What is it?

[Daddles]

My gf has given me a large photo of two yachts racing. Trouble is, there's nothing to tell us what they are. I've attached the best photo of the photo that I can manage. Any idea what they are?

Richard

[STEPHEN MILLER]

Richard could be an English Gaff Cutter simalar to boat called Genesta that unsuccessly raced in the Americas cup in 1885 I have a book on a yacht club in Perth where boat with same name and similar look as well in early 1900, the boats are very similar to ones in your picture Genesta raced a boat called Puritan

[Boatmik]

Howdy,

I think Stephen is bl**dy close.

Sloop rather than cutter - but almost certainly English.

Note that the two boats in the pic are quite similar. There was never enough boatbuilding in this size range in OZ for things to settle down and build similar boats. Everyone thought that were smarter than each other here and so tried to get the jump by building different styles of boats.

The actual boats I would suspect would be of a similar vintage to Stephen's pic, because of the rig similarity. But the actual picture I would suspect would be more recent because the mainsails have battens which didn't get really common until bermudan rigs were well established on the race scene - they are not really needed with gaff rigs - no mainsail roach - maybe the crew in the pic were feeling hopeful.

Actually - just blew up the hull portion of the pic - the people aboard are really small.

Stephen is probably dead right about everything - even the cutter angle.

MIK

[blownabout]

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/341/cat/500/ppuser/98

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/357/cat/500/ppuser/98

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/358/cat/500/ppuser/98

[bitingmidge]

Actually - just blew up the hull portion of the pic - the people aboard are really small.
So it could be something one of the Phantoms built to transport Diana on her shopping trips back home, crewed by Pygmy Poison people.

P(I hear drums)
:D

[blownabout]

I reckon that's a picture of Reliance and Shamrock III racing in the 1903 America's cup.

Note the battens.

[sea dragon]

If the boat was an America Cup challenger, imagine sailing across the Atlantic on her!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome.

[Paul B]

It's a gaff cutter named Altair, designed and built by WIlliam Fife & Son in 1930. In this pic Altair is racing with Tuiga, another Fife's yacht which I think was designed and built in 1909.

[Daddles]

How certain are you of that Paul. If you're convinced it's right, I'll write it on the back of the photo ... or get a small brass plaque engraved for the front - that'd be neat (and I've got a mate in the trophy industry).

Thanks for all the research and thought boys. I appreciate it. That picture still looks stunning on my wall.:D

Richard

[Paul B]

Actually I was wrong, Altair is a schooner, not a gaff cutter. I did a web search and there were a few links that said cutter and a few that said schooner. I think the foward mast is obscured by the camera angle, but the boom is visible in your pic, so she's got two masts.

Here's a link to a site selling the same pic http://store.pecheur.us/60phpalt.html

And here's a link to some other more recent pics of both boats http://www.patrickroach.com/prpa/Gallery.aspx?subPath=/Yachting/Classic%20Yachts

[Daddles]

Thanks again Paul.

Richard

[Paul B]

No wuckers mate.

[Bob Willson]

So it could be something one of the Phantoms built to transport Diana on her shopping trips back home, crewed by Pygmy Poison people.

P(I hear drums)
:D

Thank you for your input there Peter, it was really helpful.

[bitingmidge]

As always Bob, it's been a pleasure. It seems that the history of Altaire hasn't picked up the period it was in the hands of the Ghost Who Walks, but I guess he probably bought it in the name of Walker anyway.

P
:D

[Boatmik]

Note the battens.

Quite right blownabout - I was wrong about that!!!


If the boat was an America Cup challenger, imagine sailing across the Atlantic on her!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome.

Most of the boats specifically built for the cup (ie after they got serious) were towed or sailed over under Jury Rig.

I think it was part of the Deed of Gift for the cup that the challenger had to sail across the Atlantic "on her own bottom" so the risk was damaging or sinking the boat. And also the brits (and the Irish) complained that their boats had to be built a bit heavier.

They race in inshore conditions and racing would be called off if the conditions get too harsh - but crossing the ocean the waves are somewhat bigger.

It was a huge problems for such heavily ballasted boats - er I mean submarines.

MIK

[keith53]

Richard,

Whilst I know nothing whatever about sailing boats, it's a fantastic photo. Look great blown up & framed. Shows a lot of character. However, I do think that if God had wanted man to continue sailing, he'd never have given us the capacity to invent the outboard motor.:D

Cheers,
Keith