Due to our Shipping Reporter's age and medication-especially the kickapoo steriods- he is prone to making startling statements .
After recently discovering washed up in Townville the above profusely illustrated The Official Record of Australia 11 , which won the America's Cup at Newport , Rhode Island , on September 26, 1983, described as the sporting triumph of the century , he made the astonishing claim that he played a part in the victory. Please explain!!!
It seems that when he was a pimply copy boy on The Sun , Sydney, in the l950s, he used to work weekends at Halvorsen's Boatshed, Bobbin Head, among the fleet of hire boats and cruisers. The Halvorsens were Norwegian boatbuilders who competed in Sydney Hobart Yacht Races from 1946 to l965.
Once our waterfront roundsman was given the important and smelly task at Bobbin Head of cleaning with creosote the bilge of the large yacht, Lauriana , built in l938 for a member of the Arnott biscuit family , which was a radio vessel from l952 to l964 in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Races.
So he claims his sloshing about in the bilge helped develop the yachting skills that led to Australia blowing the Yanks out of the water in l983.
The Shipping Reporter said he also mixed with veteran sailors when he and other young journos used to imbibe in a Sydney establishment which catered for Norwegian seamen .
The first Aussie 12 metre yacht to challenge for the American's Cup was Gretel ,designed by Alan Payne and built by the Halvorsen Brothers,owned by Sir Frank Packer, who sold it to Alan Bond .
It only won one race against the defender Weatherly .The yacht was also used for Gretel ll's challenge in 1970 and was later sold to Europe and went into disrepair.
There is now a Save Gretel Campaign to return her to Australia and restore part of the nation's maritime history.
(Yachting. America's. Townsville.)
