet in Tasmania. CYGNET raced with these boats on the Derwent River but never represented the state at the Forster Cup. CYGNET was a good boat, and the following report from the Huon Times, Thursday 5 January 1933, notes a win over TASSIE. "TASSIE was first across the line, with TULA , REDPA, ANITRA and MONSOON close up in that order. Spinnakers were set on the way to Rocky Bay, and the fleet, which had been bunched up now split up. MONSOON led til the first round. .Much interest was centred on the duel which developed between CYGNET and TASSIE, and who were on the same handicap MONSOON held the lead to the finish and CYGNET beat TASSIE a creditable performance on a 12-mile course.”

The TASSIE trio dominated the class in Tasmania and nationally up until the early 1940s. At this time CYGNET was eventually retired from racing and underwent a significant modification by builder Alf Cuthbertson. . It was cleverly transformed

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 83 AOTEA

LAUNCHED: 1900 DESIGNER: Willian Fife III BUILDER: Clement Blunt

Vessel dimensions: 30.19 ft × 27.23 ft

Page 84 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats It would be hard to leave a 120 year old William Fife III design off the list especially as she has been and continues to be such an integral part of Tasmania’s sailing history. AOTEA was built at Williamstown, Victoria in 1900 by the Nelson Place boat builder, Clement Blunt, to a design by the famous Scottish naval architect William Fife III. She was built as a lug rigged yawl for use on Port Phillip Bay, allegedly for the Governor General of Victoria. In her first race at the Geelong Regatta on New Year’s Day 1901 she was dismasted and was later re-rigged as a sloop. AOTEA was not entirely successful under that rig either and before the 1901 yachting season was over, she was re-rigged as a cutter with a pole mast and a jack yard. This improved her performance and she was the fourth most successful competitor in Royal Yacht Club of Victoria events for seasons ending in 1902, 1903 and 1905 and third in 1904. Owner A. C. Barber was later a well-known Sydney-based naval architect. In 1907, Hobart clerk A. V. Windsor purchased AOTEA. Under his ownership AOTEA won the cruisers race at the Hobart regatta three years in a row: 1908, 1909 and 1910, sailed by Frederick Turner on all 3 occasions. She led the fleet round Cape Bruny in the 1908 100 Mile Ocean Race (now called Bruny Island race) but broke her gaff. In 1951, with her days as a first class racer behind her, AOTEA’s then owner Stan Davidson of the Bellerive Yacht Club had her topsides built up at Cuthbertson’s Yards at Montague Bay to make her more comfortable for inshore cruising. Unlike many such conversions it was tastefully done and although it completely altered her character she re-emerged as an elegant craft, her rakish lines set off by oval port holes along her raised hurricane deck. She has been in the Cygnet area since 1996 where she has continued to be loved, raced and sailed in the Huon Estuary and Channel some 120 years after she was built, winning the Noel Doepel Classic Yacht Trophy at Dover 3 years in a row from 2017 to 2019. On the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s website she is currently advertised for sale.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 85 WINDWARD II

LAUNCHED: 1929 DESIGNER: Norman Dallimore BUILDER: Percy Coverdale

Vessel Dimensions: 4 ft x 34.15 ft x 10.25 ft x 6.5 ft, 13 tons

Page 86 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats WINDWARD II: built in Tasmania and now calls Port Phillip home. By 2008 it was racing again, under cutter rig, and once more WINDWARD II started And for $220,000AUD she could be yours! to gather trophies in the Victorian Classic Yacht Fleet. Designed by Englishman Norman E Dallimore, the carvel planked hull was built in Hobart at Coverdale's Battery Point yard and launched early in 1930 for Edwin Webster, a towering figure in Hobart yachting over many decades from 1900. It was rigged as a staysail schooner, the first time this American style of rig was employed on a vessel built in Australia. A report of its launching in February 1930 Australian Motor Boat and Yachting, notes that 'It would be difficult to conceive a more handsome looking craft than WINDWARD and she is finished in a manner that would do justice to any palatial liner. The topsides are painted a shamrock green, while the underbody is a lighter green.” Webster only owned WINDWARD for a short period. In 1931 it was sold to James March Hardie and sailed north to Sydney and his club the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. WINDWARD now became WINDWARD II because a yacht with the name WINDWARD was already sailing on Sydney Harbour. Hardie had used his previous yacht MORNA primarily for cruising but with the purchase of WINDWARD II he was able to compete seriously in the RSYS racing program. WINDWARD II quickly made a name in the following season, winning the 1932-33 Fairfax Cup. It went on to win the Fairfax Cup four years in a row. She won the Gascoigne Cup in 1933-34 and the Revonah Cup in 1936-37. In 1935 a youthful Lou d'Alpuget joined the crew and remained aboard for sixteen years. D'Alpuget gained enough experience aboard WINDWARD II to become a confident sailor and yachting journalist, and the dominant writer on the subject up to the 1990s. After World War II, WINDWARD II and the yachts THETIS, NORN and MORNA re-started racing on Sydney Harbour. Despite its age and the competition of new yachts, she dominated the 1948-49. WINDWARD II was changed to a single mast cutter rig in the 1960s. After Hardie's death the yacht was sold and changed hands four times until the current owner bought the vessel from its Brisbane-based owner and sailed it down to Melbourne. It was in excellent structural condition and only required refinishing to be restored. After a racing accident in 2006 WINDWARD II was given a major overhaul under the supervision of Dan Atkins at the Wooden Boat Centre in Melbourne's Docklands.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 87 Photo credits Front Cover Tony Blake 68 Westward The Hobart 3 Fair Winds Andrea Francolini Mercury 4 Kathleen Gillett ARHV 70 Ise Pearl ? 6 Sayonara Mark Chew 72 Ruthean Andy Indrans 8 Morna Brian Curtis 74 Aorere. ? 10 Storm Bay Wooden Boat Shop 76 Wraith of Odin ? 12 Uteikah III Melbourne Grammar 78 Archina ARHV School 80 Yendys ? 14 Couta Boat. ? 82 Cygnet Mark Chew 16 Love and War ? 84 Aotea ? 18 Freya ? 86 Windward II ? 20 Maluka Carol Borlengh 89 Fair Winds @ HI Andrea Francolini 22 Caprice of Huon ARHV 90 Fair Winds @ MI Andrea Francolini 24 Mercedes III Beken of Cowes 26 Fidelis ? 28 Gretel II ? 30 Margaret Rintoul ? 32 Acrospire III Peter Costolloe 34 Tassie Too Friends of Tassie Too 36 Yvonne Mark Chew 38 Maris Muir’s Boatyard 40 Hurrica V ? 42 Landfall ? 44 Siandra ? 46 Astor Andrea Francolini 48 Nerida ? 50 Vanessa ? 52 Akarana ARHV 54 Laurabada Ivan Holm 56 Balandra Maritime Museum of Tasmania 58 Frances Andy Indrans 60 Solveig ANMM 62 Struen Marie ANMM 64 Judith Pihl Gerry Colley 66 Alwyn J Hewitt

Page 88 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats To celebrate Fair Winds 60th anniversary in 2016, Mark Chew voyaged FAIR WINDS to the Hamilton Island and Magnetic Island race weeks.

ABOVE: FAIR WINDS skipper, Mark Chew, with his crew and supporters is celebrating her 60th Anniversary at Hamilton Island on 24th August 2016.

BACK COVER: FAIR WINDS in full 60th anniversary celebration mode at the Magnetic Island Race Week Sept 6 2016. This photo was the front cover image for Australian Sailing Magazine Aug-Sept 2017.

Both photos displayed with kind permission from Marine Photographer, Andrea Francolini.

CYAA Magazine Issue 39 December 2017 features FAIR WINDS 60th celebration voyage.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 89 Page 90 42 Australian Wooden Sailing Boats