Page 37 - Mark Chews Forty Two Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Sept 17 2020

YVONNE has rightly been described as the most successful keel boat ever on Port under full sail. By November 1937 five yachts built at an average cost of $700 were
Phillip Bay, Melbourne. But she’s in this list not only as an outstanding yacht in her ready for the first race of the season at St Kilda.
own right but as a representative of a one design class that may have introduced
The most successful Tumlaren, YVONNE was launched in 1938 (No 97). Ably
more young sailors to keelboat racing than any other design in Australia. In 1936
skippered by Alick Rose she won her first two races and had a successful season
the then Royal St Kilda Yacht Club, now Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, decided
But this was just the start. Over the next 40 years YVONNE won the P. A. Roberts
to choose a new One‑Design Class to stimulate the club's activities, as the yachts
Trophy for the champion Tumlaren more than 20 times almost always skippered
at the time were a motley bunch. A class of yacht that could be built at a figure
by the legendary Selim Nurminen.
within the reach of all yachtsmen, one that could be easily handled by small crew
In the 1980’s the Melbourne Tumlaren fleet began to fall apart with many boats
and importantly would stand up to the conditions encountered on Port Phillip.
Several designs were under scrutiny ‑ the Dragon Class, two designs were submitted abandoned on moorings or drying out in sheds and barns around southern
Australia. In the early 2000 a revival of the class began, thanks to the unquenchable
by Charlie Peel. A late inclusion was the Tumlare, (meaning porpoise) from Knud
enthusiasm of Richard Downey and Roger Dundas, who each owned three Tumlare
Reimers in Sweden whose lines had at that time only just been published in Yachting
over the years. In 2016 YVONNE was discovered by Roger in a shed in South
World Magazine.
Australia and brought back to Melbourne by a syndicate of like minded wooden
The Tumlare design was the favourite, resulting in a letter to the naval architect,
boat enthusiasts including and advised by traditional shipwright Ferdi Darley. She
Knud. H. Reimers of Stockholm, Sweden, for further information and the complete
has been in Ferdi’s shed in Williamstown for the last few years undergoing a full
set of plans then costing 100 Kroner. The Tumlare Class was unanimously adopted
volunteer restoration by the syndicate members led by Roger, Ant Perri, and Chris
‑ the first One‑Design displacement keel boat class to be introduced into Victoria.
Clapp.
At that meeting, Commodore Joe White, Roy Siddons, Fred Heber, Otto Tuck, Wally
She just qualifies for this list as the Huon pine hull is now sound and hopefully
Pask, Morrie King and Jack Richardson promised to have six yachts built.
watertight so she would float again if tested! The restoration was scheduled to be
In their wisdom to keep prices down, sails were only to be made in Australia,
completed this year but like so many things, the RONA (POLLY WOODSIDE) has
mainsails and genoa jibs were not permitted to be renewed more often than once
interfered. The revival of the class continues and there are now about a dozen of
every four years, No 1 Jibs and spinnakers every three years. Yachts had to remain
these stunning craft racing and cruising again on Port Phillip with the Classic Yacht
in the water for two consecutive Saturday’s before being eligible for slipping,
Association of Australia.
expensive fittings were not permitted, however from time to time certain restrictions
were relaxed in line with modern day thinking and maximum crew limit set at four. Thanks to the late Bert Ferris for much of the content in this post.
Reimers design was described as being a cross between an archipelago cruiser, a
canoe and a Norwegian 19.5 square metre SPIDSGATTA. Resulting in an unusually
narrow in beam canoe stern yacht, having a long keel with an extremely cut away
forefoot and uniquely a distinctively sharply raked stern hung rudder. Being narrow
in beam, general belief was that they would lay over and kick in a hard blow. That
was not so. If overpowered they had the attribute of spilling wind out of their sails.
The large open cockpit, even if the yacht was knocked down, which happens to all
racing craft, shipped little or no water due to the inherent buoyancy in the hull
shape. It was therefore not uncommon for the Class to race in 30 knot conditions

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 37