Australian Register of Historic Vessels

After presentations by her owner, Peter Johns, to the ARHV Council, the International 8 metre Frances is now listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.

Designed, built and helmed by Ernest Digby of Williamstown, Frances is known as the first Australian designed and built International 8 metre yacht to retain the Sayonara Cup for Victoria in 1951. Frances went on to successfully defend the Sayonara Cup against Erica J in 1952. In 1953 Erica J trumped Frances but Frances won the Cup back in 1954, again racing against Erica J.  The complete Frances listing story on the ARHV web site can be seen at this link:

ARHV Link

With this ARHV listing of Frances, our Melbourne Classic Yacht fleet racing has moved up a significant notch in terms of historic importance.   Not only is there now 8 ARHV vessels actively racing in Melbourne but they also allow our Melbourne fleet, with the help of that handicapper who you all know and love, to race competitively with some of the Australia’s most prestigious racing yachts of yesteryear. After some maintenance work is completed, Frances will be racing with our Melbourne Classic Yacht fleet.

The Classic Yachts in our national fleet with ARHV listing are:

Victoria: Acrospire III, Avian, Alwyn, Bungoona, Jessamine, Lily Guy, Matilda/Sea Wren, Mercedes III, Sayonara, Storm Bay, Windward II.

N.S.W: Aoma, Jenny Wren, Erica J, Malveena, Fidelis,  Nerida,  Ranger.

Queensland:  Cherana, Savona.

West Australia: Acrospire IV.

Tasmania: Premier

Maritime Museums of Australia Conference, Queenscliffe  Victoria.

The Association will be represented at this conference.

David Payne, the ARHV Curator will present a paper on the subject of the national and world experience of heritage vessels. As mentioned elsewhere in this report, David Payne has been organised to visit and participate in the first race of the CYAA Vic. 2014 Winter Series.

CYAA Victoria

2014 Victoria Winter Series

First race May 4.

Entries are now being received for this series. 9 to date. Included in the series entries is the welcome return to the fleet by Kent Bacon’s Renene after her deck and engine rebuild and Damian Purcell heading up the Scimitar syndicate after her mast repair .

A feature of this race is the visit and race with the fleet by David Payne, the ARHV Curator. Thanks to Cameron Dorrough for the work he put into making this event happen. A first time event that will allow the ARHV people see our world class Classic Yacht fleet racing.

Mid Week racing at the RYCV

Peter Lloyd reports that Marie Louise III has been entered to compete in RYCV midweek Laura Gloria race series. For those who need a mid week dose of close pursuit racing there’s a place waiting for you. Contact myself by return mail if you want to join in.

CYAA Queensland

Following on from the support and collaboration the CYAA Magazine team had with our Queensland members headed up by Greg Doolan of Sandpiper , with assistance from Ivan Holme and Stuart Stubbs, a template is being developed to enable both Q’ld and Victoria to work together to support the national aspect of our Association.

The major event on the CYAA Q’ld calendar is the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club’s 39^th Vintage Yacht Regatta, scheduled for June 7 to 9 2014. Close to a full card of our Q’ld members will be participating in the Regatta.

CYAA N.S.W.

For some time now there’s been a three way discussion between our NSW member Jim Rist, of the Balmain Sailing Club,our UK Member, Rees Martin and Roger Dundas on the subject of the best option to use for an engine install in Svalan, the Tumlare owned by Jim. The outcome was the decision it’s all too hard so let’s move on with a suitable yacht that already has an engine. Meaning, Svalan is on the market and an opportunity now exists for a member to emulate what Gordon Tait has done with his purchase of Ettrick from Doug Jenkin, ie, move into the Tumlare racing world. Svalans in great shape, have a look.

Jims asking for a fair offer to take Svalan over.

Here’s some details about Svalan

• built 1949 Tuncurry NSW by Alf Jahnsson
• brown beech timbers; white beech coach house; spotted gum decks; Oregon spars
• newly painted hull and decks
• all seams checked and caulked
• newly antifouled
• new toerails (shipwright called them “spermwaters”: is that a term you’re familiar with?)
• new dynel on coach house roof and after deck
• pintels refurbished
• all stainless replaced within last 5 years
• fairly new main and genoa

Some more news from our NSW members is that Scott Ryrie, from the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, who took over Aoma and sent her from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron to Queensland for a restore by our Q’ld member, Peter Kerr of Deagon Slipways, reports she is waiting patiently as priority has been put on a trawler/restore and charter where work is progressing well.

CYAA UK

Our member Rees Martin reports his Tumlare, Alert goes in the water later this month and will be racing in Plymouth and may be Cowes Classic Week – which is going from strength to strength. They are expecting nearly two hundred entries this year.  Rees is also on the Committee of the Associations of Yachting Historians. He reports the project to digitise the Lloyds Register of Yachts, approx. 100, is close to completion. He’ll pass a copy to us when completed.

Other activities Rees has also reported on is the annual dinner for the South West Shingles Yacht Club in London and listening to hilarious reports of further sailing cockups. He says a couple sat opposite him who had managed to sail their yacht under the chain of the Cowes chain ferry. He dived overboard, leaving his wife on the sinking ship. We all thought it very funny – except the wife who was still frosty…. A visit to the South West Shingles on Good Friday will take place where an inflatable bar is to be set up to drink champagne and toast absent friends. All attendees then go back and have a good lunch at the Royal Lymington.  

Galatea and Turkey

While no longer part of the CYAA but a report on how our Tum, Galatea is doing won’t go astray. George Low, Snow Goose, reports that her owner, Bahadir Celim, who trucked Galatea from Melbourne to Perth for a year on the Swan and then on to Turkey by container. He now has her in Bodrum shipyard where he is doing a some rebuilds on her. She will be then be sailed on the Mediterrean to his island based holiday house and will then compete in the Bodrum Cup Regatta in mid September.  A part of his go fast plans, her wooden mast will be coated with Transparent  Epoxy glass fibre so she can handle a Code 0 Spinnaker or gennacker that Bahadir intends to use.

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe

CYAA Vic Handicapper

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