Radio Silence
By Anarchist David in Sailing Anarchy
Seventy-five years of tradition will end on Boxing Day 2024, when the Sydney-Hobart fleet sets off on their 628nm race South without a radio relay vessel in support.
A radio vessel – usually a powerful motor launch – has accompanied the yachts to Hobart every year since 1951. For the past decade that role has been filled by JBW (see below). The boat was provided entirely without charge by Sydney yachtsman John Winning Snr. and crewed by volunteers. Twice-daily position reporting during the race was coordinated at sea on HF by an experienced operator until most of the competing yachts were within VHF range of the Hobart finish.
Under the new regime, the scheduled position reports – known to crews as “skeds” – will be done as text messages by Satphone to a computer at the Race Control Centre.
Vic Meyer operated LAURIANA as the radio relay vessel for a number of Sydney to Hobart yacht races in the 1950s and 60s.
LAURIANA is a large timber ketch built in 1938 by the well-known firm J Hayes and Sons at Careening Cove in Sydney to a design by AC Barber, one of the principal naval architects of that period. It represents the excellent craftsmanship of the builder and is probably the largest pleasure yacht that they built. It also features a trademark AC Barber canoe stern, a feature that contributes to its flowing lines and excellent performance. The owner was Harold Arnott one of the famous Arnott’s biscuits family, who were keen sailors and strong supporters of the sport in Sydney for a number of decades. It was built as carvel planked hull and heavily framed, with a high teak superstructure, and a large motor. As such it fits the configuration of motor-sailer, but the launching report adds a confusing detail. It reports the vessel was built for game fishing, but there is no strong evidence it was used for this, the few reports of its sailing prior to the war are simple passages to Pittwater. It is possible the reporter confused it with another large craft being built for the Arnotts called SHANGRI-LA which was a canoe sterned motor cruiser, and more likely to be a game fishing platform offshore.
The war came soon after LAURIANA was launched and the Arnotts had only had a year’s use of the vessel. On 27 August 1941 it was commissioned by the Naval Auxiliary Patrol as one of the many small craft hastily adapted to support the war effort. It was a powerful and fast vessel with its rigs taken out. Painted grey it carried the number 502. HMAS LAURIANA’s task involved patrolling Sydney Harbour and it was the first vessel to spot and attack one of the Japanese mini-submarines in the late May 1942 raid in Sydney Harbour. Although unarmed HMAS LAURIANA earned its first entry in the war records by sighting the third midget M21 coming into Sydney Harbour on the night of May 31-June 1 1942, attempting to ram it, and then bringing it under both ramming and depth charge attack by HMAS YANDRA and the Halvorsen cruiser in war service, SEA MIST.
From there HMAS LAURIANA was one of the first NAP vessels to be moved north, making its passage via the US Navy PT base in Cairns. It served in the Papua New Guinea Pacific theatre with distinction. HMAS LAURIANA’s gun shot two Japanese Zero fighters in one engagement, and it was credited with 1 ½ kills. Bullet holes from this encounter remain a feature in the hull. IN PNG it frequently carried the Naval-Officer-in Charge, Milne Bay on inspection tours and was referred to by Commander Branson RN as “the flagship pf the Royal Papuan Navy”. General Douglas MacArthur used LAURIANA for an inspection tour as well. It was also present at the occupation landings in Wewak and Aitape.
After the war LAURIANA went into private ownership again, was re-rigged and found public attention when Vic Meyer operated the yacht as the radio relay vessel for a number of Sydney to Hobart yacht races in the 1950s and 60s. This was an important role, the CYCA who managed the race had quickly taken the role of safety very seriously and part of their arrangements was to provide an escort vessel and craft able to relay radio signals from the yachts to shore. LAURIANA with its big engine, excellent accommodation and sturdy construction was ideal.
LAAURIANA crew - 1952 SHYR Radio Relay Vessel - CYCA Archives
A highlight for LAURIANA in 1954 was hosting the Queen and Prince Phillip aboard for a dinner during their coronation tour of Australia.
STS Young Endeavour has acted as a support Radio Relay Vessel for the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on 20 occasions
STS Young Endeavour is a brigantine rigged tall ship, purpose built for sail training as a bicentenary gift from the Government and the people of the United Kingdom to the people of Australia. Construction began in May 1986 in Lowestoft, England and on 3 August, 1987 the ship began the voyage to Australia with a crew of 12 young people from Great Britain and 12 young Australians. The official handover ceremony took place on 25 January, 1988 in the presence of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales in Farm Cove, Sydney Harbour. On accepting the ship, the Prime Minister of Australia proclaimed that Young Endeavour would be used for the ‘benefit of the young people of Australia’. For a land girt by sea, the ship was a reminder of the maritime heritage shared by the two countries.
Young Endeavour is now 35 years old, and plans are underway to replace her with a new sail training ship that will be built in Australia over the next three years. The new ship will be a barquentine rig, with square sails rigged on the foremast and fore-and-aft sails rigged on the fore, main and mizzen masts.
JBW has been the Radio Relay Vessel for the Sydney Hobart for the past decade.
Built entirely of timber in Sydney in 1997 and named after John Winning’s father, John Berry Winning, JBW is a masterful blend of tradition and convenience. Alf Lean, who worked with the famous Alan Payne, drew the lines for the boat, which was built under the direction of Ian Perdreau.
The vessel has a displacement of 60 tonnes, with a deck level main saloon and raised wheelhouse. It sleeps nine in four cabins.