Flotsam & Jetsam 01.05.26
Eight Bells Gordon Ingate OAM
There have quite rightly been numerous obituaries written this week for Gordon Ingate. Rather than adding to the pool hear is one selected for its concise, heartfelt and well written nature, by Di Pearson in sailworld.com
Sailing legend, Gordon Ingate OAM, passed away last evening following a short illness, he had turned 100 in March and celebrated in style at Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron with his family and a mass of friends, including those he collected interstate and overseas.
Gordon, or 'Wingnut', as he was famously known in sailing circles, later shortened to 'Wingy', lived life to the full, loved sailing and travel. He was indefatigable. A smart man, full of fun, convivial company, a gentleman.
Gordon Ingate - happy to the end - photo © Andrea Francolini
Gordon Ingate - happy to the end - photo © Andrea Francolini
An exceptional sailor, charming, lovable, cheeky and debonair, a man who also enjoyed playing croquet at Tea Gardens, where he spent much time during the week over the years and until recently.
He was the world's oldest living sailing Olympian and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's (CYCA) oldest living member, having joined the Club on 1st January, 1949, where he was Rear Commodore in 1965. Gordon was also a long time member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
Introduced to offshore sailing by the owners of Wayfarer and Kathleen, entrants in the inaugural Sydney Hobart in 1945, Wingnut became one of the great characters of our sport. He told me his first offshore race, to Lion Island return on Wayfarer, was marred by seasickness. It was not the last time by any means - but it didn't stop him.
During his late teens, Gordon met fellow sailors, Nina Saalfeld (who he later partnered in boat ownerships) and her daughter, Sally, at Mosman Amateur Sailing Club. He was invited to sail on Jasnar, owned by Nina's husband, Colonel Albert Saalfeld.
Becoming a regular on Jasnar, Gordon asked the Colonel if he could take Sally in the Bird Island Race. "He said yes," Gordon remembered a few months back. "He put it to me that Nina and Sally might both like to come along - so they did. It was a good boat and they sailed well."
Later, when he was 24, Gordon said, "I asked to take Jasnar in the Sydney Hobart and got a yes, as long as I took Sally along." So he skippered the double-ended Wally Ward designed sloop in the 1950 Hobart - his first.
Honest as ever, Gordon related, "Sally (aged 21) was a very good sailor, so I was happy to take her. I was so seasick, she looked after me. The wind was up and down but got up to 40 knots," said Gordon, telling me he was forced to go up the rig to make repairs.
Gordon Ingate on his beloved Jasnar - photo © Andrea Francolini
That race resulted in his engagement and subsequent marriage to Sally (with whom he had children Stephen and Christine, both of whom sail). Just after his 90th birthday, Gordon bought the 30ft Jasnar - sentiment making the decision for him.
A regular at the Sydney Harbour Regatta, including last year, Gordon said: "I'll be 99 on 29 March, which will put me in my 100th year." It's a fitting way to celebrate the event's 20th anniversary."
Born in Sydney in 1926 and growing up in Chatswood and Mosman, Gordon's sailing journey began at nine-years-old in the Sea Scouts. From there he sailed a VS (Vaucluse Senior) and went on to Olympics, one-design, America's Cup and offshore racing with success. He did it all.
Showcase Your Boat at AWBF 2027
It’s here! Expressions of interest to display your boat at the 2027 Australian Wooden Boat Festival are now open!
We’ve had a steady stream of calls and emails asking when they’d open, so we’re pleased to share that the time has come.
Displaying your wooden boat at the Southern Hemisphere’s largest celebration of maritime culture is something special. Across four vibrant days, you’ll be part of a living showcase of seafaring tradition, sharing your craft with the public and connecting with fellow boating enthusiasts.
Vessels of every size, shape and rig are welcome to apply.
Registrations close 11.59pm, Monday 31 August 2026.
Historic Sydney Hobart champion SOLVEIG set to shine at CYCA’s Great Veterans Race
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s (CYCA) Great Veterans Race on 9 May is set to draw one of the most storied fleets ever to grace Sydney Harbour, headlined by the legendary Halvorsen 36 masthead cutter Solveig — a yacht whose name is woven into the fabric of Australia’s most iconic offshore race.
Built and sailed by brothers Magnus and Trygve Halvorsen, Solveig became the first yacht in history to claim Line Honours in one year and the Overall win the next — taking Line Honours in 1953 and Overall victory in 1954. More than 70 years on, she remains in remarkable condition and will compete in Division 2 of this year’s Great Veterans Race.
All boats entered in the Great Veterans Race were launched before 1996 and have competed in a Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The non-spinnaker race features a pursuit start, with the fleet racing from Clark Island through Sydney Harbour to the vicinity of Sow and Pigs Reef over several laps. This year’s event has attracted an impressive 30 entrants.
John Whitfield and his partner Annie Lawrence became Solveig’s newest “custodians of the varnish brush” when they purchased the vessel from Bob Allen in 2019. Allen had repatriated the yacht to Australia from Hawaii in 2017, undertaking significant restoration work — a commitment Whitfield and Lawrence have proudly continued.
“We’d rather spend money on the boat than on a fancy car or something like that,” said Whitfield. “We both have enormous pride in being associated with it. It’s a maritime heritage registered boat, so there’s an expectation that you don’t let it go to wrack and ruin.”
The pair, joined by six crew members, raced Solveig in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart — 67 years after her 1954 victory — completing the course in five days, 19 hours, 40 minutes and 45 seconds. Whitfield, a 31-time Sydney Hobart veteran, described it as a landmark occasion.
“It was a big moment because the Halvorsens have a lot of history in Australia and with the CYCA,” he said.
Today, Whitfield skippers and Lawrence navigates the Lyons 54 MWF Kayle in the Sydney Hobart, with plans to sail Solveig leisurely down to Hobart in early 2027 for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
In Division 2, Solveig will face her younger sister, the Halvorsen 38 Anitra V(Philip Brown), which also enjoyed Sydney Hobart success under the Halvorsen brothers. Other notable entries include the S&S 34 Western Morning(Anto Sweetapple), a 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart finisher, and Tiare Tomaszewski’s Tasman Seabird Maris — originally owned by Tomaszewski’s grandfather, Jack Earle, a founding father of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
The fleet will also carry a note of reflection. Gordon Ingate OAM, who was out sailing his Wally Ward-designed Jasnar just weeks before his passing, recently died at the age of 100 following a short illness. To honour Ingate and the late Bill Ratcliff for their significant contributions to the CYCA, competitors in the Great Veterans Race are invited to fly black ribbons from their rigging. Ribbons will be available from CYCA Reception prior to racing.
“If I could sail half as well as Gordon when I’m in my 90s, I’ll be very happy,” said Whitfield.
Boats launched before 1996 with a Sydney Hobart Yacht Race history are eligible to enter. Organisers encourage all eligible yacht owners to join what promises to be a rare and memorable gathering of vessels that form the very DNA of the Sydney Hobart.
“We’re privileged to be on these boats, out on the harbour enjoying the conditions,” said Whitfield. “It is a privilege to be part of history. We’re very fortunate.”
National Historic Fleet At Risk report (UK)
At SWS we love the idea of a report such as this. Imagine if we could have something similar for Australia and New Zealand.
From National Historic Ships UK…
In November 2023, NHS-UK published the National Historic Fleet At Risk report following an assessment to review the condition of vessels on the Fleet. This identified the number of craft which required ongoing monitoring and enabled vessel records to be updated, thus ensuring that the information held on the Registers is accurate and relevant.
To keep abreast of further changes to the Fleet, a short annual survey is now circulated to custodians requesting them to provide a minimum level of information on current condition and what, if any, changes had occurred over the past twelve months. The latest survey ran from December 2025 - January 2026 and the findings are summarised in this report.
Out of 194 vessels on the NHF, 9% were given a ‘Red’ designation, 19% an ‘Amber’ designation, and 72% a ‘Green’ Designation, similarly to previous years. Going forward, we will continue assessing all Fleet vessels at the end of each calendar year but will publish results for 5-year periods in conjunction with our Forward Plans.
Peixinho (Little Fish) A Story Of Courage | Award-Winning Mozambique Short Film
In a remote coastal village in Mozambique, where the ocean is both a lifeline and a force of nature, one young man dares to rewrite the narrative of his community. Peixinho (Little Fish) is an inspiring tale of resilience and transformation, following the journey of a local hero as he bridges generations and redefines what it means to live in harmony with the sea. Filmed and produced by Kaushiik Subramaniam In association with Love The Oceans. Made possible by Ocean Culture Life & Ocean Born Foundation.
Marine Vallee - If they could speak...
Objects from the Museum of Tahiti embodying voyages and cross-cultural exchanges in Polynesia.
AWBF Symposium 2025
Dr Marine Vallée is Assistant Curator at the Te Fare Iamanaha – Musée de Tahiti et des Îles. She holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Auckland – Waipapa Taumata Rau.
Trained in heritage and contemporary Pacific arts (École du Louvre, University of Auckland), her research interests include history of collecting and curatorial practices, the provenance of objects and their resonance in contemporary visual arts and cultures.
She recently was the lead curator for the exhibition ‘Hōrue: Waves from the past, waves from the present – Hōrue : ’Are nō mua ra, ’Are nō teie nei’, reflecting on the history and contemporary place of surfing in French Polynesia.
Among the oldest objects held at Te Fare Iamanaha – Musée de Tahiti et des Îles are wooden boards from voyaging canoes that reflect the amazing journeys undertaken across the Pacific Ocean.
Other objects illustrate technical or material integrations resulting from the multiple voyages and exchanges that occurred throughout the region from the ‘contact’ period.
This presentation highlights heritage objects reflecting on navigating endeavours, as well as circumnavigations and whaling voyages across the archipelagos of today’s French Polynesia. These objects bear in their biographies, sometimes even in their materiality, marks of cross-cultural exchanges.
Watch the presentation by Marine during the AWBF Symposium 2025.