Page 45 - Mark Chews Forty Two Australian Wooden Sailing Boats Sept 17 2020

I love that so many of the successful Sydney Hobart yachts from the 50s and 60s SIANDRA is probably the most successful of the Lion Class yachts designed by Arthur
went on to be adventurous world cruisers. It’s hard to imagine that happening with C. Robb in England where they were a popular offshore racing yacht. The 10.7 m
today’s winners! SIANDRA is a 35' Lion Class Yacht and became one of the (35 ft) long carvel planked sloops are a classic deep-keeled yacht designed to the
outstanding offshore yachts of the 50's and 60's. In 1954 Graham Newland RORC rule, and were one of the types that influenced Alan Payne's locally designed
commissioned Ron Swanson to build him the Robb design. Tasman Seabird Class in the late 1950s. The yacht went on to compete successfully
in many of the blue-water ocean racing events along the east coast of Australia
SIANDRA and her sister KAIYU were built in the rear of the factory nearly opposite
under various owners. Since retiring from ocean racing SIANDRA has become a
the Mater Hospital in Crows Nest. The difficulties of building a yacht in this period
cruising yacht, and has circumnavigated the world. She has an ideal configuration
were profound. Australia was still suffering from great shortages caused by World
and a very seaworthy hull shape. In 2007 SIANDRA has no permanent mooring, she
War II. The purchase of the north coast White Beach for the planking gives an idea.
continues to cruise Australia and the world. She is often featured in Classic Yacht
Sufficient timber for the construction of four yachts was required, three Lion Class magazine's pages.
yachts SIANDRA, KAIYU (Bill Henderson), MALOHI (Nev McEnallyy), plus EOS for
Tom Flower. All owners wanted full length planks so the only way was to purchase
eleven trees in the forest where they stood. No local timber mill could handle these
logs in their full length, so they were railed to Sydney. After much searching, a timber
jinker was found that could carry the logs to a mill with a 40 foot run-out in Baulkham
Hills. Here the logs were cut into planks.

The mill however did not have a planer . So the four owners, with some help, loaded
the planks onto a semi trailer and transported to Hayman & Ellis Mill at Manly for
planing. Again the owners provided the labour to reload the planks on to the semi
for distribution to the various building sites.
SIANDRA's first win was the second time the yacht had entered the race. The yacht
was a hot favourite amongst the fleet in 1958 and won in mildly dramatic
circumstances, as reported in Seacraft's January 1959 issue. The race was sailed in
relatively easy conditions, but SIANDRA's progress remained a mystery as its radio
had gone 'on the blink’ shortly after the start.

The race lead changed many times, the Halvorsen Bros ANITRA V appeared to be
the likely winner until SIANDRA appeared on the Derwent, 'out of the blue' to take
handicap honours by 34 minutes.

Re-rigged from a 3/4 sloop to mast-head sloop in 1960, SIANDRA won another light
weather race with good tactics across Storm Bay after rounding Tasman Light. It
was then only the second yacht to win the race twice. It sailed under the burgee of
the Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney and included in the crew club member
and SIANDRA's builder, Ron Swanson.

CYAA Magazine Issue 43 September 2020 Page 45