Townson built the first Electron in 1987, and over the next two decades, he hand-built over 900 of them to his exacting standards. Besides his perfectionistic and disciplined work ethic, Townson was an innovator and invented several techniques for building Electrons that even fibreglass specialists struggled to understand or duplicate.
Townson used to build groups of Electrons together – moulding the required number of hulls, decks, keels, masts, etc. – before assembling the group in his house’s basement.
To maximise efficiency, he kept time sheets for each job. Despite his speed, Townson’s standards were exacting, and his attention to detail was fastidious.
Early on, Townson realised Electrons wouldn’t sell themselves and that he’d have to get out and push them. Through necessity, he learned about marketing and selling.
He would take four Electrons away on his keeler Talent to Classic yacht sailing events to let yachties try them out, which more often than not resulted in a sale. He’d regularly mount four on the luggage rack of his Triumph 2000 as a mobile display.
Just before his death in September 2008, Townson sold the rights to build Electrons to model maker Bruce Tantrum, who, over the next nine years, built another 46 Electrons. In December 2017, Greg Stenbeck took over the production rights.
Stenbeck’s involvement in Electrons started when his wife Vicki bought him one for his 50th birthday. Stenbeck began sailing Electrons at Orakei Basin and proved a quick learner. Since then, he has won the Electron class of the Auckland Anniversary Regatta 12 times and, more importantly, five Electron Global Championships.
So what’s his secret?
“Simple, I just put the yacht into the best wind,” he said.
When the opportunity to take over production arose in 2017, Stenbeck didn’t hesitate to grab the opportunity, and he’s built 35 new Electrons since then.
Electrons have entirely taken over Stenbeck’s life. Besides racing them twice a week and building new ones, he spends considerable time restoring older examples. Many of these have been raced hard for decades and need a little love. Typically, this can mean painting the original gel coat, new deck transfers, new electronics, new rudder and sail servos, fresh sails, and sometimes a new mast.
The new Electron hull and decks are GRP moulded by Grant McKinnon from the original Towson-built moulds.
“He does an exceptional job,” says Stenbeck
Stenbeck then fastidiously assembles each yacht using the original jigs and measuring devices. To simplify construction, several small parts that Townson used to build by hand are now 3D printed, and some parts, including the rudder and sail servos, the transmitter and receiver, sailcloth, and some rigging parts, have been improved thanks to newer technologies. Rechargeable batteries are now commonplace. However, none of these changes alters the one-design aspect, and a new Electron weighs precisely the same as one built decades ago. That’s the great thing about Electrons; if you’re not winning, 99% of the time it’s the nut holding the transmitter, not the yacht.
There are fleets of Electrons throughout New Zealand: Bay of Islands, Mangawhai, Omaha, Snells Beach, Sandspit, Kawau Island, Onepoto, Westhaven, Orakei, Whitiangi and Papamoa. Additionally, there is a smattering of Electrons in retirement homes, two sizeable fleets in the Cook Islands, and several have found their way onto Superyachts.
A new Electron is currently priced at $3,900, and they hold their value. Depending on the condition, you could expect to pay between $2,000 and $3,000 for a pre-loved example.
Early in his design and building career, Townson decided that yacht racing was fairer for all with one-design classes. Above all, he wanted to avoid the inevitable arms race when yachties are allowed room to swing their chequebooks.
Combine strict one design with timeless, classical styling and the ability to sail well across a broad range of conditions, and it is no surprise that Townson one-design classes such as the Electron, Zephyr, Mistral, Starling, Pied Piper and Twilight continue to attract and captivate sailors.
In a world gone mad, sailing Electrons can restore one’s sanity, satisfy competitive urges and rekindle the simple joy of mucking about with boats.
Orakei Yacht Club members
On a chilly, blustery Tuesday afternoon at Orakei Basin, a passionate group of Electron sailors had no desire to be anywhere else. When asked why they sailed Electrons, here were some responses:
“Much cheaper than golf.”
“It’s a lovely way to fill in a Tuesday afternoon.”
“You don’t need a crew.”
“I’m competitive, and I like to win.”
“Racing keeps my brain active.”
“It fits into my timetable perfectly,”
“I love to sail and not get wet
and cold.”
“It’s great fun, and I love
Des Townson designs.”
“Simple to rig, and you feel like
you’re sailing a big boat.”
“I have a long competitive sailing history that I can’t surrender.”
“To have a heap of fun and
practice my skills.”
“I love them; so simple to sail.”
“They’re all the same.”
“It’s fun, better than sex.”
Words and photography by John Macfarlane
