BOATING HISTORY ~ Boating NZ

GEORGE DIBBERN; THE 1934 TRANSTASMAN RACE / Symbol of freedom

The moment they arrived in March 1934 George Dibbern and Te Rapunga were good news in Auckland. George seemed to...

GEORGE DIBBERN AND TE RAPUNGA – PART 1 / Exotic sails

“I WILL NOT HAVE THAT MAN IN MY HOUSE”, said my mother, with quite out-of-character emphasis. She was talking about...

Bean Rock 150 years

Alex and Lesley Stone delve into the history of Bean Rock lighthouse – 150 years old this year. Fl(3) WR...

MARU AND AUCKLAND’S 24FT MULLET BOATS / Match-racing the Mulletties

John Dallimore of Whitianga has recently gifted the 24ft mullet boat Maru to Jason Prew, classicyachtsman- about-town, on the condition...

JACK BROOKE AND WAKAYA – The science of great design

Jack Brooke was not only a vigorous leader in New Zealand yachting and recognised from his earliest days as an...

CALLIOPE SEA SCOUTS’ CENTENARY Scouting for the generations

Founded in June 1921 at HMS Philomel, the Devonport Naval Base, Calliope Sea Scouts Troop is the oldest surviving Sea...

THE SINCLAIRS OF LYTTELTON PART 3 – A fascination with lateen rigs

In February 1891 it looked as if the ‘Little Wonder Syndicate’ – which owned Mascotte – might be falling apart,...

THE SINCLAIRS OF LYTTELTON PART 2 – Mascotte

Jimmy Sinclair’s Mascotte was not only the Champion yacht of Lyttelton from 1891, he was also New Zealand Champion in...

Walter Reeks’ ‘Volunteer’ & Bailey’s ‘Viking’

Volunteer was built in October 1888 during a wave of large yacht construction in Sydney in which her designer, Walter Reeks, played a large role. This upsurge of interest in yachting was at least partly attributable to the huge worldwide interest in the recent series of gladiatorial contests in the America’s Cup races off New York.

Dumas in New Zealand

There have been many solo ocean passages and circumnavigations, but few as challenging in concept and timing as that of Argentinian Vito Dumas in his ketch Lehg II.

Steeple-chasing the Otago mole: Professor R.J. Scott & Yvonne

Yvonne was one of nine entrants manoeuvring for the start of the Otago Yacht Club’s Rudder Cup Ocean Race to Oamaru and back.

The steeple-chaser

This is a tale with three players – R.J. Scott, the yacht Yvonne, and the mole at the entrance to Otago Harbour.

Tasmanian salvation: Te Rapunga

Built in the early 1920s in Germany, the iconic 32-foot double-ended ketch Te Rapunga is enjoying a complete restoration by Tasmanian wooden boat specialist Denman Marine. She will return to her natural element in time for the island’s Wooden Boat Festival in February next year.