My Boat

Bill Clayton

MyBOATisintendedtogivememberssomeinsightorinformationaboutothermembers“prideandjoy”.

This article, however, is about a boat that had 60 owners, was designed in New Zealand but very nearly didn’t get built because the designer would only allow a select boat builder to use his plans and that boat builder was “who knows where” in Australia. Turns out he was working at the Southport Yacht Club.

• A boat that was built in less than three months, went to Hawaii to compete in the Pan-Am Clipper series with only a couple of sea trials conducted by sailing to Sydney. • A boat crewed by members who had to pay their way to Hawaii as well as $1000 to become an owner. • A boat, which against all odds won line honours and division honours in all 5 events in the 1980 PanAm Clipper race in Hawaii. • A boat, that attracted so much attention, Mr Joe Bjelke Petersen, Queensland Premier held a State reception in Brisbane and a Mayor Keith Hunt held a Civic reception on the Gold Coast • A boat, that was financed by “chook raffles” and Art Union.

I am talking, of course, about the Gold Coast Express. The story starts in 1980 during a conversation between two members over a couple of beers. As most good stories do. Member John Swan, a travel agent came up with the “crazy idea” of getting a boat and entering it in the Pan Am Clipper Cup in Honolulu. John approached Mal Wood and they decided to fly to the USA to charter a suitable boat to enter in the Series, but they had no success and ended up deciding to build a boat in Australia. Renowned designer, Laurie Davidson was not convinced that he should entrust his design to either an incompetent boat builder or a poor bunch of sailors. He nominated three boat builders that he would entrust his design. All three were New Zealanders and two were booked out for months, and the third had gone “walkabout in Australia”. By a stroke of good luck, John and Mal happened to know that he was working at the Southport Yacht Club at the time. Mal Wood also managed to convince Laurie that we had a great pool of talented sailors at Southport Yacht Club. A workshop was arranged, tools borrowed, and work commenced. The hull was built of moulded ply with a final sheath of fibreglass cloth. The hull was built upside down with light stringers laid from stem to stern to form the shape. The skin consisted of three layers of one,eighth ply (4mm) with strips of ply 10inch wide fixed to the stringers from gunwale to gunwale, diagonal to the keel. This method of construction is extraordinarily strong and lightweight. The Gold Coast Express measured 37 feet overall (11mtrs), a beam of 11ft 9 inches (3.5 metres), a single mast of 54 feet (16.5mtrs) Other SYC members who were actively involved in the project were Jim Inglis and Mayor Dennis Pie. Another enthusiast was Don Stead, who was later editor of “The Broadsheet” the then SYC Magazine. In April 1980 Don wrote: “The Gold Coast Express is an ocean racing yacht rated in the one-ton class. It is being built to compete in the Pan Am Clipper Cup in Honolulu in August this year. A group of enthusiastic club yachties are working like mad to ensure that the boat is launched on 19th April. The cost of construction is being met by selling share units of $1,000 each. The boat will be crewed by members who are shareholders and who will meet all their expenses.” Several methods of fund-raising were instituted. A popular method involved regular “chook raffles” on the SYC premises. Mal Wood recalls some club wags dubbed the Gold Coast Express the “chook boat” because it was partly financed by such raffles. But the major fund-raising project was the Southport Yacht Club Pan Am Clipper Cup Art Union. Funds raised would help meet the cost of shipping Gold Coast Express to Hawaii and getting her back home. Tickets were $1. The prize was a return trip for two to Honolulu from August 1st - 17th, donated by John Swan. This included entry to all official yacht club functions throughout the race series. Don Stead said, “This is an exciting effort by a small group of club members to have the Southport Yacht Club make a serious challenge in a major international competition. It will help the club become a well-known name among the international yachting fraternity.” In May 1980 Commodore Phon Blondell stated: “I would like to request members to back my old mate Alick Rose with the Gold Coast Express Art Union. Alick is 84 but has more go in him than I have. He has initiated the Art Union and worked like the devil to get the books out to ticket sellers. He is living eating and sleeping with the Art Union on his mind continually.” In 1980, Alick’s hard work for the Gold Coast Express Art Union was successful and $6,000 was raised. On May 5th, 1980 the Gold Coast Express was launched at the Southport Yacht Club. The yacht was christened by the widow of Lindsay Firth, SYC’s first Commodore. In June 1980 the vessel was sailed to Sydney for her trials before being shipped to Honolulu. On July 26th, the yacht’s crew arrived in Hawaii. They were Jim Inglis (skipper), Mal Wood, Bert and Brian Sherring, Richard Gregory, Alan Saunders (Flash), Tommy Baker and Bob Fraser (Sailmaker). Veteran sailor Albie Bergin joined the team as navigator. Albie was later honoured by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia by being named Ocean Racing Veteran of the year.

Poor “Flash” never got to crew, as just before the first race, he mistook a guard rail for a fence and launched himself into “space” resulting in a broken arm. He took over media duties and gained hugely successful coverage for Gold Coast Express and the Gold Coast. Back in Southport, club members went wild with joy when the Gold Coast Express made a clean sweep, winning all five races and taking line honours in her Division. It was indeed a famous victory - five starts for 10 wins.

On August 27th, 1980 club members turned out in force to welcome home the victorious crew. Next day the crew received a well-deserved civic reception from Gold Coast Mayor Keith Hunt. In October, the Member for Southport in State Parliament, Peter White, paid tribute to the achievements of the Gold Coast Express. In Parliament, he said: “It is a remarkable feat because 12 months ago some members of the Southport Yacht Club got together to design and build a boat to go to Hawaii and win. They showed the spirit of private enterprise. It involved getting people off their tails, raising the money, building the boat, having a go - and winning!” On October 24th, 1980 the Gold Coast Express received the ultimate accolade. The crew and some of the organisers of the project were given a state reception by Queensland Premier, Mr (later Sir) Joh Bjelke-Petersen at Parliament House, Brisbane. The amount of national and international publicity the project gained for the Gold Coast and the Southport Yacht Club was immense,

Gold Coast Express

The 1982 Pan Am Clipper Cup was again contested by the Gold Coast Express. But its victory was not to be repeated. A report by skipper Mal Wood from the deck of Gold Coast Express said: “Ten days before the series started, hurricane John caused winds of 110 mph south of the big island of Hawaii, with 20 - 30 ft seas. Three hurricanes in three weeks kept conditions heavy for a light displacement 37ft yacht. Only one yacht in the series was smaller than the Gold Coast Express. This Japanese yacht did not survive the first triangle and was the first of a line of broken masts during the series.” Mal reported on Race Three - 150 miles Molokai-Maui and return: “After the race had been postponed for 24 hours the fleet got underway in 20-25 knot winds. The seas in the Molokai channel were 12-16ft high. Daybreak saw us heading homeward under spinnaker and full main. Surfing down 10ft seas saw the complete rig disappear over the port bow. The runner block exploded, letting the runner stay loose and the wind and sea did the rest. With our mast broken in two pieces, one hanging over the side and only above the deck we looked an “sorry” sight. “We managed to get the mast to the surface, retrieve the spinnaker and haul the mess aboard. We got back to Honolulu under power. The yacht was completely derigged and examined but the repair was not possible. This put us out of the rest of the series. It was disappointing for the crew who had given 12 months in preparation for the event.”

So, what happened to Gold Coast Express; • In February 1983, according to reports, she was sold to Barclay Wade of Sydney and was renamed Middle Harbour Express. • Successfully competed in the Sydney Hobart Yacht race in 1986/1987/1988 and 1989 with podium finishes in her class three times. • According to recent reports she has been spotted at Lake Macquarie and Pittwater and is still competing in club events.

Would be great to try and put another syndicate together and bring her back to the Gold Coast, wouldn’t it???

Source “The History of the Southport Yacht Club (Alexander McRobbie.) Additional material: Don Stead (Broadsheet) Bert and Brian Sheering (Crew) Dave Churton (Owner syndicate) Bill Clayton and Ian Hall (Research) Southport Yacht Club Archives.

1980 Gold Coast Express