Fair Winds

Boat Name: Fair Winds
Designer: Phillip L Rhodes
Builder: Abeking and Rasmussen
Year Launched: 1956
Rig: Sloop (originally Yawl)
LOA: 43’6”
LWL: 29’
Beam: 11’
Draft: 4’/7’6”
Sail No: R604
Owner: Mark Chew

History: Fair Winds is Phillip Rhodes Design number 633. She is the third of five boats built to this design( one of which “Alba” is owned by  President of the CIM). She was built for the well known West Coast American sailor George T Fleitz. She is double planked with Honduras mahogany on steam bent and sawn oak ribs. Two bronze ring frames accept loads from the rigging and the solid bronze centerboard is housed in a bronze centercase. She has crossed the Atlantic at least twice, transited the Panama Canal four times and crossed the Pacific to New Zealand. She was purchased by Mark Chew, a member of The Royal Yacht Club of Victoria in Auckland in 2002 and sailed back across the Tasman. Since then she has sailed extensively along the east Coast of Australia travelling as far North as the Whitsundays. She is a regular competitor with the Port Phillip Classic Yacht Fleet. In 2006/7 she underwent a major refit.