Cambria flies Australian flag to line honours at Prada Challenge in Porto Cervo

by Rob Mundle on 6 Sep 2003 Porto Cervo, Sardinia: The 23-metre classic yacht Cambria, owned by Sydney’s John David, is unbeaten in the race for line honours after three rounds of the Prada Challenge for Classic Yachts in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

The 73-year old K-Class cutter, which was completely restored in Australia in the mid-90’s, has been unchallenged in the battle to be first home when sailing in both light and strong winds. On handicap she has scored one win and two fourths despite paying an enormous penalty for having a carbon fibre tip on the mast.

In the first race of the prestigious series Cambria overcame losing a man overboard and breaking a jib halyard to lead the fleet home by a comfortable margin. Crewman Vaughan Stibbard, from Sydney, was ejected from the deck and over the side when a flaying line caught him. A support boat picked him up within minutes and returned him to the yacht unscathed.

John David has selected 17 Australians in his 22-person crew including Ian Smith and Anthony Merrington who were part of the winning Wild Oats crew at the Admiral’s Cup. Among other noted sailors aboard are Tony Bellingham and Michael Bell. Sydney’s Chris Links is tactician while the yacht’s professional skipper, Peter Mandin, is doing the steering.

On Sunday the regatta moves to Monaco before events in the ensuing weeks in Canne and St. Tropez. More than 60 classic themed yachts are competing.

Cambria’s success follows the recent win for John David and his son Steven at the Hog’s Breath Regatta with their new Swan 45 Joe. The yacht was subsequently second to Bob and Sandy Oatley’s Another Duchess at Hamilton Island Race Week.

Cambria was designed by William Fife and built in Scotland in 1927 to the International 23-metre rule, a class that put her in a league alongside the famous America’s Cup ‘J boats’. Today she is one of the few yachts remaining from that era. In 1995 a team of Australian master craftsmen spent a total of 27,000 man hours bringing life back to her then aging structure. In 2000 her ketch rig was replaced with a single mast configuration similar to the one she carried when first launched. She returned to competition at the America’s Cup Jubilee in Cowes in 2001 after a 40-year absence from the race course.