Trophies for a four figure sum?

FOR SALE
Written By Mark Chew

I know that winning races isn’t really what owning a classic yacht is about…. But you have to admit that winning is generally more fun than losing! So when SWS was aproached by The Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron to find a new custodian for HIRONDELLE, the first thing that occured to us was the potential this historic boat has, to earn some serious silverware… and all for less than the cost of a local golf club membership!

Well what do we know about her? She recently became the property of RMYS as part of a settlement on unpaid berthing fees, so they are not really looking for a major financial win, just a caring custodian and a fresh lease of life. She was designed by the famous Australian sailmaker and yacht designer Peter Cole, and is one of his “Avenger” class yachts. Jeff Clist a Sydney shipwright constructed her in 1960 using cold moulded Australian red cedar over western red cedar frames and stringers with an epoxy glass sheathing, from a mould made off Peter Cole’s own boat AVENGER built in 1956. (Click to enlarge)

At least a dozen boats were built on the mould, they became known as the Avenger Class. HIRONDELLE is the only one put together with epoxy glue and sheathed with glass in epoxy resin. The boat was commissioned by then Managing Director of Ciba Geigy in Australia, Marcel Gauchat. (Click to enlarge)

Marcel owned her for 17 years before she was purchased by Philip Brown, the current custodian of the beautiful Halvorsen yacht ANITRA V. Philip writes of HIRONDELLE…

“I bought HIRONDELLE in 1977 and had 20 years of great sailing fun. She was raced every weekend on Sydney Harbour in the then Metre Division with 5.5’s, Dragons and YW Keelboats. While racing with the Sydney Amateurs she gave me much in the way of gold and silver results”

And so if you acquired HIRONDELLE tomorrow, what would you get?

  • A beautifully cold moulded hull that may need a little attention from a shipwright but is basically sound.

  • A converted Etchells mast.

  • New Ronstan rigging, ready for installation.

  • A well-used but serviceable set of sails. (Fully battened main, heavy main, jibs 1 ,2 & 3)

  • All deck fittings in good shape.

  • No hassles with an engine because there isn’t one!

If this short teaser has caught your attention then contact RMYS Operations Manager Damien Ryan to make a time to inspect her.

Damien would love to see her kept at the club (where a mooring is available) but that’s not essential, as long as she finds a good home.

For a few thousand dollars and a few weekends work, you could be the custodian of a genuine pot hunter!

Mark Chew
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