2015 Auckland Anniversary Regatta Tug Boat Race
Below is a selection of photos from CYA member Brett Evans of Mondays inner harbour Tug Boat race. This looks a lot of fun & great to see so many of the CYA fleet ex work boats competing.
ROMANCE II
As I said on yesterdays post one of the highlights for me personally of attending the 2015 Mahurangi Regatta was getting to see Pauline & Harold Kidd’s 1919 Bailey & Lowe launch Romance II post her restoration under the hands of Marco Scuderi. If you asked Marco he would tell you that Harold was VERY clear in the project brief, in fact I would suspect there has not been a launch that has been so thoroughly researched & documented 😉 The brains trust of classic wooden boats were all over this project, Harold even had Robert Brooke swinging the caulking mallet.
There are still a few projects to be completed but visually the team have nailed it.
Unfortunately I did not manage to get a photo of her at speed, she was just to quick for Raindance. She did look very smart leaving the harbour on Sunday morning at ‘full chat’ (a HDK term).
Harold Update
We took about half a ton of modern excrescences out of her, sink bench, stove/oven and that huge hideous dodger, leaving only coms, stereo, deep freeze and head. Marco repositioned the Morse control so that we can now get full revs (probably 3500) out of the lusty Moon Engines-set up Hino diesel.
Walter Bailey designed her for 17 knots with a 100/150hp Sterling so she has the lines but is much lighter without the Yankee benzine-gobbler.
She now gets up on what passes for a plane earlier than before but we carried out no full power trials and didn’t get anywhere near “full chat” at Mahurangi, just hurried along to catch up with and photograph the lovely JESSIE LOGAN and WAIRIKI heading home on Sunday morning. I reckon she’ll nudge 20 knots when we summon up the courage.
On the other hand, she handled the nasty easterly jobble coming home from Bon Accord early on Monday morning well, ticking over at 1200 rpm and making 8 knots (plus flood tide).
When the Navy did a survey of launches available for patrol purposes in 1927 she had a 100hp Stearns, the “hot” engine of the time. The comment was “good seaboat”. We confirm that.
The Mills family of Devonport, who commissioned her from Bailey & Lowe in 1919, lived in Huia Street where I lived for many years, so there are multiple resonances for us.
2015 Mahurangi Regatta Weekend – 70+ Photo Parade
This is what makes the regatta racing so special – where else do you get sailing like this?
Yes, there were life jackets on-board for everyone
Saturday Night Prize Giving & Dance
Grinners Are Winners
Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta
photo ex Heather & John Lidgard
Today is the 175th Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, for a young country like NZ that is a significant milestone. Out on the water today will be boats of all sizes & ages, from radio controlled pond yachts to the giants of the classic fleet – the A-Class keelers. Now even if you are boat-less today, I encourage you to head down to the harbour & grab a good vantage point.
For classic wooden boat lovers – the key times are:
10.00am for the Tug Boat Race. New inner harbour course this year with the start off Princess Wharf
12.00pm for the A-Class classic fleet start, again off Princes Wharf
Full details on today’s events here http://www.regatta.org.nz/the spectators
Today’s photo from 1946 shows spectators cramming every vantage point they can at Westhaven. The large concrete building looks a ‘little’ more impressive today as the home of the RNZYS. The large launch on the right was Claude Atherton’s Manuwai.
If you do get out, take the camera & send me some photos 🙂
It would be amiss of me if I did not mention some of the people behind today’s regatta – I’ll upset somebody by saying this (but that’s ok) but without the support & effort of this core group of people from the classic boating movement the regatta just would not happen – (in no order) – Bruce Tantrum, John Street, Baden Pascoe, Joyce Talbot, Eric Mahoney & others I’m sure.
Pacific at the 100th Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta
photo ex Nathan Herbert
Given that tomorrow is the 175th running of the regatta, I felt it was a perfect opportunity to post the above stunning photo of the launch Pacific & her crew watching the A-Class fleet compete in the regatta.
From L>R – A18 Tawera / A16 Little Jim / A2 Rawhiti / A14 ? / A15 Prize / A5 Rawene / A9 Moana
Tonight there is a big on-the-water fireworks display in the inner harbour so if you are in & around the city – check it out. Details at the regatta website (link below)
I would encourage you tomorrow to make the effort to find a good viewing point as the regatta is one of Auckland’s truly special days.
More details here http://www.regatta.org.nz/
Mahurangi / Warkworth c.1961
photos ex Ken Ricketts
Todays post show 2 photos taken c1961, most likely at Xmas & show a collection of launches tied up at the wharf at Warkworth. The really neat thing is hat most of these craft are still a float today & in as good, if not better condition.
It would be nice to see some of those varnished coaming again 😉
Several of these launches will be at todays Mahurangi Regatta & weather & numbers interested – maybe making the trip up the river to Warkworth for lunch.
Ken has attempted to ID the launches – see below.
PHOTO 1
Front row Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify outer 2 boats.
Top left row, tiny bit of bow too small to indentify next to wharf next is
Cherokee & next is Menai. Ken can’t identify outer boat of that group
PHOTO 2
Bottom left Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify the other 2 boats.
Next row to right is Faye at wharf, next to her is Royal Falcon & next is
Cherokee & then Menai. Ken can’t identify the outer boat.
Far row to right – boat at wharf is Southern Belle, may have been owned by Stan
Blundell, the outer boat next to her is Lady Karita.
Boat at anchor Reelemin II
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #15 – Kiariki Anniversary Day Regatta 1962
Another Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert for making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Today’s post is the 15th featured – this one features the 1962 Anniversary Day Regatta & show Kiariki, Kiatoa & Jezebel. I see there is a note that Moana broke her spinnaker boom.
Big crew on-board: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Mrs Owen Aisher, Howard Wallace, Monty Wallace, Bill Thompson, Richard Purchase & Mary Duder.
For details on this years regatta – the 175th & only 3 days away – refer here http://www.regatta.org.nz/
BALLERINA
photos ex James Groenhart – details ex owner & Harold Kidd.
Ballerina was built in 1951 by ‘Lidgard’ (Ngapipi Rd ? ) & is of kauri carvel construction. Her first owner was C.B.H. Miller of George St., Morrinsville. She is 28′ x 9′ x 2’6″ and had a 100hp Osco Ford V8 petrol engine (Mercury 239 cu in) when launched. Miller shifted to live at 6 Bongard St., Mission Bay about 1957 and sold her sometime after 1961. In 1973 she was owned by L.G. Armstrong of 12 Saltburn Road, Milford and kept at Milford. Ballerina is now powered by a 60hp Ford diesel.
James & his partner Laura purchased her in November 2014 & after some minor repairs at Lees Boat Builders & a new timber mast by Colin Brown, she is being regularly used & enjoyed.photos
As the photos above show, she is a very pretty classic. As I said on Monday, its hard to get a sub 30′ boat to look proportionally ‘right’, Ballerina looks right 🙂
03-06-2015 Photo below at 2015 Mahurangi Regatta
TUGBOAT TUESDAY
Now folks if you are in/around Auckland next Monday, you must check out the Tug Boat Race that is part of the Anniversary Day Regatta – some would say its the best part 🙂 its certainly the most spectacular & it all happens in the inner harbour (refer chart below). Just make your way to a vantage point (pack the binoculars) & I can guarantee you will be entertained.
The race starts at 10.00am. off Princes Wharf.
If you are a float, give them plenty of room – they are deceptively fast & rather large 🙂
If you are even remotely interested in classic wooden boats – Mahurangi is where you want to be this coming long weekend 23>26th Jan.
Details below.
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