Sunday History Photo

Submitted: Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 02:55

ThreadID: 62469 Views:2776 Replies:4 FollowUps:2

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Member - Doug T (NT)

First I would like to thank Crazy Dog for doing the job last week when I was on the way to Jabiru, he came up with a good one too,

OK , anyone remember Gretel I , I have this 45 rpm Record of the song about Gretel , unfortunatly I didn't make an MP3 of it when I had a turntable or I could have made a link and added it to my webpage .

In 1962 Gretel was the first Australian yacht to challenge the New York Yacht Club for the famed America's Cup. The defenders in Weatherly won the Cup.
The first ever Australian 12-metre is launched on February 19, seven months before the first America's Cup race.
The boat is christened Gretel nine days later on February 28, in memory of Frank Packer's late wife.
The Australian's performance impressed the Americans. Gretel was admired for its downwind pace, although excellent crew work and a remarkable skipper ensured Weatherly retained the Cup

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Reply By: Member - extfilm (NSW) - Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 07:52

Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 07:52

Hey Doug, yes I remember Gretel even though I was not even born when it had its historic race. It even broke the record for the America's Cup when it did race.
I am not sure if it is still there but when I was working in the Whitsundays 15 years ago I had the pleasure of doing a small stint on her. She was doing a tour of the islands and conducting diving on the fringed reefs.
It was a nice boat.
Go Ford
Peter

AnswerID: 329436

Follow Up By: On Patrol & TONI - Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 08:16

Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 08:16

Peter that would be SWEET,
1.2.3. Loundes, Johnson, Winterbottom, in no particular order, just another resounding win for the blue oval.

Hope the Rat recovers soon.

Colin.

FollowupID: 596819

Reply By: On Patrol & TONI - Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 08:19

Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 08:19

I used to do some work down in Cremorne bay, she was a local icon down there.

Still is a good looking boat.
Cheers Colin.

AnswerID: 329438

Follow Up By: On Patrol & TONI - Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 08:29

Sunday, Oct 12, 2008 at 08:29

Alan Payne is selected for membership in the America's Cup Hall of Fame

Alan Payne (1921-1995) - Alan Payne, a brilliant naval architect designed Gretel and Gretel II, two of Australia's first America's Cup challengers. When Australians decided to venture into the America's Cup, there were few Australian naval architects capable of designing 12 Meters: no boat of this type had ever been designed and built in that country. Payne had studied naval architecture at Sydney Technical College and the University of New South Wales, and in 1945 was the only Australian naval architect to devote all of his business to yacht building, both sail and power. His 55-foot Solo won the Sydney Hobart race in 1955.

Alan Payne, having created fast lines for numerous racing craft, was the logical person to elevate Australia to competitive Cup status. He set to work on a four-year project in which he analyzed the lines of Vim, America's best trial horse brought over by Sir Frank Packer. Payne proceeded to test a total of 30 models toward developing Gretel's design. In the 1962 America's Cup, Gretel gave Weatherly a run for her money. Gretel was hugely admired for her superiority in fast downwind sailing. This quality won a race for Australia and nearly a second race in a tight series in which Bus Mosbacher and Weatherly defended the Cup for the New York Yacht Club.

In 1970, Payne designed Gretel II for Packer and skipper James Hardy. The new design proved to be an even more dangerous challenger. Racing against Intrepid, which had won the Cup three years earlier, Gretel II was in contention in the first race until a crewmember fell overboard. The Australian boat won the second race on the water, but lost it in the protest room. After Intrepid won the third race, Gretel II took the fourth before losing the series in the fifth. Payne maintained his involvement with the Cup after 1970, designing the 1983 challenger Advance and consulting for a defense syndicate in 1987. For his tremendous dedication to America's Cup designs Alan Payne is selected for membership in the America's Cup Hall of Fame.

FollowupID: 596820