the 1987 Stonehaven Cup
Following the mention we gave to Australian 12ft Cadet Dinghy Open Australian Championships and Centenary Reunion Function in last week’s edition we received the following email from Travis Read.
With the 100th Nationals of the 12ft Cadet Dinghies (Called the Stonehaven Cup from 1927, when the Governor General donated a trophy) to be held at RBYC in early January, thought you might be interested in a video of the 1987 Stonehaven taken and edited by my brother Trent. The regatta was won by Warren Young in the Jock Muir built Volante II.
Some things to note
Some footage of an interview with Jack Gutierrez, who came to our assistance with an urgent repair when we split the garboard plank on the windy day in T134 Bunyip.
The complete absence of parental coaching from small craft on the water, which appears so prevalent today.
Some fine crew work and sail trim from the Dinghy boys and Girls,
The beautiful timber dinghies like Syndication SA 147, Aeolian T125 (now in the foyer of the yacht club at Freemantle I understand), T134 Bunyip (built by Bruce Darcy and now being restored at the Mount Martha Men’s Shed) and the Muir built T142 Volante II, V127 Kittiwake II, and V126 Venom, and lastly V145 Zest, the plug for the fibreglass dinghies (I understand the latter 3 are in racing trim, and will be competing in January)
Traditions of the sea are evident at the end of the video with a dowsing of the finishing crews and some adults who dared to come near, with 'The Gunge', a festering and rotten brew of maggot infested garbage, off milk and anything else the reserve crews could find to extract their revenge on those who beat them in the selection trials to sail the regatta.
The other thing of note of course is the relationship between the older skipper and for'd hand with the mainhand, often only about 11 years of age, who learnt on the water with no need for an Australian Sailing Certified Instructor.
I understand there are more than 15 dinghies are entered in the open regatta for January, with crews from SA, Vic, TAS and NSW. If any ex dinghy boys and girls are interested in competing, we may be able to organise a Cadet Dinghy for those who get in touch quickly.
Kind regards
Travis Read