Two more of New Zealand’s classic centreboard yachts to be restored

by Neil Kennedy on 11 Jul 2009
Chairman of trustees of Auckland Traditional Boatbuilding School, Robert Brooke, has confirmed that two more of New Zealand’s centerboard yachts that competed on the world stage in the 1950’s are now being considered for full restoration to sailing condition.

The first is the mighty Intrigue the Mander Brothers famous 18 footer which won the 18 ft skiff world Title in Suva in 1952 and retained it in Auckland in 1954 in one of the most famous yachting events ever sailed on the Waitemata Harbour.

Following a visit to Auckland earlier this year by legendary Sydney skiff builder and sailer Ken Beashel who had expressed a strong interest in getting the restored former World champion skimmer Komutu across to Sydney to sail against the Australian Historical 18ft fleet, the subject of historical New Zealand 18ft skiffs again came into focus.

Intrigue has been stored at the ATBS and has always been seen as a restoration project. Robert has received invaluable assistance from Graham Mander in assembling all of the information about her. Now funds to begin the process have become available but some additional funds are still required to complete the task fully.

With the recent announcement that the Australian historical 18’s are scheduled to return to Auckland in Feb 2010, serious consideration is being given to having Intrigue back on the water for the event.

Given that Intrigue and the Mander Family are part of Canterbury Sporting folk lore not only for their extraordinary yachting success, but their legendary battles with top Auckland yachtsman, it is hoped that the Canterbury Yachting fraternity will accept the challenge to get involved in the project and provide whatever assistance is required to see their champion back on the water to do battle with the Aussies once again.

News that Intrigue is heading back to sailing mode is already creating interest among Auckland yachtsmen who remember her and the great rivalry between Intrigue and the Auckland Champion of the day Envy designed by Dave Marks one of New Zealand’s finest boat builders, and the founder of the 12ft Q class.

There are many that to this day believe had it not been for a broken mast in the first heat Envy who was well in front at the time would have been crowned world champion and given the surging interest in the restoration and recreation of iconic yachts in New Zealand it is not too much of a fantasy to see the prospect of that rivalry being created again. The prospect of that spectacle on a warm sunny February afternoon would surely bring thousands out to line the famous vantage points around the inner harbour to see a classic Auckland versus Canterbury battle.

In the meantime the call goes out to the Cantabrians to accept the challenge and help to get their Champion back on the water.

The second yacht has an equally interesting pedigree as she was designed by Des Townson and became the first of his designs to compete in England. She is the International 14 Calypso who with Atua Hau became the first ever New Zealand built yachts to compete at one of the great yachting centers Cowes in England.

Calypso sailed by Ian Pryde and Ray Sumich and Atua Hau sailed by Geoff Smale and Ralph Roberts, together with Ron Watson and Phillip (Bungie) McRae who chartered Boanerges, arrived in the UK with little fanfare but then proceeded to astound the Northern Hemisphere dinghy fraternity by completely dominating the famed POW week the international Championship for I 14’s and go within a whisker of winning the teams trophy against the UK, and Canadian Teams.

Only broken gear when they were dominating the final race robbed them of victory.

Atua Hau returned to Auckland and is now in the Maritime Museum but Calypso was sold in England where she enjoyed success for many seasons. The interesting thing about her is that her lines were never published in Sea Spray and there is only one photo of her taken at Cowes. She also had a considerable design influence on the class as Des Townson believing that I 14 designs of the day were unbalanced stepped her mast nine inches further aft than anyone had done before.

When you consider that the I14 at that time had the cream of English Centerboard yachting designers designing for the class, including Uffa Fox, Ian Proctor, Bruce Banks and more, this was a very bold step for an unknown New Zealand designer barely out of his teens.

But Des was triumphant as both Calypso and Atua Hau whose mast position was also modified proved superior in all conditions.

Calypso has been largely forgotten but at the memorial service for Des memories were revived especially when her lines drawing were revealed for the first time. Although no one had heard of her for many years or her fate the author remembered her from the first time Ian Pryde brought her down to the Otahuhu Sailing club one early Saturday morning and copped a fair bit of ribbing from his former Cherub class mates, who suggested because she was painted bright blue in a class where every other boat was varnished, he might not be allowed to race in the class, decided to do a little investigating to see what became of her.

His own records showed she was around until the late sixties but then the trail went cold, however a bit of intuitive detective work led him to Tom Vaughan who had written the early history of the class. Tom was able to confirm that she had been owned by Roy Lee an Irish I 14 sailor for many years, but was not sure of her actual whereabouts now. But an email to Roy Lee brought the answer. Calypso had lasted until the late 1990’s but she had got very tired and they decided to decommission her, as luck would have it because as Roy and his family had enjoyed her so much they kept as much of her as they felt was worth while.

When the author revealed her early history to them and an interest in the possibility of either restoring her or building a replica, Roy very generously offered to return the parts to New Zealand so that this little known Townson masterpiece could be recreated and once again sail on the Waitemata Harbour. The remains are sufficient to include in a rebuild and they are expected to arrive in late July where they will be taken to the ATBS for the restoration project.