Thread: Restored Thunderbird Fleet

Originally Posted by Michael Nash

I am looking to find and restored old thunderbird yachts and create a fleet to race in. Are there any other interested parties?

Were they 20' ply, fixed keel, 4 berth?.If so,my sister and husband had one for a while at the Corio yacht club here in Vic.Nice yacht.Hope your quest is successful.

Hi Hellconia and Michael,

No, your family's yacht is not a Thunderbird . They are about 26' long, single chine yacht originally designed for amateur construction by the Plywood Manufacturers Assoc of USA [or such similar named body if memory serves correctly].

Here is a pic of the aft end of a Thunderbird at RPYC, Perth in 2005 - it's the dark navy blue hull second from camera [not the beautiful 22 square metre "Flame" nearest to camera - I owned this graceful 22 square about 35 years ago !]

Flame 10s.jpg

Cheers,
Martin Bunny,
Mandurah, W.A.

My sisters boat had a similar name then. it was plywood hand single chined and fixed keel.I'm sure its outboard was in a well.Was a long time ago.BTW that boat in picture looks very nice .

Hi Helconia54,

The 22 square metre is, by my unbiased eye, the best looking keel yacht ever drawn and built. The proportions are beautiful, they are an absolute delight to sail; they just "hiss" thru the water with hardly a sound, no splash, no turbulence. But when the wind pipes up and the huge unrestricted spinnakers are flying then so are the square metres. They are about 36' to 38' long, about 6' beam, 5' deep and weigh a rather light 2+ tonnes. Out of the water, they look a bit like a 29' Dragon in the centre section but the 22's fine ends are drawn right out to 38' o/a.

The fine craft in the pic is "Flame" home-built in suburban Perth in the early 1950's to the design of the doyen of slender keel yachts (particularly square metre yachts) Knud Reimers. She is a direct sister boat to "Sue Ann" built in Melbourne for Jock Sturrock back in the 1950's - famous skipper of our early America's Cup 12m metres, Olympian in 5.5m in '56 Games etc.

Here are some more pics of "Flame" for the oldies like myself who love yachting 'eye candy'.
Shortly after launching in 1954 ; flying jibs are not normal on 22's but in Perth they are always looking to cram on more sail

Flame1s.jpg

On the Swan R. in about 1973
Flame 6s.JPG

Flame 2s.jpg

For more on square metres and some beautiful pics and restoration stories of the larger 30 squares visit Australian square metre association but unfortunately Flame's page is still to be completed by the webmaster.

The day I sold "Flame" was a sad day but one moves on to wider and rougher ocean (races) in self draining cockpits

Cheers from Martin Bunny,
Mandurah, Western Australia.