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The Official IEMA Worldcup site

World Cup 2023

Yacht club italiano – genoa.

Here you can find the results and a report of the Intenternational Eight Metre World Championship races, sailed at Genoa in 2023. Hosted by YCI.

First you see links to the Result tables and secondly you see links to the daily reports and some pictures.

But you can also just scrawl down.

Cup and Trophy winners | Overall Results World Cup | Sira Cup | Neptune Trophy | First Rule Trophy | Corinthian Cup

Daily Reports

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Genoa 2023 Cups & Trophy Winners

Genoa 2023 Overall results

Genoa 2023 Sira Cup

Genoa 2023 Neptune Trophy

Genoa 2023 First Rule Cup

Genoa 2023 8mR Corinthian Cup

Daily reports

8 Metre World Championship

Genoa – August 28th / September 2nd

With the opening ceremony at the headquarters of the Yacht Club Italiano in Genoa, the World Championship of the 8 Metre Class officially started today at 18:00. This championship will see 20 yachts from 9 nations racing from Monday, August 28th, to Saturday, September 2nd.

The challenging weather conditions of the past few days did not prevent the boats from going out to sea yesterday for a tune-up regatta. The official start of the races – with the first race scheduled to start at 10:30 tomorrow, Monday, August 28th – is subject to weather conditions, which currently show an orange alert for the area. The fleet present in Genoa is incredibly diverse, with the boats having a considerable age difference. The oldest yacht, the Swiss Silhouette owned by Daniel C. Heine, dates back to 1910, while the most recent, Mirabelle from 2013, is owned by Australian Peter Harburg – who is also the owner of the 100′ Black Jack, the line honours winner of the 2023 Giraglia and Palermo-Montecarlo. Within the fleet, there are 3 Italian yachts: Serena Seragnoli Galvani’s Aria (1936) representing the Yacht Club Italiano, Vera Mogna’s Bona (1934) and Paolo Manzoni’s Vision (1930).

The inaugural ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci, who greeted and thanked all the sailors, along with the President of the International 8 Metre Class, Werner Deuring, and Yacht Club Italiano’s President, Gerolamo Bianchi. “It is an honor for our region to host the 8 Metre World Championship. Greetings to all the participants: I am sure they will be enchanted by our sea as well as our land. Kudos go to the Yacht Club Italiano for bringing a sports event to Genoa that will be exciting in its technical aspects but will also carry the scent of sailing history,” said Simona Ferro, the Sports Assessor of the Liguria Region, who is always at the forefront of supporting the club’s sports activities.

The 8 Metre S.I., a long history and a great tradition In 1906, in London, the International Yacht Racing Association (IYRA) established the International Rule for Yacht Measurement and Rating, which definitively abandoned the ‘tonnage’ formula in favor of the “metric” distinction. This was done to overcome the long-standing problem that arose in international sailing events where each nation followed its own measurement and racing rules. Italy was represented by the Regio Yacht Club Italiano with Count Eugenio Brunetta di Usseax.

The new rule, promoted by Mr. Heckstall-Smith, who influenced the measurement formulas and contributed to the evolution of the modern yacht, was approved by the federal representatives of eleven nations. This led to the creation of a new regulation that transformed the previous English measurement formulas. It was extended to sailing classes of 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 19, and 23 meters and the “Class A” for yachts over 23 meters. Among the most enthusiastic organizations was the Yacht Club Italiano: in 1908, the YCI approved the award of the Coppa Italia to the ‘new’ vessels of the 8 Metre S.I. Class. With an 8 Metre, we also witnessed a major sailing innovation with the new genoa jib, which was conceptually conceived and experimented for the first time on Cheta, owned by club member Francesco Giovanelli, during the 1925 Coppa Italia. Another 8 Metre from the Yacht Club Italiano, Italia, won the first Olympic gold medal in Kiel in 1936.

Today, the 8 Metre Class, with its long history, has seen the involvement of the most important naval architects of all time (Johan Anker, William Fife, Charles Nicholson, Beltrami, Alfred Mylne, Olin Stephens, Costaguta, Starling Burgess, Clinton Crane, Francois Camatte, Baglietto, Bjarne Aas, Frank Paine, Tore Holm, Gustav Estlander, Max Oertz, Henry Rasmussen, Jacques Fauroux, Ed Dubois, Pelle Peterson, Ian Howlett, Doug Peterson… to name a few). The Class is widely spread in Northern Europe and boasts over 100 perfectly restored boats around the world.

Second day of races in the Gulf of Genoa

For the second day of races, Genoa has provided a perfect day again, with short waves and an initial 8-knot breeze from the Southeast, which later increased to around 14 knots towards the end of the day. The Race Committee managed to start two races today as well, bringing the total valid races for the world championship to 4; in order to validate the championship, 5 races are required, and from the sixth race onwards, the discard will come into play, allowing everyone to eliminate their worst result from the score. Out at sea today, the first race started at noon, after all the boats were towed out of the Porticciolo Duca degli Abruzzi in Genoa – the 8 Metres do not have auxiliary engines and require assistance for all mooring and leaving operations from the port. The first start was regular, with the fleet splitting to the two extremes of the racecourse for the first leg, with the left side proving to be the most advantageous and enabling the frontrunners to consolidate an advantage that they maintained until the finish line. For the second race, the wind increased above 10 knots and the Committee, after an initial attempt, started with the black flag. With the fleet spread across the entire course and the gaps among these boats truly minimal, the final results then provided some surprises – apart from the Swiss team on Yquem II who firmly remain in the lead after four races (1, 1, 1, 3) and shine for the consistency in their placements, the Australians on Peter Harburg’s Mirabelle by had an excellent second race of the day, placing second, following the Swiss at just 3 points. The series of excellent races continues for Bona, the 1934 Baglietto owned by Vera Mogna – the top two are modern yachts – maintaining the third position (first among the Italians), and a strong ranking for Vision, the glorious 1930 Nicholson skippered by Paolo Manzoni – who, for the occasion, also has Tommaso Chieffi, Flavio Grassi, and Vittorio Zaoli on board, securing the fourth position.

With two more valid races, after 6 regattas, the Swiss team of Yquem II solidifies their lead in the provisional rankings

With another day blessed by perfect weather conditions, the series of races in the 8 Metre World Championship continues with two more races today: a southerly wind between 10 and 13 knots, choppy sea and sunshine.

On the scoreboard, the Swiss yacht Yquem II skippered by Jean Fabrecontinues its pursuit, interpreting the racecourse effectively. Today, it secured second place in the first race and clinched victory in the second. Following closely is the other modern yacht, Conquistador, owned by Austrian Werner Deuring, who has been trading the top position in the rankings with Yquem II. In contrast to Yquem, Conquistador won the first race and secured second place in the last event today.

“We are very happy with the series of races we have had up until now,” commented Deuring upon arrival. “Champagne sailing in the Gulf of Genoa, which has gifted us magnificent weather. There are still two days left in the world championship, and we have a chance to catch up with our opponent who is undoubtedly performing excellently.”

While for the modern yachts, it’s a contest between Yquem II and Conquistador, among the classic boats, the rankings continue to bring satisfaction to Bona, the 1934 Baglietto, firmly maintaining the third position. This is partly due to near-perfect races (today they discarded a fourth-place finish in the last race as their worst result). Ahead of Bona is Vision (1930) skippered by Paolo Manzoni, with Tommaso Chieffi as tactician, defending their fourth position, closely trailed by Carron II, a Swiss yacht from 1935, helmed by Angelo Mazzarella, in fifth place.

While these magnificent yachts have transported the waters of Genoa back in time due to their beauty and their role as protagonists in these waters since the early 20th century, the commitment and determination of all the present sailors should be emphasized. They have given life to fiercely competitive races characterized by fair play and sportsmanship. Unfortunately, Serena Galvani’s Aria, the third Italian yacht in the competition, had to forfeit the second race today due a rudder issue.

Similar weather conditions to today are anticipated for tomorrow, with the race committee intending to initiate two more races, bringing the total number of races held to 8. The world championship will conclude on Saturday, with the last day at sea and the awards ceremony at the Yacht Club Italiano.

Another day with the Gulf of Genoa in a state of grace: 2 more races with 15 knots of Scirocco and choppy sea

The World 8 Metre Championship continues this week under exceptional meteorological conditions, with stable winds around 15 knots and, most importantly, a choppy sea that has tested the crews competing on the penultimate day of the 2023 world championship. With today’s two races, the total valid races now stand at 8, and with the current forecasts, the Race Committee is optimistic about concluding the championship with two more races tomorrow, Saturday, September 2nd. The race start procedures at sea began punctually at 11:45, with the starting line located just a few hundred meters from the shores of Quarto dei Mille. It was a spectacle for those at sea and for those who could enjoy the sight of the 8 Metres dancing from the shore. As is now customary, there were very aggressive starts, and on the second attempt, the Committee had to give both starts with a black flag. The consistent wind allowed these magnificent yachts to show their full potential with remarkably fast race times. Almost all of them completed the 4 legs of the course in just over an hour, with the entire fleet arriving within a 10-minute span, except for the two older hulls, Silhouette (1910) and Elfe II (1912), which, with grace and elegance, always struggling to catch up with the fleet but certainly stand out for their timeless beauty and their antique rigs.

The results after 8 races leave little room for serious changes, with the 3 modern boats (Swiss Yquem II, Austrian Conquistador, and Australian Mirabelle) having solidified their positions in the overall standings. The gaps between them are significant, but with two more races to go, the world title will be decided at sea tomorrow. Behind the 3 modern boats, the three yachts from the 1930s, Bona, Vision, and Carron II, are still very close, occupying the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions respectively. There was great excitement on the dock at the end of the races, as evidenced by Mark Bradford, the helmsman on board Mirabelle by Peter Harburg, as well as the skipper of the 100′ Black Jack: “Another beautiful day at sea, very competitive races, and a formed wave. We are very pleased to have come to Genoa and were surprised by these conditions.” Jean Fabre, the Swiss owner of Yquem II, shares the same opinion: “First time in Genoa, and after 15 years of sailing with this boat, we are very satisfied. Both for the results and for the beauty of the place and the racecourse.”

Join us at sea tomorrow for the final day of this World Championship with the first race starting at 11:00 AM.

The Swiss 8 Metre Yquem II is the 2023 World Champion

On the final day of the 8 Metre World Championship, with the boats waiting in the harbor for the wind to pick up, the rankings from yesterday were confirmed. The Swiss crew of Yquem II, skippered by Jean Fabre and representing the Société Nautique de Geneve, emerged as the winners of the 2023 edition of the Class World Championship. The Swiss demonstrated great skill and showcased their familiarity with this class, as they are true veterans. Jean Fabre had previously won the first world championship with the earlier Yquemin 1998 and then repeated his success in 2015, 2019, and in 2022 with the second boat in the series. The second place went to the Austrian crew of Conquistador, owned by the President of the International 8 Metre Class, Werner Deuring, and the third place was secured by the Australian team on Mirabelle, owned by Peter Harburg, with an exceptional crew of Australians led by Mark Bradford, who is not only the skipper of Mirabelle but also of the impressive 100′ Black Jack.

Yquem II, in addition to the world title, also claimed the Corinthian Trophy and the Coppa d’Italia, an ancient trophy that originated in 1908 at the Yacht Club Italiano and has since been awarded to racing boats in the 8 Metre S.I. class.

“I am very happy with this achievement,” said Jean Fabre, the owner of Yquem II. “It is the result of meticulous preparation. After all, we are all Swiss on board, and we have been sailing together for many years. I have been sailing 8 Metres for over thirty years, and with my crew, we have decades of experience that allows us to know our boat very well. It is a very fast boat and relatively straightforward to set up, especially compared to my first Yquem, which was unbeatable in light airs and with which I won the first world title in 1998 but was very complicated to set up.”

“It was a tremendous thrill to see these beautiful yachts return to the waters of Genoa,” said Gerolamo Bianchi, the President of the Yacht Club Italiano, at the end of the races. “We welcomed the crews in very challenging weather conditions that kept us ashore for the first two days, but we made up for it in the following days by managing to stick to the schedule of two daily races, always with good wind. Hats off to these crews who provided us with a truly rare spectacle and demonstrated great sportsmanship and seamanship.”

At 7:30 PM, the Club held the closing ceremony of the World Championship, followed by the prize-giving ceremony that saw the crews from various categories, based on the year of construction (the oldest in Genoa dating back to 1910, while the newest is from 2013), take the podium.

The ceremony concluded with a farewell to the 2024 World Championship in Clyde, Scotland, and a gala dinner for owners and crews in the race village of the Yacht Club Italiano set up for the occasion.

© 2022 – 2023 IEMA | All Rights Reserved | International Eight Metre Association | Website by Insinger & Co.

Dynamic title for modals

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Langenargen 2018

Langenargen on Lake Constance hosted the 2018 World Cup with 23 yachts competing. the world cup Lake Constance is home of the biggest collected fleet of First Rule 8mR yachts anywhere, and this World Cup showed a field of 7 first rulers showing their clouds of sails. Lake Constance showed many faces at the World Cup. Lake Constance showed almost all of its faces – from sun to thunderstorm, from calm to fresh breeze during the six race days. Providing a test of shifting gears.

Conquistador (former Hollandia II) from Bregenz, won the World Cup. Sira division was won by Luna, from Finland. Neptune division was won by Carron II from Switzerland, and First rule was won by local boat Elfe. Full results can be found here.

2018-langenargen-worldcup

Here we need a photo gallery of the event

© 8 Metre World Cup | an IEMA website | created by: www.insinger.co | 2019-2022 | All Rights Reserved

The North American Eight Metre story began In 1928 when the New York Yacht Club commissioned 12 International 8mR yachts from the top designers and boat yards in Europe for delivery to Long Island Sound. In 1930 the RCYC selected the 8mR to revive the Canada’s Cup match racing series for the championship of the Great Lakes - Canada versus the USA.

2023 Trophy Winners

Last year was an exciting year for racing. Click below to find out who were the winners in 2023.

2024 Regatta Schedule

JUNE REGATTAS

RCYC OPEN REGATTA Saturday June 15 & Sunday June 16

SBYC CHALLENGE CUP Saturday June 29 & Sunday June 20

JULY REGATTAS

PCYC Open Saturday July 6 & Sunday July 7

FOUNDERS REGATTA Saturday July 20 & Sunday July 21

SBYC NAs (3 days)  Friday July 26 to Sunday July 28

Please click on the link below for more details on Events and Regattas planned for 2024.

More about 2024 Regattas and Events

CICSA Event May 2024

NAEMA held the second annual keel boat training event with the Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association (CICSA) May 11 and 12, 2024. 22 students from 10 post secondary sailing clubs gained experience crewing 4 8mR yachts from EYC and RCYC. Thomas Fogh Director of Sailing at RCYC ran the event both on the water and on land. NAEMA and Steamwhistle Brewery supplied the post sailing BBQ party.

Ernest Olney Digby 8mR DEFIANCE

Sail Number: 11

Vessel Type: 8mR (3rd & last version)

LOA: 48’6″ / 14.78m – LOD: 48’6″ / 14.78m – LWL: 32’0″ / 9.75m – Beam: 9’6″ / 2.90m – Draft: 6′6″ / 1.98m – Displacement: – Sail Area: – Built By: Ernest O Digby, Williamstown, Victoria, Australia – Designed by: Ernest O Digby – Launched: 1935 – Original owner: Ernest Olney Digby ‘Old Dig’ – Original name: Defiance – Engine: – Vessel Number: HV000742 – Flag: Australia – Homeport: Sydney

Historical:

“Defiance was launched with great excitement in 1935. The beautiful yacht was a beacon of hope, of singular courage and vision to all.” – Nicole Grace Shrimpton

From the Australian Register of Historic Vessels, managed by the Australian National Maritime Museum.

DEFIANCE was the second of three large yachts that Ernest Digby designed and built in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. The gaff rigged cutter INDEPENDENCE was the first, launched in 1920 and described as 38 feet LOA., it carried a substantial gaff rig sailplan. It would have been designed to the 2nd version of the International Rule. From what is recorded of INDEPENDENCE it raced in the A class against EU NA MARA in its early days, and later the Fife designed 8 metre VANESSA. February 1920 yachting notes of its first race indicate it was in the” VGRA 9 Metre class”. FRANCES (HV000622) was his third and final yacht and it too was designed to rate and race as an 8 metre. FRANCES had a famous career including winning the Sayonara Cup. It is not known if Digby built DEFIANCE for the Sayonara Cup racing as well, or perhaps for the Olympics in 1936 where the 8 metre class was involved in the yachting events. The Depression era had made it hard to maintain local interest and participation in either of these events. The Sayonara Cup was not raced from 1932 until 1950, and Australia was not able to take part in yachting events in the Olympics until after World War 2. Whatever was the case, DEFINACE had plenty of competition in the A Class with ACROSPIRE and EU NA MARA.

As a sailor Digby was well respected, as this quote from Sporting Globe 2nd March 1932 when he was sailing INDEPENDENCE in 1932 indicates;

“Ernie Digby is one of our best and most popular yachtsmen, and one who ls always ready to give a helping hand where needed.”

DEFIANCE was built at Digby’s own home in Victoria St Williamstown, not far up the street from the bay. It was planked in Queensland kauri pine, with a hardwood stem and a spruce pole mast supporting its tall gaff topsail sloop rig. The International Rule it was designed to was the primary rule used in Europe and UK for measuring, rating and handicapping yachts, and Australia adopted the rule and its subsequent versions from 1907 onwards. By 1935 it had stabilized to become Version 3, and this produced many years of fine sailing craft in the 6, 8 and 12 metre class craft and remains the final version of the rule. The rule is relatively complex with a number of specific hull measurement points and requirements that relate to the location and length of the craft’s actual waterline when it is floated, along with a number of minimum or maximum dimensions. It requires careful design, and an allowance for a range of possible trimmed waterlines to deliver a design that will be able to rate to the intended class.

The Northcote Cup had adopted the 6 metre rule and some boats were built locally to international designs, such as CULLWULLA, or were designed and built in Australia. In the bigger rating classes, Charlie Peel was the first Australian designer to design yachts to the rule in Australia. He designed and built two craft ACROSPIRE III and IV to race in the Sayonara Cup against Fife and Anker 8 metre class designs either imported or built in Australia. Unfortunately his craft came out with much higher ratings, and did not measure as 8 metres. It is not known what rating Digby’s first design INDEPENDANCE achieved, but the records show that DEFIANCE was referred to as an 8 metre, so DEFIANCE must have been rating at or very close to the required 8 metre outcome. In addition it complied with the requirement for the International Rule yachts to be constructed according to Lloyds Rules for yachts, ensuring it had strong scantlings. DEFIANCE measures in with a longer waterline than is average for the 8 metre class.

Ernest Digby’s boats were a celebration of wooden boat building featuring the Australian timbers of the day. The resourceful shipwright was an enthusiastic collector of timbers, particularly during the Depression years. DEFIANCE featured his many ‘finds’ including hanging knees fashioned from the crooks of tea tree.

The coach house is composed of Huon pine with a kauri edge, the strong floors displaying the burl of celery top pine. The original deck, now replaced with teak for longevity, would have most likely have been of Australian kauri, as was the original coverboard at the deck edge. Quantities of Australian kauri are now miniscule, although new forests have been planted there is not enough to replicate the deck. Unlike the Scandinavian 8 metres of Anker and the British designs with their luxurious cabinetry and varnished kingplanks, the Digby 8’s are relatively uncluttered and have a certain dignity in their purity. Digby’s signature was one of robust strength and simplicity, softened by champhored edging, simple pull holes and plank seating.

Early reports show that it was raced in the A class on Port Phillip with success. And is understood to have won seven of its first twelve races. Launched late in 1935 DEFIANCE’s first race was on the 4th January 1936. The Williamstown Chronicle 8 Feb 1936 reported its next race.

Yacht Club Regatta

There were several thrills during the racing at the’ Hobson’s Bay Yacht Club’s regatta last Saturday afternoon. The ACROSPIRE III nearly collided with an outgoing steamer. Varying winds and uncertain conditions caused the confusion and several yachts passed dangerously close to outgoing steamers.

Mr Digby’s- 8-metre, racing yacht, DEFIANCE won the Al class handicap at the Hobson’s Bay club’s regatta last Saturday. He built the vessel at his home in Victoria Street, and it is the only 8-metre yacht designed and built in Australia and by an Australian, complying in every detail with Lloyd’s regulations.”

A race in March provided some different reporting- The Argus 23 March 1936 was quite short with its story. “DÉFIANCE AGAIN A light northerly made conditions Ideal for the yachting events held at St Kilda, Brighton and Williamstown on Saturday At St Kilda DEFIANCE was successful again In the Al class event”

However the Sporting Globe 25th March went into more detail, and was effusive in its praise for the yacht.

Defiance does it once more, by H.C. Brooke

With a splendid exhibition of helmsman ship in a shifty breeze, Ernie Digby again brought his new eight-metre yacht, DEFIANCE, home in pride of place at St Kilda on Saturday. Always on the right tack in the varying puffs, he took the lead from Bernie .Snider’s EUN-NA-MARA, on the first long, beat, and maintained it to the end, to win the race by more than 3 minutes.

This performance, following her victory on the previous Saturday in the heavy going, must be very satisfactory to her owner and, crew. It also serves as a complete answer to those critics who, just after her launching, looked her over scornfully, and pointed out several imaginary faults. I would not be so rash as to compare her hull for hull with that beautiful creation of Fifes, VANESSA but in the capable hands of her present skipper, I feel there would be days when she would provide staunch opposition”

However a month later the same correspondent HC Brooke writes a piece about two races clearly won by Digby and DEFIANCE, yet he praises another yacht’s performance throughout citing luck as the reason the outcome was different. In the Sporting Globe 15 April 1936:

“Although DEFIANCE was successful in the two big yachting events during Easter, the long distance race from St.Kilda to Queenscliff, and a race at Queenscliff — the honours of the sailing went to Commodore J. White’s ACROSPITE IV. She was defeated by adverse luck in tidal waters. According to Barney Snider, popular owner-skipper of EUN-NA-MARA, ACROSPIRE was the best performer in each race. She worked out a good lead in the early stages of the first race and was only headed by DEFIANCE after that boat received a favourable slant the south. The choice of Cole’s channel instead of the west channel, and the dodging of a strong flood tide, further increased DEFIANCE’s lead, and she went on to win with ease. EUN-NA-MARA. who was under-crewed, and could not set her topsail, was the only other boat to finish”

Caught by Tide

ACROSPIRE IV. appeared a sure winner of the second event, but due to being caught in a strong tide, and practically no wind, she was passed by both DEFIANCE and EUN-NA-MARA on the last leg of the course and finished well astern. Queenscliff is a tricky place for yacht racing.”

Perhaps Digby’s skill in reading the difficult wind and tidal conditions had a strong bearing on the outcome. DEFIANCE and Digby were still racing with success in later years, as noted in The Argus 20 March 1939.

“DEFIANCE Wins Well

A light southerly barely strong enough to sail yachts provided difficulties and in a test of skill in seven events at the Royal Brighton carnival on Saturday DEFIANCE gave a good performance In the Al class handicap race and finished only 2 min 13scc behind ACROSPIRE IV the champion boat, but it gained first place on corrected time with PETREL second and ACROSPLRE IV third.”

The war intervened and yacht racing was abandoned while boat builders joined the war effort on the home front. After the war Digby set about rebuilding his business and eventually set his sights on a new yacht, FRANCES. In 1946 DEFIANCE was taken under a new owner FA Bullock to begin a long connection to Sydney and the east coast, where it remains today. It attempted to break the sailing record from Melbourne to Sydney in what was probably the delivery voyage, but was unfortunately becalmed off Wollongong delaying its finish and leading to concerns in the press about the crew potentially starving. A member of the crew on this voyage was a young N. K. Wran of Balmain (New South Wales Premier 1976 to 1986).

Under three different owners it went five times to Hobart. Known as the ‘offshore 8,’ it was the only 8 Metre to sail in this prestigious offshore event. DEFIANCE placed 3rd overall in the second Sydney to Hobart in 1946, and was disqualified in 1947, when it and a later winner, CHRISTINA, hit the starter’s boat and under the rules of the day without any alternate penalty available they were disqualified. It apparently led CHRISTINA all the way to the fickle Derwent and was ultimately disqualified only for not reporting the incident rather than being in the wrong. In fact the starting rules were amended after this race.

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) on 16 April 1949:

“DEFIANCE was first across the finishing mark yesterday in the 86-mile ocean sailing race from Sydney to Jervis Bay. Defiance (F. Bullock) crossed the line at 6.12 p.m., according to the timekeeper for the race, Mr. V. Leeson. No other yachts were in sight at 9.45 p.m.”

It was a decisive win and other high places were to come.

The SMH on 4 Oct 1949:

Defiance may be First Yacht Home

Leaders in the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s 350-mile Montagu Island yacht race, Defiance and the scratch boat Kyeema, were off Sydney Heads early this morning. Defiance was thought to be leading. She had a good chance of winning the race on handicap.”

KYEEMA, a larger almost 10 metre rating yacht eventually won, but in later races against KYEEMA, PAKERDOO and other large yachts DEFIANCE had its time as victor.

In July 1951 it had a new owner Fred Harris, who converted DEFIANCE to a Bermudan sloop rig and went ocean racing in the yacht. A later owner was Nelson Rundle of Newcastle who did the 1954 Hobart race with DEFIANCE and kept up the yacht’s colourful ocean racing career.

The next chapter was when Anne and Alan Hinds bought DEFIANCE in 1960. From Anne’s perspective it was something of a love affair. Writing in some detail on the www.mysailing.com website she noted how they bought DEFIANCE “because we knew how fast and exciting the Eights were, but also because she offered what seemed at the time to be good accommodation for a family with three small children, then aged five, three and 12 months. Unlike most of the other Eights she had been fitted out for ocean-racing, with luxuries like six berths, an ice chest, a sink and a gimballed stove; quite an innovation when installed in 1947!

Alan took her to Pittwater and raced regularly at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club against two other Eights, Pakerdoo and Varg, in the Number One division for a number of years. But our real love was cruising with the family and mucking around in Broken Bay and Cowan Creek and that’s what we did for about five decades and never tired of it. We sailed to Sydney often for Christmas with extended family, to watch the boats heading off to Hobart and to see the Queen arrive aboard Britannia (a stinking southerly if I remember rightly) and to watch various of the America’s Cup trials. We had a memorable cruise to Port Stephens, when the crew were a little older (eight, six and four) but most of our time was spent in the Hawkesbury estuary.

So how have I loved my boat?

Firstly, it is a beautiful experience to helm an eight metre; the tiller responds to a finger touch. You can feel quite directly the power of the boat; you are intimately connected to the wind and the water and the elegant hull slicing her way.

DEFIANCE was a hand built boat and has very slight imperfections, like a beautiful woman or a work of art. On the starboard tack the boat sails to windward with almost no correction from the tiller needed, but on the port tack there is just a suggestion of weather helm. DEFIANCE has a will of her own.”

The ‘affair” with DEFIANCE has continued, and its current owner has put considerable effort into overhauling the yacht and bringing it back to an inshore racing configuration, and Naval Architect Andy Dovell has confirmed it will measure in as an 8 metre.

The current owner bought DEFIANCE with the intention of bringing the boat back to inshore racing on Sydney Harbour, restoring the boat’s to Ernest Digby’s original 1935 racing and cabin layout in the hands of third generation shipwright Colin Beashel. For ease of handling, the Bermudan rig common to the 8 metre class has been retained, with an engine removable for strict competition.

With FRANCES in Melbourne and DEFIANCE in Sydney, Ernest Digby’s pair of 8 metres continue as champions, the gun-boats of their classic fleets both in NSW and Victoria and displaying the advantages of the metre boat amidst a younger mixed fleet.

In Division 1 on Australia Day 2015, DEFIANCE was steered to victory by the legendary Gordon Ingate OAM and came third overall on Australia Day 2017, with first places in twilight racing out of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, beating a mixed division of newer boats home squarely by four minutes, and in the Classic Division out of the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club with a resounding victory of a clear twelve minutes over her nearest rival, the 9 Metre JOSEPHINE. Numerous wins in her debut season post-restoration, have been at the hands of leading international yachtsman and big-boat specialist Harold Cudmore. “I have found DEFIANCE to have a very good balance at different angles of heal which means it is easier to keep tracking upwind as wind strength varies,” he observed. “This feature is beneficial and not always achieved by other boats. It indicates the designer had a feeling for how a boat built to the International rule should work. “

Pre-eminent Sydney harbour sailor, and the owner of the first of the Ranger series Bill Gale, said of Defiance “She is the most exciting boat I have ever sailed.” In the 2017 winter racing DEFIANCE won the Combined Clubs Classics division skippered by David Giles.

Reflecting on why she loves her boat so much and spent so much money on her, Nicole Shrimpton said, “Because to me she is a classic even amongst classics. From the moment I saw her I have been compelled, perhaps beyond reason and rationale, to restore and preserve her. And to honour the memory of an extraordinary man in Ernest Digby, surely one of the great unsung heroes of early yacht design in Australia. One day I saw the great architect Rick Le Plastrier drinking in her lines and I totally understood. To us she is pure beauty. My heart skips every time I see her on the harbour, whether onboard or from afar. Helming her is of course one of the great pleasures of life. In the process of handover, the late Alan Hinds said he felt Defiance was in ‘good hands’. I have tried to honour the trust implied in that statement.

One is always the custodian, rather than ‘owner,’ of a classic boat and each will bring their own stamp. My mission has always been to restore her and bring her back to racing. To feel her sailed well in the hands of champions such as Prince Phillip and World Cup winner David Giles, Olympian Carly Ryves, Dick Sargent and Sydney to Hobart winner the late Roger Hickman has been my greatest delight and I salute all who have her helped her sail this far. DEFIANCE is a piece of exquisite Australian history and all I want is for her to continue gracing our waterways long after I am gone.”

Provenance. (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

• Owner (1935-1945) – E.O Digby
• Owner (1945) – Frank A. Bullock
• Owner E.A. Harris
• Owner Nelson D. Rundle, Lake Macquarie
• Owner Alan B. & Dr. Ann Hinds and N. G Shrimpton., Pittwater (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club)
• Owner (2012) – Nicole Shrimpton, underwent restorations in 2014–2016 at Colin Beashel Marine in Elvina Bay Pittwater
• Race crew: Georges Brenac
• Race crew: Joe Palmer
• Race crew: Mick York
• Race crew: Gordon Ingate
• Race crew: Olympian Dick Sargeant
• The Australian Register of Historic Vessels, managed by the Australian National Maritime Museum.
• The International Eight Metre Association
• Australia’s First 8, by Nicole Grace Shrimpton

Related posts:

• Peter Spronk Designed “Ppalu”
• N.G. HERRESHOFF S-CLASS
• 2014 MoY Classic Regatta Grand Classic Overall Winner
• N.G. HERRESHOFF “ELENA” TRAILER

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The Official IEMA 8 Metre Registry

Photo Tobias Stoerkle

The Eight Metre Registry

Build Year: 1924

Designer: Johan Anker

Yard: Anker & Jensen -Asker - Norway

Build in: Norway

First Name: Varg

First Owner: Petter Andreas Larsen

First Country: Norway

First Sail no.: N-20

Previous names: -

Division: Neptune

Condition: Racing Internationally

Yacht Club: -

Country: Australia

Technical Specs

Sail Area: 86,73

Main Sail: 0,00

Fore Triangle: 0,00

Draught: 1,87

Weight: 0,00

Construction: Wood

Design Year: 0

Other Names: -

Clyde Based: -

Reference Info

Archive JLvB Ref: -

Archive Ref: -

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