Old Quarter Tonners -Magic Bus

Phum,
Have a look at www.yachthub.com.au for the Davidson 40, "Blue Max". Its advertised twice, the second ad from Geelong shows a shot of the keel and if you look carefully you will see the same profile at the top of the keel. You may have to save the picture of the stern on shot to a picture programme and enlarge it to see it properly. The profile of the fins are the same and I think the hull shape is identical as well. I would tag it as a Davidson.

 

Phum&Ramona!
Yes, it starts to look like a Davidson. As Gary B. pointed out Davidson is estethic. I don't know if that skeg qualifies. I remember my brother Carl taking a look at the skeg of the Davidson quarter-tonner "Hi Flyer" at the World's in Italy -79. He was shaking his head in disbelief: "What the **** has Laurie created at the rudder!" Hi Flyer ended about 15th. At the World's in NZ -80? the design was modified. Helmer Pedersen was about 4th. Let's hope the modifications included that skeg.
Regards,
Booster

 

The white mystery boat is Quarterflash, a Davo design that was runner-up in the 'worlds' (actually an Oz titles as no one else turned up) in Melbourne in 1982. Quarterflash also did quite well in the 1984 worlds (although no one could touch the Briand Comte de Flandre) but they withdrew from the short offshore after accidentally rounding the wrong mark.

I seem to recall that one of the top quarters (Quartermaster, winner in 82??) capsized and sank offshore from the port where Quarterflash now sails. And I also seem to recall one good 1/4 being dropped from the travelift - maybe that was Quarterflash?

 

Thanks CT249!

You have been lurking in the weeds for some time now. I was Googling about that mystery boat, but come up with this instead:

[DOC] Crisis, Contradiction and Struggle in Developing Lifelong ... - [ Översätt den här sidan ]Filtyp: Microsoft Word - Se som HTML-version
By January 2000 there were seventeen fields of study ("agriculture, ... Laurie Davidson (2000), designer of Team New Zealand boats, left school at age 15. ...
www.edst.educ.ubc.ca/faculty/boshier/.../LifeLongLearning.doc - Liknande
av R Boshier - 2001 - Citerat av 15 - Relaterade artiklar - Alla 7 versionerna

"Tom Schnackenberg (2000) sail designer for the victorious Team New Zealand (America's Cup) is a dropout doctoral student from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver). Dennis Conner (2000) considered Schnackenberg "the best brains in the America's Cup." Team New Zealand tactician Brad Butterworth confessed he was "hopeless" at Penrose High School in the 1970s (Zenmaster of the Sea, New Zealand Herald, February 19-20, 2000, p. J4). Laurie Davidson (2000), designer of Team New Zealand boats, left school at age 15. He has no naval architecture or other formal qualifications. And doesn't use a computer (Boshier, 2000).

As well as a lack of credentials, what these New Zealanders had in common is a tendency to ignore orthodox wisdom. All are creative and obsessed with quality."

Regards,
Booster

 

Hi!
It shall be noted that the article above probably was written after the NZ's mentioned left for other countries campains in th America's Cup. Thus, one has to read it with some scepticism.
Regards,
Booster

 

Interesting. The stern shape doesn't say Davidson at all. The bow knuckle is very different from Pendragon/Fun. There is also the pronounced topsides flat to IOR "B", and the MDI/CMDI/OMDI flats and radii, things Davidson's earlier boats seemed to smooth out.

I guess the constant changes to the IOR rule simply herded all the designers into pushing the points in the same way.

Regardless, it is nice to see the old boat in such a fine state.

 

Hi!
I agree with Paul B. My first instinct said it was too unesthetic to be a Davidson. Then I read the site in Ramona's post. The boat at that site shared many features with the mystery boat. To quote the post above regarding the NZ's:

"these New Zealanders had in common is a tendency to ignore orthodox wisdom. All are creative and obsessed with quality."

But as Paul B said:

"I guess the constant changes to the IOR rule simply herded all the designers into pushing the points in the same way."

Seems that even Davidson got "herded".
Regards,
Booster

 

She doesn't look like a classical Davidson, but some other Davoes of the time had that heavily raked stem - the 39' Szechwan, for instance. She also had an extremely flat-sectioned and wide transom, very close to the waterline at the tuck. She went well, which may underline that Laurie isn't scared to get away from his characteristic style (as Mad Max etc also seem to show).

Those who thought she was a modified TY could be forgiven, because a popular TY built not too far away (the MASRM 720) was inspired by the early '80s quarter tonners, although it would have been too light to rate 1/4.

 

Quarter Flash

[I also seem to recall one good 1/4 being dropped from the trave lift - maybe that was Quarter flash? [/QUOTE]

To all those who have posted before about the design of the white boat.

Yes it is Quarter Flash Built for the 82 Worlds in Melbourne.

"Quarter Master" Graham Jones First. "Quater Flash" Keith Jones Second and yours truly "Ocean Racer Chaser" Third

Quarter Flash was dropped from the travel lift at Runaway Bay in 88 and I managed to rebuild the hull much to the delight to owner at the time.

Note the keel is two parts the top 100 mm or so is cast iron Tee section this and was very thin in cross section something about reducing drag in the boundary layer? It also was cut away aft to expose more shaft length as the length was measured and the more exposed length there was the lower the IOR rating.

Re Masram Merv Anderson from Deagon near Sandgate Brisbane modelled the Masram on the bow section of the Somata 8 and the aft sections of the Whiting 26 "Onehunnga Bus" two local 1/4 tonners. Masram stands for Merv Anderson Sandgate Road Marine for those who wonder about the name.

Great to read about the interest in these old boats I enjoyed sailing them for many years.

Cheers Dredgie

 

Thanks to all,
Would be interesting to know where it had been hiding all these years.
Looks as new now.
Peter

 

any of you Melbourne guys know much about the Zulu 1/4s? How did they compare to the other Aussie boats about at the time?

 

Any one knows where I can find the One Tonner Ydra. The prototype for the Carter Offshore 37? Winner of the 1973 World One Ton Championship in Sardinia.

 

Paul B

To answer your question about "Father Out" and the Orange boat attached to this post, is that they've been out of sight sense the late 70's. Both were from the Portland, Or. area and just never came back after there brief appearance. This area is death for such boats. Designs oriented for heavy air work are just not competitive up here. Some sport boats can work the nasty step chop during a blow but it's not all that fun, if truth be told. A Melges 32 appeared and raced but is now on the block. I saw a Marten 24 planing in a 45 knot blow just skip off one wave and crash land on an other collapsing the rig like closing an umbrella. The same happened to Father Out and it sank.
crm

PS, Related to #421 posting of Romona / Yacht Hub boat brokerage, on page #4 Chutzpahs a Davidson 33'6" 1989 has a good view of the 1/4 toner , design type we all have been talking about.

 

Keith Jones sold "Quater Flash" to Doug B from Runaway Bay late 80s and I rebuilt her in 88 or 89. "Quater Flash" has always been well look after and Doug was adamant that he would have her back to 100% after the Accident.

Keith and Doug were both owners who looked after their boats well.

I am not sure when Doug may have sold her but if yo PM me I may be able to put you in touch with Doug B.

Cheers Dredgie

 

I recently heard that there was a Davidson QT near Portland that was cut up a couple of years ago. I suppose it was probably one of the boats you are talking about.


When I heard from Harry O about Blitz/Rat Race he told me he heard the Whiting "Afternoon Delight" that I was helping someone look for had been sent to Pensacola, FLA years ago and was destroyed in one of the recent hurricanes. So scratch another daggerboard QT off the list of survivors.