The Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2023.
Hobart Tasmania.
10th to the 14th of February 2023
Len Randell naval architect
What on earth are we doing here?
10 years ago, an interested Tasmanian sailor came out for a spin on the H28 Mariner. Six years later, the H28 fleet received a query, were we interested in joining the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in 2021 as representatives from WA? It was a chance and negotiations ensued with a question put to us. Did we have anyone who might be considered a fair representative of WA and could speak at the Symposium held at each Festival? Len Randell's name was put forward and accepted as the speaker from WA. Fair enough, he is a naval architect and revolutionised the fishing industry in WA with his designs. But as a yacht designer and sailor he has very few equals and the AWBF were quick to make him an offer to attend.
Look forward 4 years and the Covid pandemic had killed off the chance to go in 2021, but Len was still looking forward to going and we had the added fillip that Ken Court, the current owner of a boat that Len had a) designed and b) sailed to victory in the inaugural Cape Naturaliste race in 1955, was planning to take his boat 'Rugged' to Hobart.
Well Rugged is in Hobart and Ken is very pleased with her performance on the water. Not bad for a boat and skipper that just about match each other in years. Though I think Ken would like to have a refit as good as the one he gave Rugged.
There are one or two other H28's over in Hobart for the event and one of them is Aria, formerly Anita from the SoPYC and the owners had her done up for their use and entered the boat in the festival. We were very thankful for their kindness in doing so as we had been following their restoration with a certain amount of interest. We look forward to seeing her in Hobart.
The Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
Hobart
A long weekend at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival for 2023.
The sounds of a departing cruise ship horn's echoing off the hills around the docks of Hobart are still ringing in my ears as I sit to write this note.
Its been a long weekend in Hobart and the effervescence and buzz is still in my head as I review the 4 days that we have been showing off the H28s and supporting Len Randell for his symposium appearance. With some kind support from the club we were able to put some good show product to really punch home who the club and our fleet were and at the same time, show off vice patron Len.
Six years ago, the H28's were invited to join the festivities in Hobart for 2021, but Covid got in the way; this time we were going to make it happen. As the clock ticked into Thursday, we already had a number of H28 people on the ground and by midnight on Thursday, sixteen club members were in Hobart to help manage the booth and support Len on his latest adventure.
Scattered showers greeted us, but we had the banners up and the video going quickly, the place became a popular venue and once they found out that Len Randell, noted naval architect was in the booth we were one of the most popular tents in town that wasn’t serving beer or scallop pies.
Len and I were invited to join the Governor of Tasmania, Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC with a few other guest speakers on the ML Egeria, the start boat for the Parade of Sail down the Derwent and were lucky enough to watch the spectacle from the front while royally entertained by the spread of comestibles and beverage.
We were able to visit the newly minted Aria, an H28 that sailed out of the SoPYC as Anita /Jeanita in the 1980's and was spirited away to Tasmania during that decade. She found herself a new life in Kettering under the name Oyster, but the owners had kept in touch through the H28 website and when she was sold to a couple that wanted to restore her, we were able to invite them to attend the festival on our behalf. She was recently sold to a Ms Kathleen Reid who in company with her partner are hoping to keep her for the next 20 years.
Quite simply, for the next four days while the H28 fleet did well, Len was in demand and even when he simply begged time off, they would chase him down and want to chat to him. Evenings became a moment of respite where he could simply take a break and have a bite to eat. But for all that he was out there visiting all the Randell boats and we were extremely lucky in that Ken Court (brother to Vic Court of H28 Carina fame) had brought his recently restored Rugged over from WA and had her sitting in the pens not 50 meters away.
Rugged was the boat in which Len sailed to handicap victory in the inaugural Cape Naturaliste race in 1955 and that helped him in raising his banner as a WA naval architect. Ken belongs to Royal Perth, but as a matter of fraternity amongst the river it was sufficient to deem Ken and his wife Lorraine as honorary clubbies for the weekend.
The weather held true and the event was deemed as a success from both our point of view and that of the organizers. The public was moving around and through the venues and even a scattered shower on Sunday morning only briefly scattered the crowds. By Sunday lunchtime the symposium was ready to receive Len as one of the guest speakers and he began his discourse on the boats he had built and more specifically on Rugged, the little boat that may have changed his fortunes forever.
The well attended room had a sprinkling of other river club members notably John Longley and Steve Ward but there were a number of Randell owners there as well from all over the country and of course the SoPYC members present in Hobart were there. Len spoke well and with a little help during question time, he managed to respond to the queries put to him. All in all, well received and a round of applause was offered to this nonagenarian.
The last day opened as did the others, with the booth up and ready to go and already we had people flowing through to ask questions or even reminisce and it was a pleasure to receive the niece of past commodore Ian Metcher with whom Len had had such a warm relationship. She spoke for a good 15 minutes and Len was touched that she remembered his friendship with Ian so fondly.
The last night was spent quietly reviewing the weekend and with offers to join the Royal Geelong YC next year for their wooden boat festival ringing in our ears...well they have plenty of H28's over there as well.
I would like to offer thanks to the club members who came over to help the H28 effort in Hobart and to support Len in his presentation at the Symposium. They were, Ralph and Lynne Newton, Vince and Denise Bradley, Gaby and Eric Schwab, Russel and Barbara Anderson, Amanda Watson and Garry Morrison and Jim and Jo Spittle. I was fortunate enough to find a fellow boaty and snapper Ron Hallewell from Sydney who had the time to get up in the early morning and took some magnificent reflection images inside the harbour.
I hope that you enjoy them too.
Roscoe from the AWBF has passed on this You tube precis of the event.
Click and enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLyUr0fwjKQ
The sounds of a departing cruise ship horn's echoing off the hills around the docks of Hobart are still ringing in my ears as I sit to write this note.
Its been a long weekend in Hobart and the effervescence and buzz is still in my head as I review the 4 days that we have been showing off the H28s and supporting Len Randell for his symposium appearance. With some kind support from the club we were able to put some good show product to really punch home who the club and our fleet were and at the same time, show off vice patron Len.
Six years ago, the H28's were invited to join the festivities in Hobart for 2021, but Covid got in the way; this time we were going to make it happen. As the clock ticked into Thursday, we already had a number of H28 people on the ground and by midnight on Thursday, sixteen club members were in Hobart to help manage the booth and support Len on his latest adventure.
Scattered showers greeted us, but we had the banners up and the video going quickly, the place became a popular venue and once they found out that Len Randell, noted naval architect was in the booth we were one of the most popular tents in town that wasn’t serving beer or scallop pies.
Len and I were invited to join the Governor of Tasmania, Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC with a few other guest speakers on the ML Egeria, the start boat for the Parade of Sail down the Derwent and were lucky enough to watch the spectacle from the front while royally entertained by the spread of comestibles and beverage.
We were able to visit the newly minted Aria, an H28 that sailed out of the SoPYC as Anita /Jeanita in the 1980's and was spirited away to Tasmania during that decade. She found herself a new life in Kettering under the name Oyster, but the owners had kept in touch through the H28 website and when she was sold to a couple that wanted to restore her, we were able to invite them to attend the festival on our behalf. She was recently sold to a Ms Kathleen Reid who in company with her partner are hoping to keep her for the next 20 years.
Quite simply, for the next four days while the H28 fleet did well, Len was in demand and even when he simply begged time off, they would chase him down and want to chat to him. Evenings became a moment of respite where he could simply take a break and have a bite to eat. But for all that he was out there visiting all the Randell boats and we were extremely lucky in that Ken Court (brother to Vic Court of H28 Carina fame) had brought his recently restored Rugged over from WA and had her sitting in the pens not 50 meters away.
Rugged was the boat in which Len sailed to handicap victory in the inaugural Cape Naturaliste race in 1955 and that helped him in raising his banner as a WA naval architect. Ken belongs to Royal Perth, but as a matter of fraternity amongst the river it was sufficient to deem Ken and his wife Lorraine as honorary clubbies for the weekend.
The weather held true and the event was deemed as a success from both our point of view and that of the organizers. The public was moving around and through the venues and even a scattered shower on Sunday morning only briefly scattered the crowds. By Sunday lunchtime the symposium was ready to receive Len as one of the guest speakers and he began his discourse on the boats he had built and more specifically on Rugged, the little boat that may have changed his fortunes forever.
The well attended room had a sprinkling of other river club members notably John Longley and Steve Ward but there were a number of Randell owners there as well from all over the country and of course the SoPYC members present in Hobart were there. Len spoke well and with a little help during question time, he managed to respond to the queries put to him. All in all, well received and a round of applause was offered to this nonagenarian.
The last day opened as did the others, with the booth up and ready to go and already we had people flowing through to ask questions or even reminisce and it was a pleasure to receive the niece of past commodore Ian Metcher with whom Len had had such a warm relationship. She spoke for a good 15 minutes and Len was touched that she remembered his friendship with Ian so fondly.
The last night was spent quietly reviewing the weekend and with offers to join the Royal Geelong YC next year for their wooden boat festival ringing in our ears...well they have plenty of H28's over there as well.
I would like to offer thanks to the club members who came over to help the H28 effort in Hobart and to support Len in his presentation at the Symposium. They were, Ralph and Lynne Newton, Vince and Denise Bradley, Gaby and Eric Schwab, Russel and Barbara Anderson, Amanda Watson and Garry Morrison and Jim and Jo Spittle. I was fortunate enough to find a fellow boaty and snapper Ron Hallewell from Sydney who had the time to get up in the early morning and took some magnificent reflection images inside the harbour.
I hope that you enjoy them too.
Roscoe from the AWBF has passed on this You tube precis of the event.
Click and enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLyUr0fwjKQ