Joe Donnelly (1839-1917) was considered to be Sydney's finest boatbuilder in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. He had a major influence on the origin and evolution of the 18-footer. This video tells us a bit about his life, the boats he built, and details the Australian Historical Sailing Skiff Association's campaign to place a plaque on Joe's currently unmarked grave at Rookwood.
Historical 18-Footer Britannia at the Balmain Regatta 2022
Because of Covid we haven't been to the Balmain Regatta for the last two seasons, so we were determined to get there this year, although we had to combine 2 boats' crews to get there, and we were the only entrant in our division. We had a great day and displayed our Balmain Tigers footy jerseys and the Balmain Tigers spinnaker.
Britannia's 2020-21 Season
Here's the best action footage from Britannia's 19th season. How lucky were we to get to go sailing!
Historical 18-footers Sprint races December 2020
When the Sydney Flying Squadron was first founded in 1891 Mark Foy instigated a new system where the races were held around a short triangle with legs of about a nautical mile each, in view of spectators the whole time. Each Saturday there were two heats with half the fleet in each, and the top half of the finishers in each heat went into a final. The system faded out by the mid-1930's, but since the 125th Anniversary the club has held an annual day of three sprint races around the triangle. The series in December 2020 was held in a fresh Sou'Easter which saw 8 starters but only 3 finishers.
Australian Historical 18-Footers...a compilation for the Port Townsend Virtual Wooden Boat Festival
Some of the best action footage from the last few seasons put together for the Port Townsend Virtual Wooden Boat Festival in September 2020.
Britannia's 2019-2020 Season
All the best action footage from a great season which had to finish a few weeks early because of the corona virus. It will have to comfort us until we can meet again on the water. The automatically-generated thumbnail shows The Mistake sailing away to clinch the Australian Championship after Yendys capsized at the second-last mark at Chowder Bay. Aberdare with the black diamond insignia top right joined Yendys in the drink at the same mark.
Britannia at Paynesville Classic Boat Rally 2020
This is the second time we've taken Britannia to the bi-ennial Paynesville Classic Boat Rally. Both times have been some of the most enjoyable we've had a traditional boat festivals. Great sailing waters, a great variety of classic boats and a great community participation are some of the factors. This year the winds were particularly light, but we still had some great sailing under the big rig. We plan to return in 2022.
Historical 18-Footers Australian Championships 2020
In three heats in late January and early February the Australian Historical Sailing Skiff Association's Australian Championship was decided on Sydney Harbour in a variety of conditions from an 8-12 knot ENE breeze to a NNE breeze of 20-25 knots. The two main contenders were multiple past winner John "Woody" Winning now steering The Mistake, and Harold Cudmore who won two years ago, steering Yendys. The Mistake is generally favoured downwind and in fresh breezes, Yendys is generally faster upwind and in light conditions. Who will be able to predict the result?
Centenary of 18-Footer Britannia 1919-2019 An Australian Icon
In November 1919 Wee Georgie Robinson launched his 18-footer Britannia starting a racing career that lasted for 23 seasons over the next 25 years, after which it was turned into a launch and had a long career as the Sydney Flying Squadron's starter boat. In 1989 the boat became the first acquisition of the new Australian National Maritime Museum and was restored for display. You can see it at Wharf Seven Darling Harbour.
It's a Bumpkin, Not a Bowsprit!
For over 150 years Sydney open boat sailors have referred to the spar out the front of the boat as the bumpkin, whereas most yachts would call it a bowsprit. Pedants will inevitably argue, but this video explains the sound reasons why it is this way.
Historical 18-Footer Britannia's 2018-19 Season
For the second year in a row I can put up the highlights of our racing season, our 17th. This season I got a GoPro and captured some great footage onboard, and I have combined it here with some of Tricia's footage from the spectator ferry.
Britannia Capsizes in 35 Knots
The race on March 30 2019 started in 10 knots of breeze which built to 15 knots by the time the long markers reached the top mark. Everyone was rigged for a predicted change, but as it built on the first run to about 35 knots most were regretting their rig choice. Scot rolled in at the bottom mark, Tangalooma and Top Weight withdrew but Top Weight rolled in on the way home. Yendys broke their mast on the second work, Alruth and Britannia succumbed trying to granny near Clark island (captured here on GoPro), Australia IV swam within sight of the finish line. Only Aberdare finished. GPS tells me we hit 9.38 knots at the time we're hooting on the video, and new record for us (narrowly). Corf from 7Mate TV show Boating Downunder was aboard and had cameras on chase boats as well, can't wait to see that footage. We managed to get the ringtail up on the first run in 15 knots, and safely down in 25-30 knots, what a ride!
18-footers from 1919 and 2019 meet on Sydney Harbour
The historical replicas and the modern fleet don't often cross tacks because we race on Saturdays and they race on Sundays. But on Saturday March 2 the 3-man boats held the first heat of the J.J.Giltinan World Championships so we were all out together. It was also the Middle Harbour Yacht Club's Sydney harbour Regatta, so the Harbour was a little busier than normal (but not by much). They're a radically different boat but that's what 100 years of evolution will do!
Britannia Goes to Hobart
In February 2019 Britannia along with Yendys and Top Weight travelled down to Hobart to race on the Derwent and display at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival just like we did ten years ago. Strong gusty and inconsistent winds saw us using our smaller rigs. None of us capsized, which is just as well given the dearth of beaches to haul out on. I know why 18's never took off in Hobart!
Britannia Planing
Who said 1919-vintage 18-footers couldn't plane? We got a prolonged puff of about 25 knots running from Clark Island to Chowder Bay on 19 January and just took off. Speed not clocked but it felt faster than last month's 9.3 knots.
A Blustery Southerly
More of Tricia's spectator ferry footage, this time on Saturday 22 December in a 20-30-knot blustery Southerly. All boats were working hard with small rigs. Aberdare had a good win to get back on scratch, Yendys withdrew after a heroic call for a peak head spinnaker led to a dislodged bumpkin, and Top Weight and Alruth swam. Britannia had a great ride to the line with ballooner to finish third, clocking 9.2 knots on GPS, not bad for an 18' waterline and 1200 kg of boat and crew, but the lighter Aberdare topped that with a recorded 13.7 knots under masthead spinnaker!
Top Weight's Day
Tricia got some great footage from the spectator ferry of the Historical 18-footers race on Sat 8 December 2018. The race was in 20-25 knots of Nor'Easter with wind against an outgoing tide making for lumpy conditions. One boat Yendys broke their bumpkin (bowsprit to lesser mortals), and Scot withdrew after the bottom mark with too much rag up leaving 6 boats to finish. Top Weight had a great tussle with Britannia and Tangalooma with the lead changing several times but Top Weight pulled away at the end for a good win.
Setting a Spinnaker and Ringtail
Still just playing with my new GoPro, but I captured a bit of the action in a race on 3 November. We should have more rag up, but a front came through at 20 knots while rigging so we went with 3rd rig, but it dropped to 10-15 once we got out to the start.
Plank Repairs
After 16 hard racing seasons several of Britannia's planks needed sections replaced. This is how I went about it.
A New Ringtail Spar for Britannia
Britannia's bottom big ringtail spar has been broken and repaired several times and this past off-season it was time to build a new one, from a nice piece of clear Oregon Pine (Douglas Fir) that I'd been saving.
2017-18 Season, Britannia and others
I've compiled Tricia's video footage from the spectator ferry for the whole of the season and it's presented here as a report. Includes some stills and footage from our trip to Annapolis to race on and against the Sandbaggers.
Harold Cudmore takes out the 2018 Australian Historical 18-Footer Championship
Harold Cudmore has been sailing for a few months each season with the historical replica fleet in Sydney for about 15 seasons. He has usually been the runner up in the Championship to John Woody Winning and a few others but finally cracked it this year in the mighty Yendys.
The Aussie 18- A Sure Bet A video by Off Center Harbor
The guys from Off Center Harbor filmed us in Hobart in February and Annapolis in September and produced their usual very professional video. Type this link http://bit.ly/2m2sRp7 or Google offcenterharbor.com
What's a Ringtail?
Ringtails are a characteristic sail of Aussie Open Boats, and this video explains exactly what a ringtail is.
Building Britannia
I dug up the footage of the Britannia replica being built in 2001-02 and her launch day. It's not quite a how-to video but there are lots of tips to go along with The Open Boat book.
Britannia in Hobart Feb 2017
At the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart we displayed Britannia on the hard with the big spars up. It looked pretty awesome, even I was impressed at how far from the boat I was when under the tip of the spinnaker pole. So I took a walk around the boat and added comments and the measurements.
Yendys 26 January 2017
Yendys replica steered by Harold Cudmore crosses the line for second in the last heat and second overall in the Australian Championships 2017. The Galloping Ghost Trophy was won by John "Woody" Winning and crew in Aberdare, replica of the original "Galloping Ghost". Irish sailor Harold has been visiting Sydney every Summer for 15 years to sail on the Historical skiffs, and though he's won the Australia Day Regatta several times he hasn't yet cracked the Galloping Ghost Trophy.
The Open Boat Book
The one below is just a flick through the book just to prove it exists! Go to The Open Boat Book Page to order.
Close Finish in Fresh Breeze, Aberdare and Britannia
The video below is from a race on Saturday 26 November 2016 with Britannia on the left and Aberdare on the right racing to the finish in 20 knots of breeze with peakhead spinnakers and ringtails with 3rd rigs. Both these ringtails are of the post 1932 style with triangular heads. Britannia's larger ringtail used with first and second rigs has the earlier shape with the upper batten at roughly the same angle as the gaff with the halyard secured in the centre of the spar as seen in most of the black and white photographs of originals on other Pages. This was taken with an iPhone from the spectator ferry.