User:Sayonara Yacht 1897

Sayonara is a William Fyfe III design racing yacht, built in Birkenhead, Adelaide by Andrew McFarlane – Shipwright for the Commodore of the RYCV Mr George F Garrard. Sayonara was launched in November 1897. Designed as a fast cruising yawl with high bulwarks, Sayonara is sister ship to William Fyfe III – Cirego.



Sayonara is LOD (excluding bowsprit 57’7” ) LOA 72’ LWL 38’2” Beam 10’6.5” Sail Area 1763 sq ft Sail No: R6 Disp. 18 tonnes ARHV Number: HV000367 From 1897 Sayonara held the Inter Colonial Cup for 12 years, and was the fastest racing yacht in Australia for 15 years. Such was her wake that she was eventually banned from entering many races seemingly because nothing else could catch her. She raced in Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmania, and had a long career saying ‘goodbye’ to all competing racing craft.

Her first major race was skippered by Mr AP Agg of the Brighton Yacht Club in the Intercolonial regatta held on Hobson’s Bay, Victoria, in February 1898, where she defeated all opposition including the then undefeated South Australian Champion Alexa to win the major prize of £70.

Quickly she was proven to be invincible on Port Phillip Bay. She was a marvel in light weather when she was able to ‘walk away’ from all opposition. Then various clubs decided to put limitations on the size of yachts entering important races and regattas. This decision only affected Sayonara and Alexa which had remained in Victoria for several years as there was no competition for a yacht of her size in Adelaide.

In July 1898, Sayonara was sold to Messrs CD and JA Wallace who kept her at St Kilda in 1898/99, she raced in events held by the Royal Yacht Club of Victora (RYCV) and the St Kilda Yacht Club.

In 1899 Sayonara was altered to a top sail gaff cutter rig, increasing her sail area to 2079 sq. ft.

In 1902 Sayonara was sold to Mr Alfred Gollin, whom proposed an Intercolonial Challenge between Victoria and New South Wales. A challenge was issued through RYCV and was accepted by Mr H Binney Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) who’s Auckland designed and built Bona had a reputation of not having been beaten. Mr Gollin donated the £50 trophy for the series.

Sayonara won the Intercolonial Challenge in Sydney in January 1904. The cup was won and then offered back as a perpetual trophy to be called “The Sayonara Perpetual Challenge Trophy”. Conditions were drawn up for future competition on similar lines to those of the America’s Cup.

Sydney yachtsmen did not take well to their fastest yacht being beaten. Mr A T Pittar, a New Zealander living in Sydney commissioned Logan Bros. of Auckland, to design and build him a yacht capable of beating Sayonara. The Logan Bros. famous father Robert Logan Snr was the famous class yachtWaitangi’s shipwright. Rawhiti was built and launched in 1905. Rawhiti sailed to Sydney. She was soon sold in Australia to Mr CT Brockhoff, who challenged for the Cup.

In 1907 Sayonara had changed hands again. New owners Messrs Robb and Newbigin raced her in the La Carbine Cup (donated by Sir Rupert Clarke) and held in Hobsons Bay. Rawhiti was entered in the same series. Sayonara was stripped out, and was lighter by almost one ton as a result. The alterations proved unsuccessful, as she did not place in any of the heats. Rawhiti won. At the conclusion of this series Sayonara’s owners had only days before the Sayonara Cup Series, Sayonara was hurriedly put back into trim. This paid off as she scored on every point of sailing.

Sayonara was banned from entering the first Bass Straight Race held by the Geelong Yacht Club in 1907. No defender of any Cup was eligible.

In 1909 a challenge from Lloyd Jones owner of Thelma, Royal Prince Albert Yacht Club was accepted by RYCV and Sayonara. Sayonara won again.

In 1910 Mr W Marks of RSYS issued a challenge with his yacht Awanui and then renamed Cullwalla III (Now named Eun-na-mara)

Mr John Dixon of the Brighton Yacht Club purchased Sayonara in January 1910. Sayonara lost the cup that year to NSW.

'''AUSTRALIAN FLIGHTS. HOUDINIS LATEST RECORD. '''SIX MILES IN 7MIN. 37SEC.''' Harry Houdini has fully established his claim to be considered the first suc- cessful aviator in Australia To his records of the past few days he added yesterday morning a flight of about six miles covered in 7min. 37sec., on his Voisin bi-plane at Digger's Rest. The time was taken by Mr. W. M. Marks, owner of the Sydney yacht Culwalla II. (who had motored up from from town with Mr. John  Dixon, Sayonara's owner), and was checked by another stop-watch in the hands of a reporter of "The Argus." The performance of yesterday morning far excels Houdini's previous flights and constitutes the Aus- tralian record. A certificate of the flight was obtained from the timekeepers and other witnesses. "Diggers' Rest, "March 21, 1910.

Sayonara was soon back on the register of the St Kilda Yacht Club where she remained until 1912, when she was sold to Sydney where under a variety of ownerships she was converted to a Bermuda rig. Sayonara remained in Sydney until 1996.

Sayonara was fully and gloriously restored in Melbourne in 2000 by the same team who famously restored Waitangi to her original glory. Waitangi is again a prized possession in her home town of Auckland, sailing A1 flag for the RNZYS in Classic Regattas on the Waitemata, Auckland’s glorious sailing arena.

In fact many of Sayonara’s current syndicate owners oversaw her full restoration and held similar shares as Waitangi returned to her former grace and glory in Melbourne in 1997.

Today Sayonara is sailing from The RYCV, as members of the Classic Yacht Association, the current Sayonara syndicate of owners actively sails in Classic Yacht races from Spring – Autumn, most weekends, with a professional skipper and growing crew list.

Below decks, in the traditional Victorian saloon are all the comforts of modern boating – 240V power, galley, refrigeration, sound system, plush settee seating and polished dining table. The head is of course electric flush. Above deck Sayonara continues to dominate the Classic fleet, winning in the 2012/13 Classic Yacht Association of Australia season and receiving the Concourse D’Elegance prize at the most recent CYAA Cup Regatta.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1RirLsJH1g

The Sayonara Cup is entitled the Interstate Yacht Race Cup, it is sterling silver, Sheffield hallmark, 1901 on an ebonised timber base. The Cup is prize for 1951-62 – 8 metre yachts 1984 - 	Dragon Class Yachts The Cup is currently held by The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.