Please download and read our new Cruising Newsletter for the 2012 Kent Group, Bass Strait cruise.
Included is the Geelong Wooden Boat Festival weekend.

Best Regards,

Tim Phillips

Cruising2011-DealIsland.pdf

Vanity, which has been lovingly restored in Queensland by her current owner, now Hobart-based Robert Virtue, is moored in her new berth at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Sandy Bay.

From February 12-14 she will on public display at the Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart’s Sullivan Cove, along with other stunning feature vessels, including Gretel II, Princess Iluka, Tacoma, Hurrica V and the Yaizu Horocho boat.

For owner Virtue, a hydrogeologist with a passion for old wooden boats, this is the end of a five year restoration of Vanity, one of seven wooden Tasmanian One Design class yacht built in Tasmania between 1910 and 1912. Two others were built in New Zealand in 1914 and one was built in Bombay, India, some time before 1916. Remarkably, all seven of the One Designers built in Tasmania, six in Hobart by Charles Lucas and one in Launceston by E A Jack, are still afloat. The first to be launched, Weene, last week raced in the Classic Yachts division of the 175th Australia Day Regatta on Sydney Harbour. The Tasmanian One Design class was based on plans published in the USA magazine The Rudder in 1910 for a ‘knockabout’ yacht designed by William Hand Jr.

Hobart naval architect Arthur Blore modified Hand’s design to suit local sailing conditions, and by 1910 had persuaded several prominent yachtsmen to build these identical boats, for the sum of about $200. They became known simply as ‘One Designers’, and they went on to dominate racing on the River Derwent until the late 1920s.

Vanity was the fourth One Designer launched, on November 3, 1911, for W F Darling, G S Crisp and Dr E J Ireland, who races her successfully for several seasons, including three times placing second (to other One Designers, Pandora, Curlew and Weene) in the 89 nautical mile Bruny Island Race and winning the North v South Cup on the Tamar River at Launceston – after being taken there by train.” — Peter Campbell

The fleet today included 49 mostly wooden yachts in the Classic Yachts division, many gaff-rigged and several built more than a century ago. Many crews dressed in period sailing gear and later rendezvoused at the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club to celebrate the regatta’s history. Despite a morning sea fog that blanketed the city and suburbs and the harbour, the misty conditions cleared somewhat and a light east to north-easterly breeze cooled conditions and provided close racing around fixed marks.

On waterways along the New South Wales coast, Australia Day regattas were linked to the historic event on Sydney Harbour while ocean racing yachts sailed to Botany Bay and return, albeit slowly, covering the same course sailed by the First Fleet in 1788.

In Hobart, Australia’s second oldest seaport, yachts, dinghies and windsurfers competed in the Australia Day Green Island race and the Sandy Bay Regatta.

Another icon of Australian yachting, the 1970 and 1977 America’s Cup Challenger Gretel II took line honours in the 40 nautical mile Green Island Race, helmed by her 1977 skipper, 85-year-old Gordon Ingate.

On Sydney Harbour, a fleet of 49 yachts, mostly built of wood, many gaff-rigged and several more than a hundred years ago, contested the Classic Yacht division of the 175th Australia Day Regatta.Winner of the 175th Australia Day Regatta Trophy and the Australia Day Council Trophy was Antares (R Keeson and D Wood). The Centenary of Federation Gold Medal went to Reverie, owned by Nigel Berlyn and John Barclay.

The Botany Bay race, conducted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, was a slow race, with headwinds heading south and fickle breezes on the return leg, with some yacht not finish until 1900 hours, after more than eight hours at sea on a hot, humid and misty day. Line honours went to Jim Cooney’s famous conventional maxi, Brindabella, giving her the Geoff Lee Trophy, while the City of Sydney Sesquicentenary Trophy went to Rod Wills X43 Great Expectations. — Peter Campbell

“Below is a pdf of the January issue of Sheerlines with reminders to get your entries in for Anniversary Weekend events, including the Oceanbridge Anniversary Day Regatta and The Southern Trust Classic Yacht Regatta 11-13 February.
An invitation to join our Sail Past on Anniversary Day is also included ……….we would love to see a major armada of vessels on the Waitemata prior to the start of racing so please invite your friends to come along and join in. Sailing, motoring, paddling ………..all welcome!
General assembly outside the Viaduct at 0900 with a leisurely sail, motor or paddle to Orakei Wharf, across to Devonport (keeping an eye out for the tugboats finishing off the wharf from 10.20 approx‚) and heading back to the start area at Princes Wharf.”

Those Aussies planning to attend as crew on these magnificent vessels are asked to contact the Australian Co-Ordinator, Roger Dundas rogermdundas@gmail.com so that the information regarding the Australian contingent can be passed on to the organisers.

SheerlinesJanuary_11

For more information download the Invitation and Notice of Race below

Invitation

ADR175 Classic NOR