Page 17 - Mark Chews Forty Two Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Sept 17 2020

Almost 40 years after drawing his first boat commissioned outside of the USA, Olin Kurts continued to sail LOVE & WAR in Australia, and decided to mount another
Stephens designed LOVE & WAR. Although she has four decades of design advances serious challenge for handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart race for 1978. He
built in, I like to think that flicking through the images of the two boats I can still optimised the rig and trim further, bought new sails, and although the changes
recognise some of the same DNA. increased the rating, it was also eligible for an age allowance concession, which then
took back some of the increased rating. Once again it was good tactical sailing that
LOVE & WAR is an ocean racing yacht built for Queensland businessman Peter Kurts
kept LOVE & WAR toward the head of the fleet, and along with seven other boats,
by shipwright Cec Quilkey at Taren Point, NSW and launched late in 1973. Quilkey
they broke away from the rest of fleet off Gabo Island and kept light winds through
had become one of the leading craftsmen for timber yachts and had pioneered cold
to the finish, while the remainder were left for up to 15 hours with virtually no wind.
moulded construction in the mid-1960's starting with MERCEDES III, RAGAMUFFIN
and KOOMOOLOO, yachts that in their time were state-of-the-art internationally. LOVE & WAR finished 6th overall, and held its time on rivals MARGARET RINTOUL
II and CONSTELLATION to take handicap honours for a second time. Still owned by
Seacraft magazine carried the following report: “Queensland Skipper Peter Kurts has
the Kurts family, she came back to win the 2006 Hobart under the IRC rule, with a
a new Sparkman & Stephens 47, almost identical to the successful German Admiral’s
crew led by navigator Lindsay May. He had felt the yacht sailed above its IRC rating
Cup SAUDADE and the British PROSPECT OF WHITBY. She is rigged similarly to
in headwinds, and knew that given the right conditions they were a good chance
RAGAMUFFIN’s latest rig. Her mast is a lofty 60 ft (20m) and carries a small main.
for a high placing. In 2006 the fleet sailed most the race until Storm Bay in just those
Graham Newland, who is setting up the boat for her owner says she is of medium
conditions, moderate headwinds with a lumpy sea, which suited LOVE & WAR and
displacement and like YANKEE GIRL and CHARISMA in rig, preserving all their great
its experienced crew. For a third time LOVE & WAR had taken handicap honours,
windward qualities while incorporating some new ideas on getting down wind faster
and only one other yacht has won the race three times, the Halvorsen Bros FREYA
and leading with less underwater drag. Deck layout is the fashionable flush deck
with consecutive wins in 1963, 1964 and 1965. LOVE & WAR continues to be sailed
with a slight blister aft of the mast. She is cold moulded with four skins and
in Sydney and offshore by the Kurts family.
beautifully fashioned as only Cec Quilkey can. Her inside layout is racing clean- no
fuss. Sails are by Bouzaid and North with Hughie Treharne making the spinnakers.
She is named LOVE & WAR”.

Built in four layers of Oregon, she was one of the last racing yachts to be built in
this manner in Australia. She had a slow start to her career, taking part in the 1973
Sydney to Hobart race but not gaining a place. She became one of the premier
yachts for 1974 when she took out the Cruising Yacht Club’s Blue Water ocean racing
point score along with winning on handicap the 1974 Sydney to Hobart yacht race,
the first of three wins in this prestigious event. 1974 was a light weather event, they
finished eighth across the line and skipper Kurts praised the navigation skills of
Magnus Halvorsen as one of the reasons for their victory. She then raced in the
delayed selection trials for the 1975 Admiral’s Cup team. LOVE & WAR came out
the top scoring boat, and together with the aluminium BUMBLEBEE 3 and
balsa/timber plank sandwiched hull MERCEDES IV made up the Australian team for
the series in the UK in August. This event was a hugely disappointing series for the
Australian team, finishing ninth overall.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 17