She ultimately came into the ownership of Don and Tim Armitage. Geoff, a Salthouse-trained boatbuilder, and a team took on the project. It was just in time as Arcturus was in a very bad state. Working from Alden’s original plans, a 15,000-hour restoration commenced. The hull was stripped, the ballast keel removed and flipped! Carvel planked yellow pine with iron fastenings had no future so major structure planking was replaced with kauri and laminated floors. 

The Classic Yacht Association's annual Patio Bay Race saw tricky conditions after the start with a breeze yet to fill in. Forecast to come from the north it never arose, and instead filled in from the west giving those with running kites a chance to stretch their legs. Some great sights off Awawaroa with RAWHITI and ARIKI having a ding dong battle.

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.