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Vessel :
Flamingo
Launch
Date : 1959
Flamingo
was built in 1959 for Peter Cole by John ‘Darkie’ Griffin at Pittwater - not
by Jeff Clist as had previously been belived. Jeff Clist had worked on her during the mid-sixties, the job being to fully spline the
hull as the original planking was working heavily as the boat is quite lightly built.
Peter
Cole sailed her with reasonable success from the RSYS until his heavy
involvement with the first Australian America’s Cup challenge dictated that he
sell the boat – probably in the very early sixties. Geoff Twybill, along with
some partners, bought her and campaigned her very vigorously from the RSYS,
racing against the 30 sqs and the 6 metre classes. At this stage she was
relatively disadvantaged by her modest class-dictated sail area, and the rig
size was increased by moving the forestay forward and raising the hounds, as
well as lengthening the boom. This significantly increased the sail area, but
undoubtedly put much strain the hull during hard racing and probably contributed
in large part to the need for splining.
Geoff
and partners continued to race her until the early seventies when business
interests and young families took precedence and Flamingo was moved to Pittwater
where, by Geoff’s admission, she “went downhill a bit”. The starboard
chainplates had pulled out during a race and a temporary repair effected, but
when Geoff was approached by a buyer in Lake Macquarie, he and the partners sold
her.
Flamingo
stayed in Lake Macquarie for some years (early nineties approximately ), when
she was bought by guy called Peter. There is no record or memory of
his full name). He sailed her in both Sydney, then Brisbane and then back in
Sydney, from the Amateurs Club.
From there she was purchased by Chris Morris.
Leaking
heavily he
had Rob Tearne look at her and he found that as is common with these and 5.5s,
the mast step pressure was separating the floors, frames and garboards from the
keel. Rob replaced sections of a couple of planks either side, put in a couple
of new floors, and sistered some cracked ribs. He also rebedded keel bolts and
repaired the cockpit coamings.
Flamingo
was recently Purchased by Renowned sailor Richard Winnings, who has intentions
to continue her racing career on Sydney Harbour.
Flamingo
has some great photos taken at the time Geoff Twybill owned her. The two of her
sailing down Sydney harbour past Bradley’s Head were featured in Seacraft
Magazine at the time.
She
is also lucky enough to have a copy of the plans supplied to Peter Cole by the
designer, Harry Becker.
She is also a vessel with a sister ship of the same name on the other side of the world.
Beam 2m 6'6"
Draft 1.2m 4ft
Previous Owners
Geoff Twybill
Chris
Morris
Click here for the gallery of Flamingo
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