Australian Historical Sailing Skiff Association Inc

Next Meeting: 16th August, 2012

7.30pm at Drummoyne Sailing Club

For your diaries:

Australian Historical Sailing Skiff Association Inc.

Annual General Meeting

Thursday, 20th September, 2012

7.30pm at Drummoyne Sailing Club

August Newsletter 2012Websites: ahssa.weebly.com

nswtens.weebly.com

AHSSAP.O. Box 48Drummoyne, NSW 2047

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Patron Phil BoydPresident Ian Smith Vice President John LewisHon. Secretary Ron Collyer Commodore Bob SawyerHon. Treasurer Marlene Jacobson Vice Commodores Michael Chapman

& Michele Rocheta & Col Gillespie

Editor: Ron Collyer Phone/Fax: (02) 9807 2328Address: 22/512 Victoria Rd Email: ronandpatcollyer@gmail.com

Ryde, 2112

January 28th, 1933 HARBOUR CRAFT Page 211

BREEZY NOTESAustralian Championship.

18 Footers.Record of Boats and SkippersOf the seven competitors in today's 18 footers australian Championship, Chris Webb has the most outstanding record, having a total of nine wins in the Championship races. His first win was some 35 years ago, viz, the 1897-98 season with Rosamond.

The following are Webb's nine successes:-1897-98 season (Rosamond), 1898-99 (Australian), 1908-09 (Australian), 1909-10 (Australian) – winning the Perth Flying Squadron's Cup outright- 1913-14 (Australian), 1923-24 (H.C. Press II), 1924-25 (H.C. Press II), 1926-27 (H.C. Press II) – winning also the Mark Foy Cup outright.

Three of the remaining eight Skippers under review have succeeded in achieving their coveted ambitions as follows:- Charlie Hayes (N.S.W.) with Arawatta in 1931, Harold Crouch (Q.) with Waratah in 1930 and Lance Watts (Q.) with Tangalooma last season – the present title holder.

Billie Fisher (Australia), V. Vaughan (Aberdare) Qld, ans S. Barnett Jnr (Argo), however, have all won their Club or State title events.

Of the visiting Skippers, Lance Watts has appeared on the waters of Port Jackson on numerous occasions, and at the tiller of “Commonwealth” did battle on behalf of the Northern State in the Ten Foot Championship sailed on Sydney Harbour on January 27th, 1912 – 27 years ago. This event was won by Wal Keddie in the “Waratah”.

Skipper Lance Watts in 1921 had commandof the “L.F.H.” in the Mark Foy Cup Race, which was won by Colin Clark in “Vision” and also at the conclusion of that Carnival engaged the Duncan cousins, W.J. (Kismet) and W.C. (“Trappy”) (Mascotte), in a challenge match, sailed over the Manly Course for a stake of £400. This contest was decided in the first two races sailed – Mascotte winning the first race and Kismet the second.

Lance also represented the Brisbane 18 footers Club on two occasions in the Australian Championship events over the Sow and Pigs course. The two occasions were with “Nione” in 1923-24 season, and “Marjorie” in

1931. The results of these two events were:- Sailed, February 2nd, 1924: H.C. Press II, (Chris Webb), 1st; Awaya (now Mascotte) (W. Dunn), 2nd; Nione (Lance Watts), 3rd; Queenslander III (J. Crouch), 4th; Ou-La-Lah (now Marjorie) (W. Birgen), 5th; Australia (W. Fisher), 6th; Life Saver (W.C. Duncan), 7th; Sylvania N.Q.), (W. Favell), capsized.

Sailed, January 31st, 1931: Arrawatta (C. Hayes), 1st; H.C. Press II (Geo. Press), 2nd; Australia (W. Fisher), 3rd; Yendys (N.W. Blackman) 4th; Kismet (D. Ravell), 5th; Defiance (A. Russell), 6th; Marjorie (Qld.) (L. Watts), 7th.

Billy Fisher has represented his state in a number of Australian Championship races but Sid Barnett Jnr and V. Vaughanare making their initial appearance in this classic event.

Aberdare (V. Vaughan) is recognised as Queensland's first representative in today's event, by virtue of winning two out of the three test races sailed todetermine Queensland's reps, the points gained being Aberdare 37, Tangalooma 29 and Marjorie 7.

The last Australian Championship was sailed on the Brisbane River on January 30th, 1932, with the following result:-Tangalooma (Q.) (L. Watts)......1Marjorie (Q.) (S. Springfield). . .2Waratah (Q.) (J. Crouch)...........3Australia (N.S.W.) (W. Fisher). .4Vagrant (N.Q.) (E. Duffield).....5viola (N.Q.) (W. Gray)..............6Other starters were were: Arawatta(N.S.W.) (C. Hayes); rona (Q) (E. Springfield); Divine (Q) (F. Parsons); and Mispah (Q) (F. Atkins). Arawatta broke her mast and retired when in second position.

Lance Watts has represented Queensland in all classes of boats and it ois pleasing to record that after 23 years of sailing, his first Australian Title was in an Eighteen footer.

H. Crouch who won the sensational race in Brisbane on February 1st,

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1930, is new to the waters of sydney Harbour. The result of the 1930 race was as follows:-

Waratah (H. Crouch), 1st; Ivana (J. Mindham), 2nd; Rona (E.Springfield), 3rd. Arawatta (C. Hayes), J.C (J. Crouch), Queenslander III (V. Negus), Marjorie (S. Springfield), Nione (F. Satini), Viola (J. Hansen), Keriki (C. Webb) and Sylvania (W. Favell) also started. Keriki, Nione and Viola met with accidents to their gear and retired. Arawatta, J.C., Queenslander III, Marjorie, Sylvania and Rona capsized, the latter, however, righted herself without assistance and finished in third position one hour later.

Balmain 10ft. Dinghy Sailing Club.

Tomorrow afternoon the Balmain 10 foot Dinghy Sailing Club will conduct a general handicap over the George's Head Light Course when the second heat of the Pat Miller Cup will be decided.

Added interest will be created by the presence of a party of Queensland 18 foot sailing visitors, who have accepted the Club's invitation to witness the race.

The club's steamer leaves Dawes Point at 2.50p.m., other wharves at the usual times.

The Dinghy Boys say that:-

The Life-story of Pineapple Percy was re-enacted last week with the Gladstone Park Fresh-air League as the sympathetic audience.

The crew of the Alice deserve a pat on the back for the way they kept the snub afloat last week.

That Merrylands is a jolly good place (or horse). The Moore's and the Joneses know.

Jack Hickson wishes that Advance would shrink about 8 feet.

Bill Ingram got a close-up of a few tiller-wizards and their craft at last.

Newcomers to the Prize List.Desdemona (A.C. Robersts) by her win in the Interstate Handicap last Saturday, enters the S.F.S. Prize Winning List for the first time this season, likewise Onda (T.O. Young), who was runner-up last Saturday, participated in the prize money for the first time.

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Thanks to Bob Chapman, the last two pages of this AHSSA newsletter are a continuation of last month's story of the Mark Foy FLYING FISH.

AQUATICS IN ENGLAND, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 23, THE SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIPSouth Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 -1900) Thursday 3 November, 1898Page 7 Article

The “Shipping Gazette” publishes the following:- “Mr. Mark Foy, the owner of the Australian boat Irex, which has just been defeated in the international matches on the Medway by the Maid of Kent, is thoroughly satisfied with the racing, and is convinced of the superiority of the English boat.

He would, however, very much like to have another series of races before he returns to Sydney next year, and it is more than likely that he will issue another challenge. Should he do so it is very probable that he will bring over his double hulled boat, the Flying Fish, which has carried all before it in Australian waters. It is not known, however, whether the Medway Yacht Club would accept a challenge with a boat which is more or less of a freak.

SAILING MAN'S SEARCH FOR FREAK RACERThe Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 – 1954)Tuesday 26 February, 1946Page 8 Article

Sailing Man's Search for Freak RacerThe old racing 24 footer Flying fish is being anxiously sought by the well-known sailing enthusiast Mr Mark Foy. If the hull can be found, even in a derelict condition, Mr Foy plans to build a big racer, 60 ft long, on the same lines. For some time he has been advertising a reward of £5 for news of the boat's whereabouts.

Several reports that she was at George's River, and had become a houseboat, have proved untrue. The whereabouts of Flying Fish is still a mystery. Sailing veteran and boat builder, Peter Cowie, believes the lost boat will never be found. Some years ago the late Jack Gorman told him Flying Fish broke from her moorings at Pittwater and drifted out to sea.

Mr Foy, who gave Gorman the freak racer nearly 50 years ago, said last night that this explanation was quite plausible. He claims that Flying Fish had an amazing turn of speed on a beam wind. She often sailed past Manly ferries, and outdistanced all-comers on the harbour. Shortened by two feet to enter an ocean race Flying Fish won it by about three miles, according to Mr Foy.

The craft was of unorthodox build. She was actually two boats, each of 2ft 3in beam, bolted together by two cross pieces, one at the mast and one further aft. Flying Fish carried a crew of 20. She was rigged with a French lug sail and overall measured 60ft from bowsprit to tip of bumpkin.

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Mark Foy's Dual Hulled Boat – the “Flying Fish”

The following are some more newspaper articles on this subject:

NO TITLEClarence and Richmond Examiner (Grafton, NSW: 1889 – 1915)Tuesday 7 August, 1894Page 8 Article

Launch of the Flying FishMessenger's Shed, in Double Bay, was the scene of the launch of a novel sailing yacht, the little vessel having been designed by and built to the order of Mr Mark Foy, who has succeeded in introducing to Port Jackson a 24ft sailing craft which it is anticipated will attain a maximum racing speed of from 15 to 20 miles an hour.

The Flying Fish, the name of the new racer, consists of two distinct hulls of boats, each 24ft in length, 2ft 3in beam and 2ft 9in extreme depth. These boats, of the most perfect design, on the whaleboat principle and carvel cedar planking, are bridged together with strong beams and stays, and give an extra beam of 10ft 6in. The draught of water is from 10in to 12in, with sails, spars, crew and the two centreboard plates – one in each boat – on board. There are two rudders, worked by lines and tiller. She is perfectly safe, as she cannot capsize and sink.

First race for the catamaran hulled Flying Fish, which started out as a 24 footer.

JOHNSTONE'S BAY SAILING CLUBThe Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 – 1954)Saturday, 6 October, 1894Page 12 Article

Johnstone's Bay Sailing ClubThis club's opening event, which takes place today, is a very important one, as amongst the large number of entries received, several new craft will sail their maiden race. The dual boat Flying Fish, lately built for Mr Foy, will try her speed for the first time with the 24ft cracks; whilst the new 18-footers Ariel (built by Donnelly), Stell (by Dearing) and Nereid (by Golding) will start on the same mark as the Cygnet.

The chosen course is from off Goat Island around the lightship, Shark Island and back to the stareting point. Two handicaps have been arranged – one for working and another for leading.

They are as follows:-Ida, scratch, working or leading; Flying Fish, 2 minutes working, scratch leading; Young Harry, ½ minute working, scratch leading; Lady Duff, ½ minute working or leading; Esmeralda, 4 minutes working, 3½ minutes leading; Victor, 6 minutes and 6½ leading; Genesta, 8 minutes and 7 minutes; Olinda, 10 minutes and 9½ minutes; Nereid, Cygnet, Ariel and Stella, 9 minutes and 9½ minutes.

The steamer Lady Manning has been engaged, and the times of leaving the several wharfs are advertised.

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Disclaimer: Neither the AHSSA or the Editor of this newsletter takes the responsibility for the views nor the accuracy of the information contained in the

articles that appear in this newsletter.