FLIRT
photo & details from Judith Wallath

Today’s photo of Flirt was sent to me by Judith Wallath whose recalls that before WW1 her uncle Fred Briggs, solicitor of Whangarei, owned this small launch and used her on the Whangarei Harbour for fishing trips and outings.  He had four sisters and with friends they had wonderful times at Urquarts and Smugglers Bay etc.  In 1915 Fred left NZ with the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and on the strength of his NZ boating experience was made sub-lieutenant in the Motor Patrol headquarters at Torquay in England, patrolling the English channel looking for submarines etc.
This photo of Flirt was possibly taken in Urquarts Bay.  Fred on the left.  Judith commented while she was anchored in Urquarts last summer they saw a launch somewhat similar to Flirt though slightly longer, moored there.

Any of the woodys able to contribute to details on Flirt & what became of her?

Harold Kidd Input

This FLIRT (there were several) was built for J.F.S. Briggs by Percy McIntosh in Whangarei and launched about October 1912. She was 25ft with a 4hp Palmer engine, upgraded in April 1913 to a 5hp Zealandia. Briggs sold her to E.J. Jones who raced her at the Onerahi Regatta until December 1919 as FLIRT. Jones changed her name to VICTORY soon after, but I lose track of her in 1921, probably because of another sale/name change.