Windling World: April 1997

TM \ ny 1997, 4, ’ ; itER , —BIWEYLAS Sarid and his ROYAL Oulter as ‘BEFOREa serious racing ey A publication ofsome 5 | __ bravery, the story event, it is often referred to as a REGATTA, AFTER (for many) it is sometimes of Denzil and Fergus, known as a REGRETTA !’ the strive for editorial ‘balance’! WANss 1996 slipped into history (in New Zealand’s case) in the wake of a tropical cyclone Felix. From a personal point of view it was none too soon, and I shall remember it largely for the sky’s amazing ability to ‘Winter pee’ non stop over Auckland, and for my new gaff-rigged scale ketch Marigold, built by Roy Lake and launched without fuss or fanfare on Sunday There is something ‘correct’ about the presence of a dog on a non racing, working, or classic sort of sailboat, after all, a dog is a man’s best friend, and a boat – a hole on the ocean into which dog’s best friend pours money which in cases he can ill afford ! I hasten to say that Fergus the “Dalbrador’ on a certain scale ketch, started off as a Labrador, and having ended up all spotted and like a 8th December. Dalmation – then In taking the decision to commit between the two LR to the full yearly output of three breeds. I add to issues this year – this I might add the above, that he against the odds, this magazine does not however have the continues to be the bravest little rampant hunger habits of Denzil publication in modern times. If (who according to Susan Over and when it does have to end, it writing in Yachting will be due to lack of subscribers, Monthly/October 1995) ‘grew to but time often behaves positively, the proportions of a small donkey even though Damon Runyon – on a carefully balanced diet of wrote: ‘I long ago came to the sailing shoes (left foot only), conclusion, that all life is six to kitchen chairs, one complete set of five against !’. You’ll get a school books, half a No 3 jib, the warning we’re in trouble if it Oxford Companion to Classical suddenly name-changes to… Music, and a packet of wallpaper Dwindling World’. paste !’ My Fergus just sprawls ENJOY ! on the deck, and mainly sleeps. became a cross Continued on page 17 CE RS he Dave Moore profiles Don Lidgard – ie Still ‘World Championing” after allthese years! On and off for nearly forty years, Vic Lidgard raced the tough and highly competitive 22ft Mullet boats “4 Don (extreme right) = aboard Smirnoff in ‘72 crew on Auckland’s Waitemata harbour. An intense man, he was a dedicated skipper whose attention to detail, and insistence on constant sail trimming, won races. Vic probably won more races than any other skipper in the 120 year history of but Don remembers ‘Dad had raced the week before and maybe only got 3rd’, and that he had packed his gear bag and was ready to race on the day he died. the class, including 7 Lipton Cups the ‘holy grail’ of Mullet boat racing in New Zealand. His last victory was achieved when he was 82 years of age. He bought a Mullety called Macushla in order to teach his three sons to sail. Don (the eldest) was 14 at the time. The boys learned quickly, and it was not long before they were demonstrating their own oa: ad skills around the harbour. Not long Don Lidgard built a sailing dinghy after his last Lipton Cup success, while still at school and would have Vic passed away with a heart attack, — won his first race had he not luffed right on the finishing line, which allowed the following boat to sneak through. In 1960 he built and raced a 14′ X Class with his brother Jim and Tony Bouzaid, and two years later, the trio won New Zealand’s premier trophy (The Sanders Cup). Two cranky but fast 12′ skiffs followed and within a couple of years, the National and Interdominion trophies resided on Don’s mantelpiece. Don had a mate called Bruce Farr, who was starting to get a bit ofa reputation as a boat designer, and together they produced an 18′ skiff called Smirnoff. In 1972, Don, Jim and Tony won the World Lidgard (right) with Fiji’s Michael Dennis at Toberua in 1995. against some ofthe toughest competition ever at that time. New Zealand sent three one-tonners to the Southern Cross Cup in Australia, Jenny H, Swuzzlebubble and Smirnoffagen and in a series Continued on page 12. Championship. Don toyed briefly in Solings and raced in the pre-Olympic regatta in Kingston, Ontario which they went well upwind, not so hot running. In the mid seventies the hot boats were the One Tonners, and Chris Bouzaid (Tony’s sail-maker brother and Jim Lidgard’s boss) had won the One Ton Cup on Rainbow II, and the ‘defence! was to be held in Auckland. Enter Smirnoffagen (in those days any keelboat’s names with similiarity to a sponsor’s product was entirely coincidental) and after a good start, then breaking a forestay in the fourth race, Smirnoffagen took 3rd place overall : Trinidad Koad, Forrest Hill, Auckl Phone & Fax: 64-9-4 ‘Five and twenty ponies trotting through the dark, Brandy for the Parson, Baccy for the clerk’ An exciting kitbuilt coastal trader…in Ohau. For those keen on building a model The trader kit includes a traditional sailing vessel associated with trading rather than racing, and further to GRP square section hull, which in the real fullsize boats enabled these that, perhaps not confident enough craft to run ashore onto exposed to attempt to scratch build from a beaches in order to unload their plan, a company based in Hastings, UK, have produced kits based on cargo, rather like the New Zealand typical English South coast beaching required to travel up estuaries for craft. timber. Horizon Kits have been offering A Mr John Cox who also built one of the Horizon traders which he christened Anne Jina (and I sincerely hope that he is coping Ed) did an excellent review in both an inshore lugger and an inshore trader, and it turned out that out of the one hundred trader version boats built, two of these are in New Zealand. Dr Warwick Bennett of Ohau (which I discovered lies between Levin and Manakau heading South towards Wellington) had built one of them, and contact with the very helpful GP yielded the photo shown above. scows which often also were Marine Modelling May & June 1996 issues. In that he quoted from Rudyard Kipling’s Smugglers Song, and expressed the suggestion that there might well have been a more romantic side to their use other than timber, coal, bricks and iron carried, with skippers on occasion, adding to their income – as he put it, ‘from more nefarious activities’ hence the four lines quoted. We are told that the vessels ranged in length from 25 to 70 feet, and often carried four or five crew plus the skipper, and they were a well known sight from the 16th century onwards. The model has an LOA rigged of 1.25 metres, is 920mm in height from keel to topmast, and the preformed hull itself (which is also available separately if required at a cost including postage and packing for about forty five pounds) is 830mm in length. A full kit will cost you about one hundred UK pounds I wrote to Dr Bennett, after which we spoke on the phone, and he sent me the following: You will see from the photo now enclosed, that I have now converted the rig to a I also deepened the keel by adding a cast lead moulding which increased the stern depth, the rudder was extended, and I also added internal ballast. 1 was concerned about stability, ability to ‘come about’ in light winds, and general handling but need not have worried, for it then pointed nicely into the wind, and only required a little weather helm. I have also modified the mast as the change in sail plan required a taller mast which in order to transport required dividing into two sections (with the top sliding down) and the bowsprit is now retractable. All sails are linked to the sail winch which I built myself, and the controls work well. I now have an uncommon looking yacht and one that looks like it has been retrieved from the family attic. It has a performance however, belying its appearance, and is very much a Lie af > ‘fun’ boat. ares . ketch, with booms on the mizzen and foresail as well as the main, and altered the cut of the sails to suit. Prior to this, I had no experience with a lugger rig, and the breezes being variable in one area where I sail, I was placing a lot of strain on the radio gear. Ano person’s (Phil. – ofi Wales) model of B features wit |: The Editor and the mature and articulate… Last of the‘Summer Wine Windlers! Howard and his “floosey’ Marina may not be there, and any suggestion that any of the five sailors who gather occasionally for no other purpose than to windle with intent on a lake in the TV series, and indeed, I have Hobsonville, North-West of seen nary a windlin woman at this Auckland are in effect either lake. Compo, Clegg or Foggy, is clearly disputed by the editor of this Just as well perhaps, for Ivy, Edie publication. and Glenda would probably be sitting around in a circle on the bank saying “I don’t know – just look at Nora Batty is certainly there, not only in name on the stern of the all black (hull and sails) sloop owned and sailed by Warren Hastings who lives nearby, but by virtue of her imposing presence in the form of a figure aboard. There is no ‘Auntie’ or sign of the shop that she runs in them playing with toy boats !” There is no sign of Smiler either they all smile these windlers, and engage in banter and rib-poking, the occasional ‘bloody’ oft heard on the wind whena tale of dubious truth is being told. Summer win(ers) – continued There’s Warren and Graham, and Dennis (who lives ‘overseas’ over the Auckland harbour bridge in Pt Chevalier), and Roy, and the Editor makes five. Sailing boats take preference, there’s the occasion ‘racc’ On sneaky escaping ! from the Windling Manual. still only $5,000 per copy ! of deadly unserious kind – where someone says ‘we’ll go on a reach over to the other side, then we’ll see’ ! Then Warren says:” I know, then you’ll quietly switch on that bloody big Mercedes engine you’ve got aboard, and pass us all !”. ‘Find the hole in the fence, sneak away with a sailboat model… windle away an hour or two while others get all hyped up and battle-stressed.’ Meetings are infrequent, in fact none of them really makes advance arrangements to meet, yet somchow the ‘coconut wireless’ results in at least four if not all five, mysteriously arriving, armed to the hilt each with a boat or three, plus coffee and sandwiches. Then lo and behold, the last of the summer wine windlers are up and windling. Three Vic Smeed early design sloops, a modern three master, a Culler design ketch, an old but newly built gaff rigged ketch, and occasionally a fishing boat or two or a naval vessel to contend with – and yells of ‘Where are the fish today ?’. Then there is the odd smart remark from potbellied crewman Henry Puku aboard Marigold – to the effect that he hopes they are better sailors than they are fishermen ! “What are we anyway ?’ (one asks of the others). As I am about to leave, I think I catch the following: ‘Just let’s say we are -and may the last recall hat final mature, articulate, fastidious about the company we keep, and highly knowledgable gentlemen, engaged in recreational pursuit ! – HOWZAT ?’ Well (as one of them) it certainly had me stumped, and for at least five minutes I felt quite important ! Mark Steele to launch her in the sk Living some thirty miles from this Scaffie Marguerite BF 869. The writer with two masted coastal town presented transport difficulties and restricted me to sailing there only on holidays. Braine steering was the order of the day, which meant there was no suitable water for sailing, and my modelling went into limbo as I went through my téen years, and later marriage with family responsibilities. by David Blinkhorn. Iam told that I delighted in sailing model boats with me in my bath at an early age, so my love of boats goes back some sixty odd years. I was also greatly influenced by an “Old Salt’ whom I knew as Uncle Bill. He had sailed before the mast and was in his late sixties when I was only about seven, but my memories of the galleons he scratch built, a full rigged sailing ship about four foot Trading ketch Alice May Then RC happened, and what a revolution, with every bit of water previously unsuitable now available. I converted my old boat (which in retrospect should have been left ‘original’,) but I gained experience in the areas of installation of radio gear, steering linkages to servos, and winches for sail control. aoc Ys seen long are still with me. It was Uncle Bill who built my first thirty-six inch restricted sailing yacht which I sailed on a local mill lodge. When I was 13 I was given an ‘Alexandre’ 36″ restricted yacht by my parents which I sailed at the Fleetwood model yacht pond. == Pilot Cutter Marguerite ~ I was not interested in racing so quickly lost interest in yachts, and decided to build a scale model of a sailing vessel – a West Country trading ketch using Harold Underhill’s drawings and his excellent books ‘Plank on frame’ 1 and 2. That boat Alice May sailed very well, with its method of construction influenced from the yachts – planking over bulkheads, removable fin and bulb and lead Perle. Later came Gladys of Peel a Manx Nobby (from information I found in the book *Sailing Drifters’ by Edgar March). My successful experiments with the latter, rigged with a dipping lug sail, encouraged me to look for a suitable subject, and turning again to Edgar March and a Scaffie called Gratitude BCK ballast. I decided however that I wished to build as the full size subjects were constructed, and a period of interesting research followed as I studied the arts of the shipwright. I now try to be as accurate as I can using scale sized timbers, jointed and scarfed together as necessary. My interest over the last ten years has concentrated on traditional working vessels under sail – fore and aft rigged craft that have included two Bristol Channel pilot cutters, Faith’ and Marguerite, the Norwegian Sailing Rescue ship Colin Archer, and I became increasingly interested in the challenge of sailing a lug rigged subject. 252 and the fact that the boat was clinker planked attracted me. I first built a Bisquine – the classic three masted fishing boat from Jean Le Bot’s superb drawing of La I wished however to try this method of construction on a larger hull that would provide a reasonable model 10 Concludes on page 25 Prizedfrom the mud, restored, revered… WMomad, an Aristocrat among mullet boats ! There are many great stories of } restorations that one reads about from time to time. Some restore 2 houses, others cars, and a great . many locate then engage in sweat A look at the photograph loaned by Ron Copeland, will help you to understand why it took him and toil to restore yachts from totally derelict state to pristine condition. twelve years to bring the boat and back to the condition she is in runs an engineering business on today. Still going strong, though Auckland’s such person. A keen mullet boat no longer raced Nomad is now the apple of Copeland’s eye, the man, a sailor of these boats from pride of the mullet boat world, age 13, and is the only sailing 26 foot first Copeland, who north owns shore is one who bought Taotane, his mullety, later another, Nomad (a vessel of it’s kind in New Zealand. retrieved ae Ron boat which vay a when owned by Tom Towson can now perhaps be credited SS as having sown the seed of nautical *The wind is an inheritance of those who sail model yachts. Bestowed on loan by nature, it is there to be enjoyed but treated with respect, for it can rise and wreak havoc, as quickly as it can bring delight’ intrigue in the mind of Tom’s son Des) from beneath the mudflats off Pt Chevalier on_ the Mark Steele Waitemata harbour. bie| Contimed from page 4 dominated by the three Kiwi boats – and even after two retirements in the double points scoring SydneyHobart race, that cup came home to myself, I have to admit that ever since, it has been dammed hard to win a race with these fine little RC sailing boats when Lidgard is New Zealand. around ! Next on the cards for Don was a In 1995, Michael Dennis of Fiji hosted the first ever ‘World’ Championship for the Electron’s off new 22′ Mullet boat designed by his old friend ‘Beau’ Birdsall. With Snatcher Don was to follow in his father’s footsteps by winning the ‘79, 80 and ‘82 Lipton Cup races. his Toberua Resort – an event already reported in Windling World in which the ten New Zealand boats dominated with Don winning the series as well as the ‘Round the Island’ race. In 1996, despite his not being in good health he again won the Fiji series with a new boat Pegasus. Ex Olympic Gold Medallist and a long-time acquaintance of Don’s, the late Helmar Pederson had become a keen follower of radio controlled yachts, and had extolled their virtues to Don’s brother Jim who promptly bought a Townson ‘Electron’. Jim had finished his apprenticeship with Bouzaids and was already building his own huge reputation with sails for all of Don’s boats (and for many other boats racing in the likes of the Admiral’s Cup, Kenwood Cup, Sydney to Hobart’s, Whitbread’s and the America’s Cup). Seeing Jim’s Electron, Don said ‘I’ll have one of those too’ – and as an Electron sailor Late last year on visiting his GP who passed him on to a specialist, Don was promptly booked in for a major operation, but only after getting an assurance from the surgeon that he would still be able to race yachts ! On January 30th 1997 he underwent triple bypass heart Continued on page 18 The photograph of Phil Anstiss’s BRITANNIA that appears in this issue, is with the kind permission of the UK magazine MODEL BOATS and is gratefully acknowledged. (Editor) Mark Steele ferrets for information and writes… Ever since I met Aucklander Mal Wilkinson, and later sailed his beautifully constructed RC model of one of these sloops, the more determined I became, to learn about and be able to pass onto readers, a “FRIENDSHIP is a particularly background story on these unusual revered quality aboard a but graceful workboats that are as Friendship sloop’, so wrote a legendary as they are loved, by so Roland § Barth. I will come back to many. that aspect later, since ‘windling’ is very much the model yachting That I am able to do so is largely cruising equivalent, where due to Betsy Powell, Editorial friendship and camaraderie are key Assistant of WOODEN BOATS, ingredients. Friendship is also a working fisherman’s town in Maine, and Bob Monk, who is publicity Chairman of the FRIENDSHIP USA, and the sloops built both there SLOOP SOCIETY in Maine. Bob and on Muscongus Bay (which is and I have exchanged so many also in Maine) are traditionally letters, that it feels as though we known as ‘Friendship Sloops’. have known each other for years. 13 His guidance, and the photos and Mats SEAREAAH Society Yearbooks he has provided, are testimony to that wonderful aspect of life that we humans prize, yet so often take for granted – and sometimes treat with scant respect. … friendship. Betsy Powell too – has just been marvellous ! Captain Roger Duncan who owns and sails the beautiful astward, said in his publication on the marque: ‘The people who sail these boats are unique among yachtsmen. They admit that their sloops do not Mal Wilkinson is an Auckland cabinet go to windward with the speed of a maker whom I suspect would much modern yacht, and they find it hard rather be building model yachts or out to explain why they like to sail a sailing them. His wonderful and highly detailed model of the scow Rangi is living antique’. He went on to say: A Friendship sloop has what much admired in a Northland museum, but he is regularly seen enjoying a quiet Jishermen call ‘heft’ – she has windle with Seareach – a one eighth full momentum, power under sail, she size RC Friendship sloop. slashes through the chop in businesslike fashion, her motion is I had obviously heard of these sailing easy, and she deals with wind and boats, but it was Mal’s model that sea confidently – as if she belonged proved the inspiration to dig a little deeper, seck knowledge from people ‘in to them, like a duck or a tern’. the know’ in Maine, USA and be able to Strangely, the small town of put together this article. Friendship is unable to cope with the Mal’s inspiration started from a book influx of tourism which it therefore (53 boats you can build) purchased in a does not encourage, and the annual boat bookshop some years ago – and the homecoming of the Friendship discovery within of a Friendship sloop called Pemaquid which appealed to him. sloops (held there from 1960 for His choice of scale was governed by the about twenty-eight years) was then criteria of it being able to fit into the shifted to Boothbay, later to Maine’s back of his van, and that it provided a “Windjammer capital of the world’ good working size for the small rigging Rockland, where schooners and details. continued right side page 15 14 Built upside down on sawn 6mm ply Clit Clucklautler’s frames, and planked with half inch by one eighth of an inch kauri planks (Frtendstiip | tapered at each end in the true carvel fashion, stealer planks were also used to fill in the extra distance at the Seareach measures 52″ LOA including deadwood. Inside the hull was the bowsprit, and in order to fibreglassed up to prevent leakage, and accommodate the RC equipment, the a centreboard case built into it, so that a length of the cuddy or cabin was false keel could be fitted, and made adjustable in length to suit weather increased. conditions. When I photographed the sloop one day at Pupuke, I made a mental note of it’s Mal also wanted a model that could be owners comment regarding his own sailed in a wide variety of weather enjoyment aspect when sailing. “I like to conditions, and the jib on Seareach can believe it is real boat’ (Mal said) ‘and be lowered and tied down on the 14″ that I am out there and aboard, and bowsprit in order to reduce sail area in sailing her !’ heavy weather. Brasswork and rigging were made according to the book, and I don’t know about others, but I too the mainsail (made by Mal’s wife) is also often feel the same way, and in thanking able to be reefed down by lowering the Mal for allowing the boat the featured peak and throat halyards, then tying the reefing points around the boom. here (and for giving me the opportunity to have a sail – which I might add took me to the ‘almostfalling in love stage’), I quote a particularly relevant statement by a Benedetto Croce: ‘Art is ruled uniquely by the imagination. Images are it’s only wealth. It does not classify objects, it does not pronounce them real or imaginary, does not qualify them, does not define them; itfeels and presents them – nothing more ‘. Mark Steele ttt Mite… enon mi ne ’ rag e ! co left of P 4 Friendship sloops based there, do multi day and day cruise adventures. Again learning from Roger Duncan’s Mal and his Seareach, excellent publication, the Friendship sloop is all the more unuusual – in 15 Continued from page 15 Annual Yearbook and Guide, is their that it went from it’s original purpose of being a successful big event. The Yearbook in itself is workboat, was then neglected for half a century, then suddenly and all the material sent, is clearly indicative of a vibrant and ‘alive’ a veritable goldmine of information, enjoyed a phenomenal rebirth as a yacht, despite not being particularly society, whose activities are motivated by this wonderful easy or cheap to build. With their graceful sheer and stern, and it’s American sailing vessel, and the pride and joy of owning, sailing clipper-style bow, the sloops enjoy a cult-like following. aboard, or even just being ‘associated’ with these sloops. The ‘Bulletin Board’ pages in the Society’s Yearbook carry delightful tt Maine / messages, which by my Whereas the ancestor of the interpretation speak strongly about the great friendships that have been Friendship sloop (the Muscongus Bay sloop) was fitted with a born, and live and grow within this particular fraternity. /‘riendships centreboard, this design evolved into the full keel model that was more never die – they just get restored ! suitable for fishing offshore. The early Friendship sloops therefore Model Friendships also have their had full keels as well as the modern say at these annual regatta’s, and the Central Park Model Yacht Club of yacht versions, and today, several modern builders have built the New York City (at the 30th Annual Muscongus Bay sloop centreboard Homecoming held at Boothbay) version for pleasure use. Nobody held their own excellent event, won by Frank Soto sailing Julie Robb seems to know for sure, who built the first Friendship sloop, though it is claimed that a which he is seen launching in the photo below. Wilbur Morse conceived the design, while lying in a bunk aboard a schooner after a hard day’s fishing. The Friendship Sloop Society was established in 1961, and their ‘Friendship sloop days’ (or the homecoming of the fleet) for which they put out a magnificent little 16 At the helm – from page 2 None of you would have known William In 1996 there were 262 registered Irl Whitten – cditor of a small model yacht club’s newsletter in Birmingham, with the Society, and a further 18 of “unknown status or whereabouts’ – a Alabama, but we corresponded for many further 24 registered but no longer in existence…gone but not years. This pastime of ours needed people forgotten. Included in that last aged 41 on May 26th last year. May he group are a great many that would have fair winds on all his journcys. like my friend Irl, who sadly passed away today have been priceless, including I try to make each issue as Aurora launched in 1898, and Susan “palanced’ as I can – with a (designed by Charles Morse) – mixture of different material: Big launched in 1902, wrecked on boats (to provoke the imagination Christmas Eve in 1977 in Florida. into ‘miniaturising’ them), models of people here and overseas – interesting places associated with yachting, talented sailors, skillful modelmakers, sailing vessels saved and preserved, and always – a bit of humour. In this issue there are two articles by acknowledged U.K experts in the field of scale modelmaking, a story by Dave Moore on world champion several times over, and now Electron sailor Don Lidgard, an Aussie-built Alden sloop, the I particularly like Captain Roger re-emergence of an eighty year Duncan’s paragraph which reads: old ‘four foot six’, a pretty little ‘One may describe a bald eagle, inshore trader built in Ohau, and but when at last you see one, you a feature on the American find that the description while Friendship sloops. The latter is accurate, is inadequate and appropriate really, for friendship unnecessary. From then on you is a key ingredient in what this recognise that majestic bird, by the magazine and windling are both feeling it inspires. So it is with that all about. masterpiece of timber and sat the Friendship sloop’. Ala ae a> Sit 17 Mark Steele Publisher/Editor Continuedfrom page 12 surgery, and on February 9th (ten The small trailer-sailer days after surgery) he was at our in the background was local lake with the black-hulled also built by David, but Pegasus, and still winning bloody was later sold.Brainc steering was originally races ! fitted to Kiltie, While checking a few facts with him but RC equipment recently, the quiet, likable Don was later Lidgard offered this comment: “My installed. ! / Dad got me going, but without brother Jim’s sail-making skills and outstanding crew work, and without the whole-hearted support of my wife Dorothy (they have been married for 36 years), none of whatever I have achieved ae have happened.” . =OP, Kiltie’s vital statistics are 65 and a half inches LOA, eleven and a half inch beam, a draft of nine and a half inches, a main mast height of 6′ 1″, a sail area of 1,115 square inches and a weight of 27 Ibs. ‘Kiltie’- a 1946 6m design keeler built STOP PRESS!) in 1975 “Bet ~== Here is a 1946 vintage six metre racing keeler from reader David Frost of sunny Nelson in New Craig Smith sailing his Aussic skiff Yellow Bits (with which he had won the Zealand’s South Island which he still has. Featured in the UK magazine “96 NZ 1M Nationals) became the 1997 1M World Champion, in Wellington in MODEL BOATS in their January 1976 issue, Kiltie was built by David February. New Zealanders did well, with Geoff Smale sailing the kiwi designed boat in 1975 for fun sailing, from an original design published in POPULAR MECHANICS Beethoven second, Trevor Bamforth third and Alan Hayes fourth (both sailing Aussie skiffs with hulls made by Smith). 18 a yacht riding the Watson was in favour of waves rather than ploughing through them, and Britannia was concieved with this in mind. by Phil Anstiss. Watson was in favour of a yacht riding the waves rather than ploughing through them, and Brittania was conceived with this in mind. She was an exceptionally sca worthy vessel, and would regularly race hundreds of miles in all weathers, her ‘season’ taking her to every major home regatta, Having been asked by Mark to write across the channel and in the something about my Britannia, I start by Mediterranean. In 1895 she travelled saying that having constructed many under her own sail nearly seven thousand different classes of vessels, powered and miles, and the worse the weather, the sail, I wanted to build a scale cutter- easier she won races. rigged racing yacht that met the Britannia in her fine career that stretched following criteria. 1 – it was reasonably from 1893 to 1935, not only beat every well known and documented, therefore yacht who sailed against her (including the easy to find information on. 2 – was American yachts Navahoe and Vigilant) different to any other model currently and collected 231 wins out of 635 starts. sailing within my locality. 3 – had line For political reasons, she was never and form that would be pleasing to look allowed to go to the US to challenge for at and sustain my interest after the the America’s Cup. initial enthusiasm had abated. 4 – that photographs and a wealth of information The choice of scale was influenced by my calculations as to the disproportionate reduction in sail area to weight to hull volume. Every scale model builders nightmare is to discover after hundreds of hours building, that the weight required to hold it upright cither sinks the model, or involves the addition of a long ungainly centre board. The largest practical size I on King Edward’s yacht Britannia, so I could built to was 1:20, and as a crew was could make no better choice. For those her owner the Prince of Wales – later King available at this scale, that was it. Without a crew, all be it a reduced one (I could not afford 36 little men plus another 20 sitting on the rail as ballast !) a scale vessel looks ‘dead’, and in my opinion, loses something Edward VII, but by every person who saw in appearance, especially when on the her from the Clyde to the Mediterranean. water. would provide opportunities to experiment. 5 – whose deck layout when built to scale would not require simplifying or omission of detail to enable both simple operation and transportation. Nearly every book I picked up had who do not know, Britannia was built in Glasgow in 1883, to the design of George Lennox Watson. She was not only loved by 19 Continued overleaf Deck layout and line drawings of the original were obtained from Watsons, the year. RC is the easiest part and the rudder original designers in Glasgow at a price, and after re-scaling, a plank on frame hull tech servo, and the main, fore staysail and jib are controlled by a large Futaba winch. is operated via a roller by a heavy duty hi- was built. In order to experiment – and due Handling on the water is now very good but only after a full season of struggle to to the lack of room between frames, I decided to moult from the wooden hull a gain control. She is on rudder number fibreglass mould, and subsequently a hull three which has sufficient area even when already pigmented black so as not to show heeled, and the heavy duty servo will now the inevitable scratches. Then there was turn it. It had not occurred to me during the wait for suitable weather to mould the construction, that the water flow across hull outdoors – my wife is understanding, rudder would be so powerful as to prevent but the fumes a hull that size gives off, it turning. would take a year to clear from your Being such a wet boat, the flush deck average room ! created a problem. I refuse to screw The deck planking arrangement for everything down and ruin the the Britannia is like no other I have seen. It appearance, so the inclusion of a starts straight fore and aft at the centre, then by using tapered planks, gradually homemade electronic sensor coupled to a pump that will empty the boat works out to the margin plank, by which time the curvature of the plank run from bow to stern nearly corresponds to that of automatically, solved the problem and thankfully I havent downed her yet. The outlet for the pump is a stand pipe fitted to the hull. the bilge pump deck as per the real thing, Came the difficult bit of making deck and due to the rocking movement, tends to fixtures and fittings from the drawings, as squirt out the water similiar to the big boat a section down the centre of the hull and and true to scale. haf deck plan invariably omits a great deal of information necessary, so photograpphs The only lasting problem is the weather – and notes collected from the time I knew I dimensions of the sails and overall rig either too little or too much wind. Many would think that with such a large sail area (3,700 square inches) she would came from John Irving’s Classic book *The respond in a light breeze. She does but not was going to build became invaluable. The to the rudder as the water flow is insufficient, and you end up sailing her by Kings Britannia’, and the position and arrangement of the standing and running the sails. rigging was fairly easy to sort out. I have been assisted by numerous people, Producing sails of this size are bound to especially my son without whose help I provide problems and the first suit was would find great difficulty in transporting made from drawing film. It is however not particularly durable, and looked out of the model. If readers are ever in UK and see her, and you would like to have a sail, character which of course it was. My you have only to ask. second set was out of cotton chinse but lacked shape, and I am now on my fourth Model dimensions. LOA incl bowsprit 97″/Beam 14″ Displacement 48]bs/Sail area (mentioned in story)/ foresail, and making a third mainsail this draft 10″/Height – keel to truck 90″. 20 ateeiored |i The Christchurch Model Story by Hugh Hobden, Yacht Club is the home of the Photographs by Euan Sarginson last surviving 4′ 6″ yachts that have been a feature on Lake Victoria for almost 100 years. The club itself owns a very early version of this class, the Dolphin, which was built in 1910 by ‘Ikey’ Ekinstein, a German living in Christchurch. Like many boats of this class, Dolphin was based on the the club, looked after the boat in the successful English model yacht, the early days, and she was rebuilt many Prospero – a longer design which times. was shortened to 4′ 6″. It is fitting with the club’s 100th Dolphin was owned and sailed by year anniversary in 1998, that this many people. Austin Stevens and early pioneer craft of New Zealand Bob Munroe – two early stalwarts of model yachting has now been again 21 restored to pristine condition as a club effort. The Brown brothers of Timaru did the initial work, taking out the rotten keelson, and stripping the hull of some eighty years of paint. Hugh Hobden re-decked and re-rigged the boat back to the original gaff rig, and Euan Sarginson put the finishing touches with a magnificent paint job. Dolphin was re-launched at Lake Victoria on Saturday 28th September 1996, Accompanied by Malcolm Scott – who is the fittest the Kea -a 1935 four foot six, life member to be found in any club Dolphin sailed well in the prevailing was also present, and used his vast experience to set up running lines, tacking sheets and rudder pins, and kept an eagle-eye on the proceedings. See photo above. There are now a further twelve four foot sixes to undergo restoration. Will they be all restored by 1998’s centenary ?. NO – ANOTHER HOUR \ AND WE SITOULD BE IN ARE YOU GOING TO BE MUCII LONGER ft stiff north-westerly, providing new club members present with some indication of what it was like to run around the pond in pursuit of a freesailing model yacht. DAD ?…. PUNTA DEL ESTE! AND TELL YOUR MOTHER IT’S A BLOODY TO SOUTH AMERICA 11! /[\}—— MUM SAYS ne ( LONG WAY, SIX WEEKS I! Aea a yy Ae CH ea fons af But it is of Alden’s sloop designs that I write, and in particular, the 30° Malabar Jr (which Alden also gave alternative plans for a yawl rig), and here I must bring in my friend and Australian subscriber and model yacht enthusiast, Barry Gibson of Newtown in Victoria. Barry had ordered plans for and built Eric – a Fiji Magic schooner, but eager to improve his own model boatbuilding skills, after coming into contact with master modeller Alan Endicott also in Victoria, he Mention the name John G Alden, any people with most and International of knowledge yachting, immediately know of his prowess as a yacht designer of enrolled in a model building course run by Endicott and tackled the Alden Malabar Jnr. great renown. It is interesting to mention, that here in Auckland, another RC Alden sloop has been around for a few years, and in the August issue, I shall be ‘Alden slooping’ again, with a look at Lloyd Macky’s John B the ‘Good ship John B’ nothing less. Aside from many schooners and yawls, Alden designed double-ended and Centreboard sloops, and it has been said that none of his designs ever lost that line of beauty he was known for. But back to Barry’s Alden, the photographs of which not only show to good advantage his excellent skills as a model builder, but indicate that his skill at photography I remember some years ago being totally enthralled at the sight of a he schooner foot sixty-seven designed called Arcturus, as she cut through the waters of Auckland’s Waitemata. She was for sale at the time (and may well still be in Auckland) and it is said that she was is also of a high standard. Perhaps he has been on a_ photography course as well ! You can fess up to me Barry ! once owned by General Patton. 23 Maidie An Edwardian thoroughbred, born 1904 and still going strong ! Known as Broads Racing Yachts, Nathalie was commissioned by a wealthy Norwich jeweller, later purchased by Sir Thomas Cook of Thos Cook Travel, sold again to another Knight and somehow, survived the war. Bermudan rigged at one stage after being dismasted in the early 1980’s, she was finally The way we increase our knowledge restored from stem to stern at a cost by reading ! I came across a story in of over thirty-five thousand pounds. a 1990 issue of CLASSIC BOAT…about the Edwardian Broads Yachts that were used for professional racing in the early 1900’s – thoroughbred flat water racers that carried sail areas in excess of a thousand square feet, and in some ways looked slightly similiar to the J Class yachts of years gone by. It was a wonderfully written story by Richard Barnard, and now thanks to Mike Barnes and Steve Evans, I can show you Maidie which was built in 1904 as Nathalie, and now restored remains the only survivor of this pre first world war class of boat. Now back with a gaff rig she is looked after at South River Marine at St Olaves near Yarmouth where she spends her Winters, and in Summer, races against restored cruiser racers and new replicas within the Broads Racing programme, where she creates immense interest. Eight metres in length on the waterline, and with all that sail, Maidie is an impressive sight on the flat water of the broads, and is truly a unique ‘Classic! in every sense of the word. Continued from page 10 length of say 32″, and after reading an article in THE BOATMAN magazine by Mike Smylie (on Scottish fishing luggers) that Altair – Sandy Cousins included both the lines and incredible masterpiece. construction drawings of the larger Flamingo – a sailing scale two masted Scaffies, my own dazzler from Roy. Marguerite BF869 (a model of a typical 40′ LOA) was built. The oldest in the nation – The Christchurch Model Yacht Club. I have just built a static model at 1/16th scale of a Loch Fyne Skiff For the North Cove Cup – luffs ‘n laffs at a Kawau regatta ! Good Hope CN 68 – to help Mike Smylie with his ambitious scheme to The good sloop ‘John B’ build a full size, traditionally rigged replica, and the model is currently a delightful Auckland Alden. Under Sail – the Scale Sailing part of a travelling exhibition. Association of the U.K. Recently completed is a model of a Behind the Electron’s – a capsule 53′ Zulu Auricular K26 – another look at Townson the man. classic lugger from the Moray Firth Itchen Ferry – a good sailing area of Scotland. An architect by Smack by Ken Hilton. trade but now (like Mark) retired for the last three years I tend to build in The San Diego Argonauts – scale a scale that is governed by the size schooners and enthusiasts. that can be carried in my car, and my modelling and sailing can now Marblehead beginnings – where the RM all started. proceed at a more leisurely pace. Spencer’s big ‘uns – a selection As well as being a member of the of Spencer’s still sailing. Scale Sailing Association, I am a member of two local model boat Playing God and Surgeon – options on how to create ‘crew’. clubs, and am the current Chairman of the North West Model Shipwrights. F The Editor’s “Marigold’ – old but By yet new. ae ‘SAIL Diorama art – the marine diorama’s of James Pridham ACROSS A LAKE RATHER THAN ACROSS TRAFFIC LANES !’ 25 What’s different wid this issue ch ? Go on, Abel and fl tell me then ! I told da big cheese you . would not even notice that it’s BIGGER by windling four pages.Never mind: Sum is quicker than others. Sum parts of us wake up just Of mystery | as the other parts is going to bed ! : and “biggerness ‘ } nod GREAT EH- that next year will be the j 100th Anniversary of dis nayshun’s oldest 100n-ruinead yacnts model yacht club ? Wonderful how they and pluckin ‘n pokin ! survive the ravages of time, then have a break in by two legged toe rags who ‘Makc it fit on one page’ was the Editor’s wantonly destroy boats.. GRR ! If I got instructions, so if what you see aint my paws on em, I’d make em eat straw ! enough, don’t go blaming me ! (And dat’s twenty-one words gone – just explaining How arc all our readers anyway ? I’ve been my brevity !). windling and I’m weller than ever ! You should be out windling too ! YOU HAVE Now this is important like ! Enclosed TO WORK FOR A LIVING? Get yer pro- within this ussue to sum of you (only sum) eye-rities right man ! How’s this fer a is a blue form wid my pitcha on it. If you quote: ‘The language of pro-eye-rities is received a ‘blucy’ your subscription is now the religion of socialism !”. HELL NO ! 1 duc – you owe eight dollars. JUST EIGHT- DON’T KNOW WHAT for the next two issues. SOUNDS REVELANT ! . (The words are IT MEANS, BUT IT priorities and relevant – and the Now here’s summat to really latter is not – Editor). look forward to in the next issue. Glaswegian Sandy Cousins’ magnificent sailing model of A/tair – designed and built on the Clyde by the \ geet = famous William Fife of Fairlic. /ew,/ ~~ Dea‘ read in an American design mag Aah called PRINT (Well sumbody has Vy to be the ‘art director’ !) the foll- of) owing: When people get old they get clumps of little, tiny hairs (FAIRLY WHAT ?) I don’t growin outa their ears and know I said Fairlie ! That’s noses – and places you did not the model *smokin’ along on even know could grow hair ! Glasgow’s Crinan canal. ; Their skin saggs and droops, and their toe : nails turn a funny colour and their eye- Mystery still unsolved ! Who was the kind brows get all bushy and curly !’. All that is UK subscriber wot sent the Editor that very true – I watch da editor sum mornings, pitchas ? Efforts to trace have yielded sad ch ? Not a pretty sight ! beautious calendar of Den Phillips yacht pluckin and pickin – and pokin and cuttin… zilch. Even Scotland Yard and FBI can’t help. Oh dear ! Da difficult ones are cAbel always referred to me ! I shoulder a great Deputy deal of responsibility ! Dis & Dat. = Pa (and don’t forget the ‘art director’ bit !) 26 indictment on New Zealand society, the excessively high levels of crime, the equally high percentage of perpetrators never brought to justice, and the scant respect and concern paid to victims. SEWER BUGS DESTROY MODEL YACHTS ! On 18th December last (Dave Heanly’s birthday), vandals broke into the clubhouse of the Christchurch Model So long as it docs not harm either tourism, trade or investment, HEY what’s a few Yacht Club, situated beside Lake Victoria in Hagley Park, and proceeded to destroy several yachts for the hell of model yachts ch fella ? it. Some were recovered including Dave’s ‘Mucker-about-er’ AS. Lia sloop Shamrock which was extensively damaged (see pic below) but had it’s Lam a ‘mucker-about-er’ with boats, SAILING MODELS- I must be precise, fibreglass hull intact. Others were not so though I havent the urge to race for glory I ‘leisurely sail’ and that’s nice. lucky, the Marblehead Blowfly was beyond salvage. The sight of mine sailing across a still lake, white sail-reflections on water, hard on the wind my eyes on thejib and delight as she goes as she orta. Sails point at the sky, transmitter up high, starboard tack and she heads for the shore: Another great sail, no water to bail, and on Sunday we’ll come back for more. Mark Steele Stern plate That this sort of brainless ‘vermin’ who walk around in human form by day, then The Classic Windler. stoop to such low levels undetected by night exists, only convinces me that there are indeed sub zero mentality people in our midst. The good news is, that Shamrock has now been beautifully restored for Dave by Peter incest, andis seen in full cry wai below, but itiisa sad Getting IN with the boat ! 27 Rev Peter Spencer of UK with his 1892 RESULT. sh Modern travel makes it easy to escape the stressful pressures of | both city and suburban living and the often cold and miserable Winter conditions. The escaping is easy, and here in the Pacific, right on the very doorstep of New Zealand lies the place of escape, where sea, sand and sun, palm trees, crystal-clear lagoons and quiet anchorages, an utterly lazy and laid-back lifestyle, and the friendliest people on earth, make up…the FIJI ISLANDS. We rest our case ! For more information on holidaying in Fiji contact your local Travel Agent or FIJI VISITORS BUREAU 48 High Street, PO Box 1179, Auckland Telephone: 09-373 2133 / 34 Facsimile: 09-309 4720 Email: offi @ fijinz.c ce o.nz ‘