AOTEA – Sailing Sunday 
The owner of the H28 Aotea, Peter Sporle, contacted WW recently seeking help uncovering information on her early history.What we know is that Aotea was built in 1954 in Mangonui Harbour, Northland, from kauri carvel planks. She has an iron keel and was originally ketch rigged.

In 1958 Aotea won the Balokovic Cup for her owner Brian O’Donaghue. Below is an article that BO’D wrote on H28’s and Aotea for the August 1962 issue of Sea Spray magazine.She was owned by Sir Keith Park. And a gentleman named Ian Miller owned for 7 years from approx. 1973>1980. Peter S bought her in Sept 1980 and still owns her – since 1990, she has been based at Tryphena, Great Barrier Island. Aotea was relaunched in October 2018 after a refit on the island.
Above also is a short video of Aotea afloat, post re-launching, looking very smart.

02-09-2020 Input From Robin Elliott –

Aotea has had the following Registered owners – as far as i know:
As D-11, ketch rigged.
B.C. Watson (Mangonui) 1953+?; B. O’Donohue (Whangarei) 1954?/61; Sir Keith Park 1961+?; T. O’Brien 1967+?
The date for B.C. Watson is the date he registered her, not necessarily the date she was launched.

In 1967 she appears to have been converted to single mast as she is re-registered in the E-Class as E-263.
T. O’Brien 1967/69+?; P.J. Cole (Matakana) 1970+? A. Wood 1971+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1978); I.H. Miller 1976+?
You will note the overlap there. The registration lists are notorious for duff information and should always be viewed with caution; e.g. A. Wood appearing in 1971 and still shows as the registered owner in 1977/78 at the same time that Aotea is registered to I H. Miller with RAYC 1976/77 season where we know she did a lot of J.O.G. racing

In 1969 she took NZYF number 663

Trophies are:
RAYC: Balokovic Cup 1958
Onerahi YC: 100 miler 1960
Whangarei CC: Harbour Regatta Assn Auxilliary Cup 1960

UPDATE 03-10-2022 ex Tony Blake – “I am sure we raced (My brother Peter, friend Crawford Duncan and myself in the yacht “Bandit” that Peter built in my parents backyard) against her in the 1967 season of the Junior Offshore Group ( Royal Akarana YC). We won the 1967 season’s racing. We always had great tussles with ‘Aotea’. “

18-03-2024 INPUT EX PETER SPORLE –

My research indicates “Aotea” was built by Bernard Christian Watson then of Kohumaru road Mangonui on his farm and in the red woolshed that is still beside the road as of 2021. I spoke with a local Mangonui woman who as a young child was friends with Watsons daughters and would stay at the farm. She recalled Watson building “a boat” in the woolshed. 
Aotea was launched around 1953. 
The timber was reportedly sourced from the Totara North Mill. 
She was built as per Herreschoff’s specifications but with the added doghouse, an alteration that Herreschoff reportedly approved of. 
After launching she was hauled out and a second set of ribs added giving 6 inch centres. 
On official documents I’ve seen, Watson listed his occupation as farmer and then later as carpenter. 
It was suggested to me that Bernard Watson would have been related to the Whangarei boat building family of Watsons but I do not know if that is the case.

In 2020 I corresponded with and later also met Terry O’Brien who converted Aotea from ketch to sloop rig. In correspondence he offered. 

“J.O.G. Racing was just starting in 1967 and we ended up second overall the first year of racing, beaten by Peter Blake in a boat called “Bandit”.

SLOW LOADING OF WW SITE – IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING VERY SLOW LOADING OF THE WW HOME PAGE – I APOLOGISE – ISSUE NOW FIXED. Thank you to Geoff Bagnall for alerting me to the issue 🙂