A group of images from the Hall Collection at the ANMM caught my attention when one of them showed clearly the name VIKING on the tuck. Adjacent images showed other 12-foot skiffs including one with an oval insignia with the letters CC. A quick look at TROVE revealed that the latter was the Brisbane boat CC IV steered by Cecil Crouch which visited Sydney for the Australian Championship for the season 1930-1931 which was held over 3 heats in December and January. CC II had won the Championship in Sydney 2 years before, but the other identifiable boats in the fleet like SCHEMER, DONNELLY, TRU BLUE and VIKING meant that this had to be 1930-1931.
SCHEMER built by Wee Georgie Robinson and steered by Ben Roff was Sydney’s dominant 12-foot skiff from the early 1920s, and had challenged Brisbane for an Australian Championship in 1925. The story is told on the 12-Footers Page but basically Brisbane had no exact equivalent in 1925, so Toby Whereat modified a boat already under build to the NSW rules named DEFIANCE and beat SCHEMER on the Brisbane River over 3 heats.
SCHEMER however won the following year in Sydney, comprehensively beating several new Queensland 12s that had beaten DEFIANCE! Queensland hit back with a new boat J McCleer’s DOVE which won the 1927-1928 event on the Brisbane River, and backed it up with Jim Crouch winning in Sydney the following year with CC II, in a series in which SCHEMER was unplaced.
But Ben Roff and SCHEMER weren’t finished yet and proved it by beating DOVE II in Brisbane in 1929-1930, thereby going in to the 1930-1931 Championships in Sydney for which we have the images as the defending Champion.
The first heat was held on Sunday 28 December 1930 in a Southerly gale with rain squalls. Cecil Crouch was leading in CC IV on the run to Taylor Bay but the mark had been carried away, and in the confusion SCHEMER got past them and was awarded the win. It was clear that this was not a fair result and so the heat was scheduled to be re-sailed on Friday 2 January.
SCHEMER built by Wee Georgie Robinson and steered by Ben Roff was Sydney’s dominant 12-foot skiff from the early 1920s, and had challenged Brisbane for an Australian Championship in 1925. The story is told on the 12-Footers Page but basically Brisbane had no exact equivalent in 1925, so Toby Whereat modified a boat already under build to the NSW rules named DEFIANCE and beat SCHEMER on the Brisbane River over 3 heats.
SCHEMER however won the following year in Sydney, comprehensively beating several new Queensland 12s that had beaten DEFIANCE! Queensland hit back with a new boat J McCleer’s DOVE which won the 1927-1928 event on the Brisbane River, and backed it up with Jim Crouch winning in Sydney the following year with CC II, in a series in which SCHEMER was unplaced.
But Ben Roff and SCHEMER weren’t finished yet and proved it by beating DOVE II in Brisbane in 1929-1930, thereby going in to the 1930-1931 Championships in Sydney for which we have the images as the defending Champion.
The first heat was held on Sunday 28 December 1930 in a Southerly gale with rain squalls. Cecil Crouch was leading in CC IV on the run to Taylor Bay but the mark had been carried away, and in the confusion SCHEMER got past them and was awarded the win. It was clear that this was not a fair result and so the heat was scheduled to be re-sailed on Friday 2 January.
SCHEMER, Champion 12-foot skiff built by Wee Georgie Robinson and steered by Ben Roff.
But before that the 2nd heat was run on Wednesday 31 December in a light Easterly, seen in several of the images. The race was won by TRU BLUE (NSW) from SCHEMER, with Jim Crouch in EWC (Qld) 3rd and CC IV 4th.
The re-sailed first heat on Friday started in a light Nor’Easter which lightened and veered more Northerly. TRU BLUE led at the Sow and Pigs, but as soon as their spinnaker was hoisted they hit the reef and capsized. The race was won by CC IV from SCHEMER to the great delight of the Queensland press. This meant that going into the final heat it was anybody’s Championship, with CC IV on 16 points, TRU BLUE on 15 and SCHEMER on 14.
The third heat started on Sunday 5 January in a light ENE breeze. CC IV led halfway to the Sow and Pigs with the other 2 contenders 2nd and 3rd, but SCHEMER was first to the Sow and Pigs and was never headed after that. TRU BLUE held on for 2nd with DONNELLY a surprise 3rd. CC IV was unplaced. In the overall Championship point score it was SCHEMER the Champion, with TRU BLUE runner-up and CC IV 3rd.
More about later 12-foot skiff Championships at a later date.
The re-sailed first heat on Friday started in a light Nor’Easter which lightened and veered more Northerly. TRU BLUE led at the Sow and Pigs, but as soon as their spinnaker was hoisted they hit the reef and capsized. The race was won by CC IV from SCHEMER to the great delight of the Queensland press. This meant that going into the final heat it was anybody’s Championship, with CC IV on 16 points, TRU BLUE on 15 and SCHEMER on 14.
The third heat started on Sunday 5 January in a light ENE breeze. CC IV led halfway to the Sow and Pigs with the other 2 contenders 2nd and 3rd, but SCHEMER was first to the Sow and Pigs and was never headed after that. TRU BLUE held on for 2nd with DONNELLY a surprise 3rd. CC IV was unplaced. In the overall Championship point score it was SCHEMER the Champion, with TRU BLUE runner-up and CC IV 3rd.
More about later 12-foot skiff Championships at a later date.
NSW skiff VIKING running into Rose Bay, probably in the 3rd heat on Sunday 5th January 1930. Being able to read the name on the tuck was invaluable in identifying this group of images.
Queensland skiff CC IV, steered by Cecil Crouch. High hopes were held for this boat whose predecessor CC III had won the title in Sydney 2 years before. Searching “CC” and “VIKING, Championship” and “12-foot skiff” on TROVE revealed the date.
Another shot of CC IV with NSW boat TRU BLUE (blue shield with white cross) behind, probably in the second heat seeing this appears to be in a light Easterly.
Above and below: Two shots from just after the start of the second heat in a light Easterly. Above from right VICTOR (NSW) with V in circle insignia, DONNELLY (NSW) with diamond, CC IV with CC in oval, unidentified boat with horseshoe, TRU BLUE with shield, SCHEMER with pennant and another unidentified boat with question mark. The fleet comprised 9 boats of which I cannot assign insignia to 3, the question Mark, the horseshoe and an X have to be sorted out between EWC (Queensland) and SCANDAL and KIA-ORA (NSW). The second image shows that VIKING (horizontal striped flag sewn loosely over another insignia) is the obscured boat beyond the horseshoe in the top image.
This shot was taken just before the above two.
The shot above is taken from one of the spectator craft in the previous shots.
Above: VIKING passing Steel Point just before the earlier shot of her. The precariously sewn striped flag (over an older insignia, so probably a borrowed sail) appears to have been sewn differently each side, vertical stripes on Starboard, horizontal stripes on Port!
The last 3 shots in the group are of the same boat displaying an X…either EWC, SCANDAL or KIA ORA.
The last 3 shots in the group are of the same boat displaying an X…either EWC, SCANDAL or KIA ORA.
