The Pacific proa configuration has many advantages, including considerably less load on the beams, and thus the rig.  Having the ama to windward, although seemingly counterintuitive, is actually safer, as its weight, combined with reserve buoyancy in the main hull’s leeward pod, makes the boat much more resistant to capsize.

In 1960 we're starting to get into the fast boats. We built the first Customs Boat, a 40-footer called BINDERY which had a six cylinder 671 Detroit Diesel and it would do 20 knots. The Department of Customs took Dad's plans, copied them put them out to Tender. So there were five other boats built, and they all did about 14 or 15 knots because they thought the buttock lines shouldn't be bent. Dad always reversed his buttock lines so th boat sat on a big wedge at the back and customs could never work out why the others never went as fast.

On January 15, 2021, S&S filed this lawsuit alleging that the Museum breached the 1989 Agreement by selling copies of S&S plans for use in the restoration of boats, failing to properly preserve S&S materials, and failing to maintain a log of sales for the years 2000 to 2004.

Where many Spirit of Tradition designs would rest with the traditionally-shaped hull and classic styling on deck and mate them with a “standard” high-performance Marconi sail plan, we’ve opted to fully embrace the period piece and supply Beaujolais with an in-character gaff rig and lengthy bowsprit. Not only does this fully commit to the genre used as inspiration, it also offers some powerful advantages.

Lars Halvorsen’s five sons and family created what became the largest and most famous Australian boatbuilders of their era, later taking their skills to Hong Kong and China, with exports all over the world. The story is one of hardship and passion, stoicism in the face of great adversity.

Students of dugout sculpting believe that once the tree was felled, it would have been stripped of all its bark, then have its future top and bottom surfaces determined by its curvature, if any.

I remember trying to sleep in the forward berth and being “squeezed” as the bow flexed - rather frighteningly as they were built to be very light - perhaps too light, as much strengthening was needed before the next trip in rough weather.

“…She was built at a time when people wanted adventure on the water, rather than a chilled Chardonnay tied to a pontoon.”

The creators of GLORIA were certainly looking for perfection during their 15 year build at Wilson’s in Cygnet. I’m not sure if they achieved contentment but they certainly created one of the most special yachts in Australia.

The purpose of any rating rule is to enable yachts of different sizes to race together fairly. Without a rating rule there could be no enjoyable racing as, barring unforeseen circumstances, the largest yacht (and the richest owner) would always win.

The phenomena of designers distorting the functional shape and appendages of a yacht to gain a rating advantage is not a new one.

Each Day we lived in hope that we would discover a Contessa, that was within our budget, but such was their reputation, that they rarely came on the market, and when they did the instant demand spiralled the price right out of our reach.

A completely intuitive designer, Uffa Fox, trusted his gut feelings about what made a boat fast, seaworthy, fun to sail and safe.

Earlier this month 23 Fife yachts raced on the Clyde Estuary in Scotland. Images from the Regatta are somehow a relief from the sunny, sparkling press releases that seem to flow like Veuve Clicquot from the Mediterranean at this time of year.

Wally Ward was perhaps the last truly ‘amateur’ designer to have one of his boats win the Sydney-Hobart race and also one of the most successful designers to use the metacentric shelf principle.

Wally Ward designed a well-known series of yachts in Sydney over a period of 30 years from 1937 to 1965. His first yacht JANAWAY paved the way with her perfect hull balance and unmatched performance for her size.

“If you love and cherish her you can learn to draw sweet melodies from her and she will carry you through all the scale (Beaufort scale) of gales and calms, for she is based on well proven principles”

In 1922, on a remote beach in Western Australia, a group of Australian Scientists proved Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to be correct.

The careful mathematical figures and many pages of design details, displacement ratios and sail area plans give a picture of the meticulous planning that he did before a yacht was allowed to be built.

The fleet developed from a competition run by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron during the late 1940s. They wanted to build a fleet of yachts that would perform well in local conditions and satisfy both the serious sailor who wanted to go racing as well as the family that wanted to go cruising.