Old yachts to sail together after 96 years

by Peter Campbell on 18 Mar 2007 Two yachts built to the same design, by the same shipwright and in the same yard at Hobart's historic Battery Point will sail together for the first time in 96 years when they contest Sunday's Sydney Harbour Bridge 75th Anniversary Regatta on the Harbour.

Martin Cox's Gannet and Ben Stoner's Weene will be among near 50 classic wooden yachts contesting the regatta as part of the Harbour Bridge's huge birthday party, with two rounding marks and the finish in sight many of the expected 200,000 people who will be walking across the Bridge.

Gannet and Weene were built in 1910 and 1911 as a one-design class of cruiser/racers established by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania for racing on Hobart's River Derwent.

Known simply as 'Tasmanian One Designers' or more commonly just as 'One Designers', the class was based on a design by American William H Hand Jr, published in the 'Rudder' magazine of February 1900, modified for local conditions.

Built of Huon pine, the 'Tasmanian One Designers' dominated racing on the Derwent until outclassed by the later and larger 'A-Class' yachts in the 1920s and 1930s. Seven are known to still be in existence.

The famous Hobart shipwright Charles Lucas built both Weene (launched 17 October 1910 and Gannet (launched 16 November 1911). Both yachts were originally 32 feet 8 inches in overall length and gaff-rigged, but now carry Bermudan rigs.

'According to a report in the December 1911 edition of the US magazine 'Anchor' they sailed against each other on the Derwent before Gannet was sailed to Geelong for its owner Commodore Charles Shannon of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club,' present owner Martin Cox said today.

'She raced with great success at Geelong until the 1950s…I bought her in 2000 and have restored her back to racing trim on Sydney Harbour.'

Weene remained in Hobart and also raced with great success, winning the 100 nautical mile Bruny Island Race in 1915, also many times winning the A-class Champion Pennant with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and the Derwent Sailing Squadron.

She also won the North versus South Cup against the Tamar Yacht Club's Thelma.

While Gannet remained with her original length overall of 32 feet 8 in, Weene was lengthened to 36 feet in 1927.

Her original owner was Edwin H Webster of Hobart, but was sold to the famous Batt sailing family in 1911, who owned her until 1963. She was still sailing in Hobart 90 years later before being transported to Sydney in 2005 with current owner Ben Stoner acquiring Weene in 2006.

According to the web site of Tasmanian One-Design Yachts (www.users.bigpond.net.au/Vanity/Weene), Weene was the first 'Tasmanian One-Design' yacht built in 1910.

In addition to Gannet, the others still in existence are Pandora (for sale at Kettering, Tasmania), Curlew (being restored in Queensland), Vanity (being restored in Queensland), Pilgrim (sold to Melbourne and awaiting restoration) and Canobie (in Tasmania and recently rerigged as a gaff-rigger).

Full entry list for Sunday's Sydney Harbour Bridge Anniversary Regatta available on the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club's website www.sasc.com.au