Dave Black the Worlds Regatta Secretary doing the core sample

launch area Pizzey Park 1987

LtoRDavid Shepherd, Russell McLoughlin and Ian Hull-Brown on end

Pizzey Park Worlds 1987

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shcrewes@bigpond.net.au  

With Queensland again getting a Worlds Championship shortly. I thought it might be appropriate tell the story about the other Worlds title there in 1987.

 From 1978, EC12’s had been in Australia for about 11 years. By the time it came around for a Worlds title for the class. We, in this country had enough boats registered to make a bid for these titles.

To just give you a run down on the numbers this class was attracting about this time.  There was 5 clubs in Queensland, namely: QMBC, Townsville Model Marine Club, Bundaberg Club, Mackay Club and the Gold Coast Club. In NSW there was 4 clubs also, namely Northern Beaches EC12 Club, Model Engineers at St Marys, Werrington MYC, , Chipping-Norton EC12 club, East Coast Sailing Assoc. Canberra MYC. Victoria had Patterson Lake MYC and Albert Park MYC. Tasmania had 2 clubs sailing EC12s, NTMYC and Tasmania RCA. South Australia had two clubs. The main growth in the class happened in Queensland, NSW and Tasmania.

 Also at that stage there was 4 manufacturers in Australia: - which were Zorro’s Models (Bruce Sorenson) in Brisbane, Mini Mariner (Alf Willoughby) in Sydney, Aero Marine (the original manufacturer) on the central coast (trading under the name Lakesedge Eng) in NSW and Brian Delisser in Brisbane.

A Queensland committee was set up to not only to run the Nationals that year but to be the race committee for the Worlds and this consisted of the following people: Bruce Sorenson, David Black, Ian Smith, Peter Niven, George Manders and Don coup. They were called the ‘Regatta Committee’. The committee’s initial working capital was provided by the Bundaberg Hobby World (a Hobby Store), QMBC and the Townsville Model Marine Club, who donated the proceeds of a regatta they held at Noosa, to the ‘Worlds’ regatta Committee.

A brand new EC12 yacht was put up to be raffled to get money to run the Worlds. All the EC12 clubs in Australia got “books of tickets” to sell. Terry Thearle of the Northern Beaches EC12 Club had the honour of being the first entry received for the event.

Worlds EC12 championships started in some controversy. For in the proceeding Queensland Nationals Event, the three top EC12 boats were disqualified after the racing for having oversize sails. You see there was a ruling from the AMYA that in all classes in 1986/87 that the prizewinners had to be measured before prizes were awarded after the event. This caused a particularly hostile protest from the 3rd placed NZ contender.  Who protested saying, the race committee’s State measurer, (David N. Smith) had erred in his duties, for he should have measured under the ‘USA rules’ and not the International rules as set out in the Sailing Instructions. Of course our friend from across the ocean lost his protest and his appeal as well.

The first placegetter, the late David Burns, from the ACT lost his nationals win, ‘Measured out’. He had a few words to say about the fairness of the deal in the later months. Looking back one could sympathize with him. It must be said that the race committee (correctly) was following the Aust.MYA Rules in this matter.

 Well the EC12 Worlds started off on the 7^th of January 1987, with the measuring day. This went extremely well, probably because of the measuring committees’ practice after the Nationals a couple of days earlier.

The venue was this exquisite lake in a Pizzey Park at Miami on the Gold Coast of Queensland.

 Russell Potts of England (who by the way) is the President of the English Vintage Group took the entire photos for this article and I thank him for his permission to use them. Russell was in Australia competing at these Nationals in RM and 10R. “The lake is approximately a dumbbell shape with a long axis of about 300 mts running east to west and with a minimum north /south width of 100 mts”. The water is brackish, weed free with a depth of about 5ft with a sandy bottom with forest of trees to the north and south sides of the lake. About half way down the lake there was a small wharf/pier for launching. The wind came predominately from the N.E.to S.E.at a mean speed of 6 klm (or in other words), straight down the lake. There was a row of flagpoles along the bank, which had on them International, State and club flags. Also a large marque for scorers and officials etc.

 Russell Potts, who I have previously mentioned, managed to stay around to watch these ‘Worlds’ and gave a report in (Model Boats July 1987).

 Pizzey Park on the Gold Coast has generally light winds coming from the east about this time of year, Xmas. This year is was different for it was coming from the north over the pine tree forest and creating swirls and patches of no wind on the racecourse. The wing mark was in a lee where there was almost no wind at all, for instance.

At times there was lengthy holdups with problems over interpretations of the one-design rule. You must remember that the EC12 rule was being rewritten, internationally at this time.

There were several participants from overseas but no Americans, who had the largest fleet of these boats in the world. This was disappointing to say the least, for as the then President, Norman Hatfield, of the world body said in these times that the Americans appeared to be ‘isolationists’. In his remarks about no Americans turning up for the Worlds RM event in Fleetwood as well. John Cleave of the UK came to the Australian event, to defend as ‘Worlds Match Race champion’ as well as our shipmates including Ian Hull –Brown from NZ.

 David Shepherd of Tasmania came 1^st in the Worlds just beating John Cleave of the UK in the ‘Fleet Race Series’, which is the Worlds Championship prize. The difference between the winning boat and the rest was something to see. For David’s boat was the bare minimum of everything, including only one suit of sails. John Cleave won the ‘Match Race Series’ from David Shepherd to exact some revenge on the meet.

 At the presentation, David Shepherd  (also won the Nationals Ms, with a battered MK1 ‘Huff N Puff’) remarked that “he never won anything at his club’s events in Tasmania”.  He was duly presented with the World trophy and a brand new EC12 boat, which he still has to this day.

  FOOTNOTE 1:  Australian Manufacture of EC12 hulls:

These came from the original Buddy Black (USA) hull. The first ones were manufacture by Kevin Humphries of Monterey in Sydney, trading under the name “Aero Marine”.  Aero Marine later traded under the name Lakesedge Eng. Sorenson hulls were moulded from the original boat from the Aero Marine mould. Mini Mariner hulls came from a “Flopped” (from supposed) Dumas hull of uncertain origin. Those who think they have “Silks” hulls, have in fact Sorenson hulls. Roy Silks was the Sydney agent for Sorenson hulls or ZORRO’S. There is a EC12 mould available in Sydney (2004), for those interested in acquiring a hull (the 1984 Mini Mariner version).Contact Jack Woodward 0413 273 000.

FOOTNOTE 2: Some history has come in about Frankston Model Yacht club (circa 1965) and the Ballarat Club in Victoria and I managed to get hold of some old newsheets about the Tasmanian RCA (circa 1974), when Garth Wilmott was the editor.

Col Cameron from Mackay Model Mariners sent me some interesting history about North Queensland’s early Ms with Russell Caesers and Graham Shanks, and a old shipmate of mine, Ken Williams from Townsville in 1976/77. Well, Done!! A big thank you to Eddie Cowell for 8 video tapes for the National Achives about Worlds M and 1 metres. I have some videos of the 1936 to 1939 international A class and 10 rater championships. Our historic video library is increasing.

Stephen Crewes, National Historian ARYA 2004

Stephen Crewes.

National Historical Officer ARYA

4/12/2003.

shcrewes@bigpond.net.au  

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