Sloanes Beach Regatta and Centreboard Cup
If you are wondering where Sloanes Beach is – google it. It is one of Aucklands hidden gems in the suburb of Herne Bay. The regatta is very low key, almost secret hand shake low key. Each year I try and drop in and grab a few photos to help promote the club (Herne Bay Cruising Club) http://hbcc.net.nz/
I had a full dance card yesterday, so only stayed for the start of the ‘bigger’ boats race. A little overcast but as I was leaving the sun came out and the wind picked up.Spotted an original burgee from the Auckland Motorboat Club handing from the rafters – you do not see many of those around these days.
Mahurangi Cruising Club / Regatta Year Book
The perfect stocking stuffer – available now at Boatbooks in Westhaven (or on-line) + at usual outlets around Warkworth.
Looking For Something Bigger
Grab a copy of Brian Peets book – Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy. A must for every kiwi yachtie and even launch owners 🙂 Also available from Boatbooks or https://destownson.co.nz/
WW Xmas Quiz Winners
Matthew Drake, Ken Goa, Simon Smith, Nick Voerman, Jason Prew – prizes on the way to you, if you have supplied your postal details.
Help Needed – Yacht Sojurn
WW has been contacted by Zoe Hawkins in regard to the yacht – Sojourn.Zoe is writing a story on the Northern Manukau Harbour and is looking for intel in regards to the keeler. She was built by the Davis Brother in Titirangi in the 1950’s. Zoe believes that It was put on the road and sold after one of the brothers became too sick to finish it and go sailing, most likely this was the 1960’s. An help very much appreciated. Two photos below.
And More Help – Yacht Hawk V67
Yesterdays WW story featured small boat builder – John Maxwell – recently when John was cleaning out his parents home, he came across the hand coloured old print, below, of the yacht Hawk V67. John told me that if the boat is still around, then maybe the current owners may like this photo. It isn’t large but is better condition than the photo shows.
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I hope you receive this reply as I have had trouble logging in. Robin, thank you for that information and I am sorry it has taken so long to respond. I will pass it onto the family, they will be very pleased to hear that Sojourn fulfilled her destiny.
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Robin thank you. I just discovered that this comment was here after all this time. I am very glad to hear that Sojourn went on to be finished and sailed. Even better that she ventured around the NI. I’ll pass this onto the family as I don’t believe they know this.
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Re Hawk:
Unfortunately Hawk V-67 is no more.
She was however a very good square bilge marconi-rigged 18-footer, built by Bill Couldrey in 1935 (design No.10) for H. Wilkins and was ever-present in the V-class race fleet right up to the 1950’s when she joined the Cruising V’s.
In the late 1960’s she became a ‘hippy cruiser’ all painted up with flowers and crap but had minimal maintenance. She broke away from her mooring in a blow sometime around 1972 and sank off Chelsea and was never recovered.
Known Owners:
H. Wilkins 1935/37; E. Mobberley 1937/39; T.& V. Johnson 1939/40; R.H. Clarke 1940/46; D.M. Boyle 1946/47; D.D. Smith 1947/49; D. Knight 1949/51+? R.W. Skinner 1952+?; G.C. Bowmar 1956?/58+? G. Elmsley (Panmure) 1960+?; Andy Wilcox ?/1972?
Star 18/5/35: A. Couldrey has just finished a smart 18-footer for Mr. H. Wilkins late owner of the Kea.
Star 8/11/35: Racing Richmond CC Opening Day.
NZH 25/1/39: for sale
Star 28/1/39: for Sale
NZH 20/4/40: For sale
Star 26/11/45: Racing with DYC. Photo p4
Sea Craft Sep 1947: Photo p52.
DYC: Hislop Cup 1942
Ncote Bhead Regatta: Champion flag 1938
NBYC: Northcote bowl 1948 s
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Re Sojourn: I have very little on her as she does not appear to have been registered with NZYF until 1976. This may also of course be when she was finished off after the Davis brothers sold her.
Known Owners:
P.J. Broome (Greenhithe) 1976+? (Still appears as reg owner in 1978 NZYF); B.M. Whiteman (Howick) 1980+? (Still appears as reg owner in 1999 NZYF)
DB Yachting Annual 1977: Entered Round North Island race. Photo p113
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Great photos for our collection thank you and of some significance. Refer notes from Papers past & my report of the day:
20th Lipton Cup: 25th January, 1941: From Papers Past: The NZ Herald.
Chief interest in tomorrow’s yachting will centre in the annual Lipton Cup contest under the control of the Ponsonby Cruising Club and starting and finishing off the Victoria Cruising Club’s new clubhouse on the St Mary’s Bay reclamation. This valuable trophy has caused keen competition among the 22ft L Class. In spite of war conditions there is an increase of two entries on those of last year. In addition, the Ponsonby Cruising Club will hold its annual cup day for all classes below the keelers which will be catered for by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The Panmure Boating Club will hold races on the Tamaki River while on Sunday the Kohimarama Club will decide its usual handicap race off the Kohimarama Wharf.
The boats nominated are: L7 Komuri Victoria Cruising Club, L21 Marika Royal Akarana Yacht Club, L26 Varuna Takapuna Boating Club, L25 Otira Herne Bay Junior Yacht Club, L28 Melita Whangarei Cruising Club, L31 Valkyria Richmond Yacht Club, L32 Varmarie Tamaki Yacht Club, L34 Zamira Otahuhu Sailing Club, L13 Celeste Manukau Yacht Club, L2 Marie Ponsonby Cruising Club, L10 Venus Point Chevalier Sailing Club.
27 January, 1941 LIPTON CUP CONTEST SUCCESS OF OTIRA
Sailed under ideal conditions, the 20th annual contest for Auckland’s leading yachting trophy, the Lipton Cup, resulted in a win for L25 Otira, owned by Messrs. G. Bourke, A. Wratten and R. Brummel, and sailed by V. Riley, the former owner and a previous Lipton Cup winner with L18 Rakoa. Otira represented the Herne Bay Junior Yacht Club in the contest.
The race started and finished off the new St. Mary’s Bay reclamation and the course was from there to the Bastion, thence out to the White Light buoy in Rangitoto Channel, and thence back to the Bastion and up to Rona buoy off Chelsea with a short leg to the finishing line. L7 Komuri and L21 Marika were too eager and had to return at the start, losing their windward positions. L28 Melita, the Whangarei Cruising Club representative, was first, away but had torn a reef point out, which soon opened into a split across the sail, and she retired before the fleet had passed the end of the boat harbour wall.
As they passed the Western Wall Marika was in the lead but down to leeward with Komuri and Otira working out to windward followed by L2 Marie, L32 Varmarie, L31 Valkyrie, L34 Zamira and L10 Venus. It was on the close haul to the Bastion that Otira really won the race, by keeping out in the harbour and going to windward of an overseas boat, which enabled her to fetch the Bastion mark with eased sheets, seven seconds ahead of Marika, which had to pinch to keep up to windward to make it. Komuri, which also made the mark with eased sheets, was 58s further back.
With the exception of Venus which threw round immediately she passed the mark, the fleet carried on before going about for the long beat out to the white light. Venus stood across toward Cheltenham Beach but did not gain the advantage as Valeria had done with by such tactics some years ago. Otira increased her lead, while Komuri sailed into second position and when they came back to Bastion Otira had a lead of 3m 27s from Komuri, with Marika and Zamira 43s and 44s respectively astern. On the lead up-harbour to the Rona buoy Komuri lessened the gap but could not catch Otira. Zamira passed Marika to get third.
The elapsed times for the course were: Otira (Heme Bay Junior Yacht Club) 2h 5m 28s; Komuri (Victoria Cruising Club), 2h 7m 46s; Zamira (Otahuhu Sailing Club) 2h 10m 2Is; Marika (Royal Akarana Yacht Club), 2h 10m 30s; Valkyrie (Richmond Yacht Club), 2h 11m 54s; Varmarie (Tamaki Yacht Club), 2h 15m 26s; Marie (Ponsonby Cruising Club), 2h 15m 35s. Venus (Point Chevalier Sailing Club) retired.
The Lipton Cup Results were:
1. Otira – Herne Bay Junior Yacht Club, 2. Komuri – Victoria Cruising Club, 3. Zamira – Otahuhu Sailing Club.
(L34 Zamira became Ngahere in 1946 as she is still known and may join the Lipton Cup fleet for the Centennial!)
Centreboard Cup – 19 December, 2020:
Eighty years on and this was a significant event in the lead up to the Centennial Regatta for the Lipton Cup to be sailed March 20, 2021. Eighty years ago, L25 Otira representing the Herne Bay junior Yacht Club won this noble trophy! Sailing on that day were L7 Komuri and L28 Melita.
The race on Saturday started off the old Herne Bay Yacht Club building at Sloanes Beach (the original home of the Richmond Yacht Club) in a very light northerly with flat seas. From the start it was round Watchman Island to port, Chelsea Buoy to port, the start mark to port, twice round. After a very close but “gentle” start in the light breeze L52 Rangi Manu found clear air and took off to lead L7 Komuri round the Watchman Is while L28 Melita and H5 Nomad kept close company further astern and that was the order in which they finished. A great day and a curtain raiser for the Centenary in March when both Melita and Komuri will again be racing, with Rangi Manu, for the Lipton Cup.
Then it was home to watch the Prada World Series in which those other extreme boats with their foils raced each other in a lead up event to the Americas Cup also to be sailed in March 2021. Unlike those boats, with no foils with their “extreme” sail areas, the Mullet boats just kept sailing in those variable light airs. The foiling fleet “touched down” and stopped!
(Note: In a report by YNZ the Mullet Boats were referred to as the other “extremes” with their extended rigs and large sail areas on hulls half the length!
Janet W
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