Seeking Clarion of Wight

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

Hi all

Does anyone happen to know of the whereabouts/last known sightings of the 1963 S&S-designed Admiral's Cup yacht "Clarion of Wight"? Reason is I am the proud new guardian (or was that my bank manager?) of the C&N "Rocquette" designed to beat her, and would dearly love to get the 2 together at some point! S&S are unaware of where she may be but think she's "alive" somewhere...

As a "new kid on the block" I believe it is my duty to post the obligatory link to pictures - the website for the yard doing the restoration work is http://www.yacht.ro/frame.php?lang=en&linc=race which will update the progress of the work. Yard's in Romania, as labour costs are so much lower than the UK, and quality of craftsmen is high. Will be an interesting experiment!

Cheers
Andrew Thomas
S/Y Rocquette
GBR 2126R

[ 06-11-2004, 12:34 PM: Message edited by: Andrew S/Y Rocquette ]

[Hwyl]

Congratulations on your boat and good luck with the refit, please try to keep us up to date. How did you get the boat to Romania canal river or truck?
Are those boats the same generation as Battlecry? she's a favourite of mine.
This is the U.S. coastguard's searchable database of registere boats http://www.st.nmfs.gov/commercial/landings/cg_vessel2.html
(the site was down when I posted this, today is an impromptu day off for lot's of government workers). Welcome aboard and good luck again, she was built by Clair Lallow right?

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

Hwyl - Battlecry was of the next generation - raced in 1975 Admiral's Cup - have a look at the official history on the RORC site http://www.rorc.org/admiralscup/99cmac/history/1975/default.html .

Rocquette is referenced in the 1965 section as a fore-runner of several successful later designs, 2 of whom pipped Rocquette to the team.

She was sailed from Italy to Romania - being VERY carefully nursed! We looked into trucking her but given her size, the permits and taxes involved and the fact she would have been crossing the Balkans and Hungary in the process made it too expensive.

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

oh - and yes, Clarion was indeed built by Clare Lallow.

[Hwyl]

Did you see that there is a Clarion of Skye registered in Newport R.I on the link that I posted before.

If you the owners name and adress into this website www.anywho.com (http://www.anywho.com) then it will give you a telephone number. Email me on the link above if you have difficuly and I will email it back to you.

I know the length is 48 as opposed to your 42 and it says fibreglass, but the name is so similar, I would of thought that there would have to be a connection.

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

Cheers - will give it a go! Possibly though they liked the name of Clarion of Wight and added their own island at the other end of the UK as the second part!

A

[tony morales]

Hello Andrew, I was reviewing old postings and wondered if you ever found Clarion of Wight? She was built for Derek Boyer and Dennis Miller and built by Clare Lallow of Cowes which you may already know. I didn't fid her in the wooden boat registery but searching Lloyds registery from '63 forward might give you the lat known owner. Let me know either way! Thanks Tony.

[JimConlin]

Try Spakman&Stephens

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

Hi Tony - no joy I'm afraid. Jim - drew a blank with S&S as well unfortunately...

Oh well. One of these days!

A

[Presuming Ed]

Ooh, a mystery. I like mysteries! Would it be this Clarion of Wight you're looking for? - found after a bit of googling.

http://www.waterscapephotos.co.uk/pictures/050360.jpg

Photo taken at the Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta - SYH website is here (with contact details) http://www.suffolkyachtharbour.ltd.uk/

This page http://homepage.eircom.net/~wsc/ri2kupdate.htm - suggests she was owned in 2000 by a Mr & Mrs Turner, members of Wivenhoe SC. Wivenhoe SC have a website which gives contact details: http://www.wivenhoesailing.org.uk/index.html
Might be worth giving them a call?

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Suffolk Yacht Harbour is more or less round the corner from me; shall I have a look?

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

PLEASE!!!!!!

And thanks!

smile.gif

A

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

Attached incidentally is a recent photo of Rocquette's restoration: http://www.yacht.ro/raceboat/5_cold_moulding.gif

[ 11-25-2005, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: Andrew S/Y Rocquette ]

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

OK, I'll try to get ropund there tomorrow.

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

Cheers Andrew - by the way: just realised we have an acquaintance in common - (Lt Cdr) Chris Jones?

[John B]

incidental: Chris the lurker phoned me yesterday about this thread. Several S and S boats were built here to that general model. One in particular was dead sister to Clarion as he recalls it. Certainly , when I saw the photo 'I thought I know that boat'

Jupiter is her name.

[tony morales]

Hello again Andrew and Merry Christmas! I had not seen anything else on your search. You also could look for some competition from "Firebrand" built for the 1965 season, S&S design # 1780, Loa 43-3, lwl 30-0, beam 11-3, draft 6-8 1/2, displacement 22,400 lbs with a 11,040 lbs of lead ballast, Sail area 725 sqft, last known to be owned by the fine English yacht designer Ed du Bois in 2002.
What are the dimensions of your vessel to compare with both Clarion of Wight and Firebrand?

[Andrew S/Y Rocquette]

Hi

ROCQUETTE's a shade under 43 feet, 30'6" on the waterline, and from memory about 11 tons...a bit smaller than both the yachts you mention.

She missed out on the 1965 UK Admiral's Cup team to 2 yachts from C&N based on her design, but a bit larger, plus, I think, am S&S yacht who may well be FIREBRAND...

Waiting to hear back from ACB on CLARION's whereabouts, but as I owe him a bottle of wine dating from the Ashes am sure he will collect on delivery!

Cheers, and a Happy New Year,

Andrew

[ 12-26-2005, 07:19 PM: Message edited by: Andrew S/Y Rocquette ]