Page 43 - Mark Chews Forty Two Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Sept 17 2020

LANDFALL makes it into my list of the most important Australian wooden sailing
boats for two main reasons. The first is that her hull shape in my eyes is near to
perfection. (my first wooden boat was an S&S so I’m biased) The second is more
historically significant reason…. She was the first yacht built outside of the USA to
a design by (arguable) the 20th century’s greatest naval architect, Olin Stephens.
Sparkman & Stephens, 79 Maddison Avenue, New York NY, was then at the
beginning of what was to become the most famous yacht design firm in the world.
Olin Stephens, at just 25 year old, was extremely surprised to find his first overseas
commission came, not from Europe, but from Tasmania. LANDFALL was ordered by
Guy W. Rex and C.E. Davis, of Hobart, to be an updated ‘DORADE type,’ similar to
DORADE, but with a slight decrease in proportional beam. In DORADE the ratio of
beam to LWL is 3.63 whereas in Landfall it is 3.36. It’s easy to see the influence of
DORADE (design #7) and STORMY WEATHER (design #27) in her hull shape and
how she fills the gap between these two early designs and SONNY (design #94) and
SKYLARK (design #146), which were yet to be imagined.
She was built at the famous Coverdale Yard at Battery Point, Hobart.

She has started 6 Sydney Hobart Races between 1952 and 2016 and she may be the
only S&S yacht to sail continuously for 85 years, without rebuilding… just standard
maintenance. Originally a yawl, she was later converted to a sloop.

Original Displacement: 24,000 lbs (w/o engine) Current Displacement: 25,000 lbs
Hull: Huon Pine/Huon Pine Frames.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 43