Southern Cross Cup 1983

The 1983 edition of the biennial Southern Cross Cup, held in Sydney, Australia, was a memorable regatta for the dominant performance of the New Zealand team that was made up of three 40-footers built to Farr’s latest Design #136: Exador, Geronimo and Pacific Sundance.

Pacific Sundance, top yacht of the 1983 Southern Cross Cup (photo Phil Uhl)

Design 136 was an upsized development of Farr's previous 37-footers (Migizi and Freefall, Design 124) that had shown great speed at the 1983 SORC and were the first of a new generation of IOR designs from the Farr office. The design was finalised in April 1983 and was the first response to the change in the ORC rules that increased the IOR limit for the One Ton class from 27.5ft to 30.5ft. 

Exador, fourth yacht overall and part of the successful New Zealand team, seen here rounding a windward mark during the 1983 Southern Cross Cup (photo Phil Uhl)

Design 136 was pitched to excel in the typical lumpy and windy Australian and New Zealand conditions, with less sail area and more length than boats intended for Northern Hemisphere racing, but it went on to do well everywhere. The boat was considered to be extremely stiff, with small straightforwardly-shaped trapezoidal keels. The design proved a phenomenal performer upwind, and were fast reaching and OK running. New Zealand skippers Tom McCall, Owen Chantaloup and Del Hogg were quick to see the design's potential and commissioned the new boats, while a number were also built concurrently in Australia.

A closely packed fleet in very light conditions during the 1983 Southern Cross Cup - Di-Hard visible to the left, along with Highland Fling (KH-888), Hitchhiker (KA-303) and Indian Pacific (3695) (photo Phil Uhl)

Australian yacht Black Magic, a Dubois 40-footer, sailed for the Victorian team (photo Phil Uhl)

The three New Zealand had yachts all benefited from the one-design nature of their pre-regatta tuning programme, and all secured places in the New Zealand Southern Cross Cup team, edging out the only other real threat in the Hitachi-sponsored trials, from Neville Crichton's Frers 43 Shockwave. Pacific Sundance was the top performer, and Geronimo and Exador finished second equal, and thus the New Zealand team for the Southern Cross Cup in 1983 was comprised of three almost-identical Farr One Tonners.

Highland Fling, rounding a weather mark with Taurus II close behind, was a member of the third-placed Hong Kong team (photo Phil Uhl)

Mandrake, a Ken Steinman 50-footer (photo Phil Uhl)

The New Zealand team put on a devastating and all-conquering performance in the Southern Cross Cup, taking wins in three out of five races to secure the Cup with 531 points, 111 points clear of the second-placed New South Wales team. The New Zealand boats proved exceptionally fast in all conditions except when the breeze dropped below six knots. Pacific Sundance, skippered by Geoff Stagg and Peter Walker, posted a first, third and fourth among the 27 yachts in the three inshore races to finish as first yacht overall, with 211 points. They also won the 180-miler (short offshore), and the Sydney-Hobart Race which doubled as the final race in the series - in fact she nearly won the Sydney-Hobart overall, but ran out of wind just 40 miles from the finish off Tasman Island and had to settle for sixth place in the 160-boat fleet.

The spinnaker is launched aboard New South Wales' team yacht Hitchhiker (photo Phil Uhl)

Geronimo, skippered by Stu Brentnall, finished as second yacht in the Southern Cross Cup fleet on 182 points (eighth overall in the Sydney-Hobart) and Exador, helmed by Ray Haslar,was fourth (and ninth in the Sydney-Hobart). The New Zealand victory was an even more dominant performance than in 1977 (Jenny H, Smir-Noff-Agen and Swuzzlebubble), and almost as good as New Zealand's first win in 1971 (Barnacle Bill, Inca and Pathfinder).

Black Magic heads off on a reaching leg during the 1983 Southern Cross Cup, with Highland Fling close behind (photo Phil Uhl)

An interesting perspective of the Southern Cross fleet making their way downwind in light reaching conditions during the Southern Cross Cup - British yacht Indulgence (Dubois 42) leads the way, with Pacific Sundance (red spinnaker) and Geronimo (green and white) visible on the right (photo Phil Uhl)

This second-placed team included two Australian Admiral’s Cup contenders, Bondi Tram and Hitchhiker, both Frers’ 41-footers, and another Farr 40, Indian Pacific (which finished sixth yacht overall). Third was the Hong Kong team of Bandido Bandido (Frers 43), Highland Fling (Dubois 42), and The Frumious Bandersnatch (Peterson 43). Another Frers 41-footer, Di-Hard, sailing for the fourth-placed Papua New Guinea team, finished as the third yacht overall on 167 points.

Third yacht overall Di-Hard, seen here after rounding a gybe mark with Geronimo in the background (photo Phil Uhl)

Hitchhiker in light airs completes a gybe during the 1983 Southern Cross Cup (photo Phil Uhl) 

The Frumious Bandersnatch, member of the third-placed Hong Kong team (photo Phil Uhl)

Australian yacht Too Impetuous, a Holland 42, rounds a leeward mark during the 1983 Southern Cross Cup (photo Phil Uhl)

The series ended with a controversial protest, which saw the British yacht Panda disqualified for a minor port and starboard incident which occurred as the fleet tacked its way out of Sydney Harbour. There had been many collisions as the fleet had jammed up after a close reach down the harbour and the turn to the south off Sydney Heads. However, few protests had been lodged and no other yachts had been penalised. Panda’s disqualification from the triple-scoring Sydney-Hobart race cost the British team 45 points, dropping it from third place to sixth in the final team standings.

Indulgence seen here amongst the melee of preparations for the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race (photo Phil Uhl)

Indian Pacific takes a pin-end start during the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race, with Indulgence (K-959) up to weather (photo Phil Uhl)

Panda, a member of the sixth-placed British team, was unfortunate to be disqualified from the Sydney-Hobart Race (photo Phil Uhl)

Indulgence broaches during the early stages of the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race (photo Phil Uhl)

Australian yacht Taurus II sails downwind during the 1983 Sydney-Hobart Race (photo Phil Uhl)

1983 Southern Cross Cup team results:

1 New Zealand (531 points); 2 New South Wales (430); 3 Hong Kong (388); 4 Papua New Guinea (353); 5 Australia (350); 6 Britain (342); 7 Victoria (291); 8 Tasmania (191); 9 South Australia (141).

Article dated April 2024

Razzle Dazzle (Irwin 42)

This article is about two of the 42-foot Razzle Dazzle yachts designed by Ted Irwin. The first competed in the 1983 and 1984 SORC regattas. The second was built to make her debut for the 1985 edition. An earlier Razzle Dazzle had sailed well in the 1982 SORC and the design became the basis of the Irwin 41.

Razzle Dazzle sails downwind during the 1984 SORC (photo Larry Moran)

The original Razzle Dazzle was considered to be one of the fastest yachts upwind and close-reaching in a breeze in the 1983 and 1984 editions of the SORC, but didn't manage to finish all the races it started. In 1983 she was forced to retire from two races and couldn't start in a third, finishing ninth in Class E (with race results of 3/DNF/DNS/2/DNF/1) and 53rd overall. In 1984 she finished five of the six races and sixth in Class E (1/DNF/3/5/8/1) and 16th overall. Over that period she twice won the Nassau Cup in the Bahamas and not only topped her class but was the overall winner in the 1984 St Petersburg - Boca Grande race. 

Razzle Dazzle in hard running conditions during the St Petersburg to Ft Lauderdale race during the 1984 SORC (photo Larry Moran)

For 1985 Irwin did not come out with an exact twin of the earlier Razzle Dazzle, as the new boat featured a centreboard instead of a keel. While such appendages became popular for a brief and controversial period in offshore racing in the late 1970s, it was a radical departure from the norm by the mid-1980s. Irwin nevertheless considered that the centreboard would be an advantage in SORC conditions. The board was on the small side (as was the previous Razzle Dazzle's keel), but nevertheless weighed over 5,000lbs, with an elliptical trailing edge. The board was lifted hydraulically about three feet into the hull, and was fitted with a gasket to reduce turbulence around the trunk.

Razzle Dazzle performs a spectacular wipe-out during the 1984 SORC as captured by Guy Gurney

The centreboard's retractability gave a considerable reduction in wetted surface area off the wind, as recognised by the IOR and leading to a 0.3ft rating penalty. As the boat featured a high sail area/wetted surface area ratio already, removing half the foil area suggested the potential for good speeds in light airs downwind. 

The centreboard trunk and hydraulic mechanism of Razzle Dazzle in photo 1 (left) and her complex genoa car set-up in photo 2 (Yachting magazine) 

Razzle Dazzle leads the Italian yacht Almagores in light airs during the 1985 SORC (photo Paul Mello)

Apart from this notable feature, Irwin was focused on retaining the original boat's phenomenal ability to go fast to windward in a breeze, and her other distinguishing feature was a chine running along her stern counter. With similar livery and the same sail number as her predecessor (which had since been sold to a New England yachtsman and re-named Mohuaki) it could be a little difficult to outwardly tell the difference between the two boats, although the open transom of the new boat did help in this regard. She was also designed to be eligible for the US trials series for the 1985 Admiral's Cup, and her 31.7ft rating (for the 1985 SORC) fell easily within the 33.5ft upper limit that organisers had set for the team. 

Razzle Dazzle rounds a windward mark in close company with Lobo during the 1985 SORC (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Compared to other similar-sized entries in the Class 4 division of the SORC in 1985 (e.g., Snake Oil, Sidewinder and Scarlett O'Hara), the new Razzle Dazzle was smaller in absolute terms (shorter and lighter) but had the highest displacement/length ratio, and the smallest sail area/displacement ratio. Similar to the earlier boat, Razzle Dazzle had a large proportion of her total displacement as internal ballast, which was expected to reduce pitching moment and improve her performance in a seaway. However, she was also noted to have the widest beam of her group, which provides a rating advantage but can also be a handicap in wavy conditions. 

Razzle Dazzle follows High Roler and Sleeper during the 1985 SORC (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

In the end, however, Razzle Dazzle was only able to manage eighth in the 21-boat fleet in Class 4, with placings of 6/12/11/10/7/17, and 37th overall, in the 1985 SORC. She went on to compete later that year in the US Admiral's Cup trials (presumably with some alterations designed to increase her speed as her rating had increased for that regatta to 32.0ft), but was not successful. 

Razzle Dazzle during the 1985 SORC (photo Paul Mello)

Razzle Dazzle rounds a weather mark during the 1985 Brenton Reef US Admiral's Cup trials (photo Phil Uhl)

Razzle Dazzle with a twisted spinnaker during the 1985 Brenton Reef series (photo Facebook)

A recent photograph (date unknown) shows that the yacht has since been laid up and looks somewhat forlorn.

March 2024

Larouge (Farr Two Tonner)

This post features photographs of the Farr Two Tonner Larouge (Design #242), taken by Guy Gurney during the 1991 Admiral's Cup. Larouge was commissioned by Giuseppe DeGennaro and was launched in 1990, finishing second in the Copa Del Rey and was part of the Italian team that won the Sardinia Cup that year (with a race to spare), before going on to win the 1991 Two Ton Cup held in Kiel. 

Larouge sails downwind during the 1991 Admiral's Cup (photo Guy Gurney)

For the 1991 Admiral's Cup, Larouge was skippred by Robert Ferrarese, with Brad Butterworth aboard as tactician. Larouge finished the Admiral's Cup series as the second Two Tonner (behind another Farr design Bravura), with placings of 4/3/2/2/3/5. She was part of the second-placed Italian team, and sailed alongside the Farr 50-footer Mandrake Krizia and the Farr One-Tonner Brava, with the team finishing in second place, behind France.

Larouge during the 1991 Admiral's Cup (photo Guy Gurney)

Larouge approaches a gybe mark during the 1991 Admiral's Cup (photo Guy Gurney)

Larouge follows Denmark's Unibank and sistership Bravura from the United States (photo Guy Gurney)

Unibank leads Larouge around a gybe mark during the 1991 Admiral's Cup (photo Guy Gurney)

Larouge subsequently competed in the 1992 Kenwood Cup in Hawaii, as a member of the victorious European team and alongside Corum Rubis and Mad Max. The photo of Larouge in that series (below) was taken by Phil Uhl. Larouge lost her Two Ton champion crown that year to the newer Shockwave, but won it again in Cowes in 1993 after a closely-fought battle with Shockwave. She again raced in the Two Ton division in the 1993 Admiral's Cup - after solid results of 3/1/7/2/2/2 she lost her mast in the Fastnet Race finale and slumped to fifth place.

Larouge rounds a leeward mark during the 1992 Kenwood Cup (photo Phil Uhl)

More photographs from the 1991 Admiral's Cup, and a video of the series, can be seen here. Other images and articles about Larouge can also been seen on the Histoiredeshalfs website here.

March 2024

Clipper Cup 1984

The Frers 81-foot Maxi Boomerang, top individual yacht of the 1984 Clipper Cup (photo Phil Uhl)

The 1984 Clipper Cup series attracted 69 of the world’s top IOR racing yachts from nine countries (Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States). The Maxi fleet included Boomerang, Kialoa IV, Nirvana, Sorcery and Winterhawk (ex-Ceramco New Zealand) from the United States, Condor from Bermuda and Ragamuffin (ex-Bumblebee IV) from Australia. Renowned marine photographer Phil Uhl was there to capture the action, and this article features a number of his photos from the series. 

Boomerang crosses ahead of Kialoa IV as they approach a windward mark during one of the Triangle races in the 1984 Clipper Cup (photo Phil Uhl)

The three Olympic triangle races were again the most hotly contested of the series, with the Maxis doing their best to save their time on handicap against the smaller yachts. The first two races were sailed in strong blustery winds before Hawaii’s standard tradewinds settled in. Boomerang had a slow start but by the second race was clearly the form yacht in Class A. Within the other classes, Monte Livingston’s Checkmate (ex-Bullfrog) took two firsts in Class B; US yacht Victory lead Class C with a second and first; Bondi Tram lead Class D with two first placings; and Exador lead the One Ton fleet that made up most of Class E, also with two first places.

The Soverel-designed 55-footer The Shadow, seen here rounding a windward mark in close company with Italian yacht Orlanda, a Farr 58-footer, finished fifth yacht overall (photo Phil Uhl)

Kialoa IV (second yacht overall) powers upwind with Condor on her windward hip (photo Phil Uhl)

The rough conditions of the first two races caused some attrition in the fleet, and so only 58 boats motored out for the 150-mile double-points Kalua Koi Molokai Race. Conditions were fortunately much less extreme than in 1982, and saw Boomerang take line honours from Kialoa with a margin of nine minutes, but Kialoa only just edged out Sorcery by ten seconds. The Maxis also took overall handicap honours in the race, with Boomerang first, followed by Sorcery, Kialoa and Nirvana. In Class B, Australia’s Freight Train (Frers 62) finished first, ahead of The Shadow (with designer Mark Soverel at the helm), but Tomahawk (ex-Margaret Rintoull III) and Checkmate took first and second on corrected time. The vintage Peterson 43 Scarlett O’Hara, sailed by Dee Smith, took Class C honours from the Reichel/Pugh 43 Sidewinder.

Scarlett O'Hara rounds up during one of the reaches in one of the first two Triangle races (photo Phil Uhl)

Japanese yacht Zero, a Frers 52-footer and member of the eighth-placed Japan 'East' Team (alongside Karasu and Intuition, sails past the North Shore during the Molokai Race (photo Phil Uhl)

Bondi Tram extended her dominance of Class D, soundly trashing Revenge and the rest of the class, with a 13-minute lead on corrected time. Similarly, Exador continued to be the boat to beat in Class E, trouncing her sisterships Sundance, General Hospital and Indian Gibber, and correcting to fifth in fleet behind the four leading Maxis. 

Condor, Nirvana and Ragamuffin on the charge towards a wing mark during one of the Triangle races (photo Phil Uhl)

Similar positions were recorded for the KHON/NBC triangle race, with Boomerang again winning the Maxi division and holding her time against the entire fleet, with Bondi Tram being again dominant in Class D. In Class E the Farr 40s again proved to be rocketships, with Exador surviving a collision and protest with Class D yacht Orihime to win the class. Checkmate added a second placing in Class B to her earlier firsts, and a second overall to secure the newly dedicated Hawaii Silver Jubilee Trophy for the top overall yacht in the combined ocean triangle races.

Bondi Tram, the dominant yacht of Class D, rounds a leeward mark in close company with US yacht Prism during the third Triangle race (photo Phil Uhl)

The US yacht Bravura, a Frers 46-footer and member of the ninth-placed US 'Blue' Team, alongside Scarlett O'Hara and Libalia Flash (photo Phil Uhl)

With only the 778-mile Around the State Race to go, Boomerang had accumulated 490 out of a possible 500 fleet points. Checkmate, however, lay just three points behind, and Tomahawk another three points further back. The performances of these latter two had bought their US ‘White’ Team within six points of the series-leading New Zealand ‘A’ Team of Exador, Shockwave and Sundance in the scoring for the Clipper Cup (also giving New Zealand a comfortable 34-point lead in that season’s Champagne Mumm World Cup). However, the Around the State Race counts for triple points, or three-eighths of the series scoring, which reduces the importance of all the preceding races by what some considered an excessive amount.

Boomerang crosses behind Condor, likely while the fleet played the windshifts off Maunalua Bay in the early stages of the Molokai Race (photo Phil Uhl)

The Around the State Race started in an easterly squall followed by light to moderate winds for the trek to Kauai and beyond Niihau. Fortunately the winds began to pick up again on the long reaching leg to South Point. Misfortune would strike when Exador was dismasted by a rogue wave off the Ka’u Coast off the Big Island. Boomerang was the first yacht around South Point, leading Kialoa by about six miles. As the wind freshened Boomerang extended her lead, finishing in 3 days, 22 hours and 34 minutes and beating the course record set by Kialoa in 1982 by an hour (and also beaten by Kialoa in 1984). Condor saved her best for the most important race, coming in third, followed by Sorcery, Nirvana, Ragamuffin and Class B’s leader Freight Train.

The Frers 62-footer Freight Train sets off on a spinnaker reach during one of the Triangle races - she finished 13th= yacht overall and was a member of the fifth-placed New South Wales Team, alongside Ragamuffin and Sweet Caroline (photo Phil Uhl)

The Farr 40 General Hospital in strong upwind conditions - she finished 13th= overall and was a member of the third-placed USA 'Red' Team, alongside Sidewinder and Artemis (photo Phil Uhl)

At about the time Boomerang finished the Class C boats Camouflage and Sidewinder were sailing between Hawaii and Maui in the middle of the Class B group, involved in what would turn out to be a 165-mile match race to the finish. By late that night, the two were sailing less than ten boat-lengths apart under light spinnakers, passing Makanalua Peninsula in company with Class B yacht Zero. As they romped across the Molokai Channel, it became apparent that this race would not be another big-boat benefit: Camouflage beat Sidewinder across the line, but Sidewinder, rating some 2.2ft less, corrected to first easily, both in class and fleet, cementing a Class C win over Shockwave which had placed second for the race. 

The crew aboard the Farr 40 Sundance enjoying their work, and the warm conditions (photo Phil Uhl)

The Nelson-Marek -designed 49-footer Brooke Ann just under control in power reaching conditions (photo Phil Uhl)

Second in fleet for the race was Sundance, as the Farr 40 picked up where her dismasted sistership and team-mate had left off. In the process, Sundance also secured Class E honours for the series and third place overall. Bondi Tram came in third in fleet for the race, completing a sweep of five wins in Class D (and was sixth overall).

 Bandido Bandido, a Peterson 43, presses on with a tri-sail after presumably blowing out her mainsail (possibly during the first Triangle race as this was her worst result) - she was a member of the 11th (last) -placed Hong Kong team, alongside Tsunami and Bimblegumbie (photo Phil Uhl)

In Class B, Checkmate’s long beat to South Point knocked her out of the running, opening the door for The Shadow to take class honours for the race and, by a single point over Tomahawk, for the series. This was another obvious example of the effect of the heavy weighting of the Around the State Race, as Tomahawk and Checkmate had taken all the class firsts and seconds in the first four races (in comparison to The Shadow's results of 4/4/4/6).

Blast Furnace (with Orlando in the background), a Murray Ross-designed 44-footer, was a member of the seventh-placed New Zealand 'B' Team, alongside Anticipation and Black Sheep (photo Phil Uhl)

The one boat impervious to the last-race shuffling of the standings was Boomerang, which had finished first in class and tenth in fleet, and so won Class A easily as well as the King Kamehameha Trophy for the best individual yacht overall, ahead of Kialoa IV in second. In team scoring, Exador’s demise allowed the US ‘White’ Team to retain the Pan Am Clipper Cup, with New Zealand ‘A’ finishing second.

US yacht High Risk, a Frers-designed One Tonner, sails upwind during one of the Triangle races, with Sweet Caroline visible behind (photo Phil Uhl)

Tsunami, a Castro-designed 40-footer, in upwind mode (above) and sliding down a big swell (below) - she was a member of the 11th-placed Hong Kong team (photo Phil Uhl)

Bandido Bandido surfs along on a windy reaching leg, this time with her mainsail intact (photo Phil Uhl)

Casa 7, a Takai 40-footer and member of Japan's sixth-placed Japan 'West' Team (alongside Saki VI and Mimi), with General Hospital to windward (photo Phil Uhl)

Grey Fox, a fractionally-rigged J-41 One Tonner skippered by Lowell North - her performance did not suggest the change from the usual masthead configuration for this design was successful (photo Phil Uhl)

Seaulater, a Dubois-designed 40-footer, sailed for the tenth-placed Victoria team alongside Challenge III and Seaquesta (photo Phil Uhl)

Another image of Seaulater, with the bowman wrestling with a twisted spinnaker soon after rounding a windward mark (photo Phil Uhl)

The Peterson 42 Chimera (US)

Bloopers are deployed aboard Zero (above) and Prism (below) (photos Phil Uhl)

Pre-regatta activity, with New Zealand yachts Blast Furnace, Sundance and Exador being unloaded from the ship (above) and Nirvana undergoing final hull checks (below) (photos by Phil Uhl)

Other Clipper Cup series covered on this blog: Clipper Cup 1978, Clipper Cup 1980, Clipper Cup 1982, Kenwood Cup 1986, Kenwood Cup 1988, Kenwood Cup 1990

Article updated March 2024