Bob Miller/Ben Lexcen Whitworth design Ceil III

Thought this yacht may be of interest to the forum. It is Ceil III, winner of the Syndney Hobart in 1973 for owner W Turnbull and now sitting and looking rather sad in a boat yard in the UK. Big boat to still have a tiller and transom hung rudder.

http://www.adurboatsales.co.uk/boat_spec.jsp?boat_id=518&go_somewhere=boat_list.jsp?status=A

Priced now at £20,000, was on eBay in May for bids over £9,000 and is also still listed on eBay for £15,000, probably take offers given the cost to keep her moored in the marina. Lot of boat for that money and great history. Anyone have any personal knowledge of the boat. Was she always painted this colour scheme, deep red stripe with white deck and white antifoul? How did she sail? Well I assume to win the Sydney Hobart. Was it a windy race or light airs?

Interested to know some more history as the boat is not far from me in Sussex,UK and hoping someone takes her on as she would probably do well in offshore races today given age allowance etc.

Thanks,

Andy

 

It was in Plymouth for years, I raced against it in the 1980's. Yes always that colour.

RW

 

How did it go? Well, she was top boat in the 1973 Southern Cross Cup series (the series that used to be sailed around the Hobart) against good (if not amazing) competition from NZ, Australia and the UK. She was top one tonner in the short races in a variety of winds (beating the boat that had almost won the Worlds the year before but which was off form) and then blitzed the breezy downwind Hobart.

After winning the Hobart, she was about 5th in the 1974 World One Ton championships in the UK, against a hot fleet from many countries. Jack Knights' story of the event indicates that she was probably not quite as quick in Channel conditions as the best of the Peterson and Holland designs, but then as Ben Lexcen said, she wasn't meant to be. She was back half of the fleet in the light air race 1 but seems to have been solidly in the lead group from them on.

Her near sister Rampage (rumour says some error during building lifted her rating above the One Ton level so they added more sail) won the '75 Hobart, another downwind race but only moderately breezy, from the World One Ton champ Pied Piper (Peterson design, USA) and the first Farr One Tonner, Prospect of Whitby. Rampage also did OK in the short events.

Given the speed of design development at the time, the shape was arguably very close to being the equal of anything in the world when the boats were new.

The production 'glass versions of the design never really went (the third timber boat did OK), but I don't think any of their owners had any success with other boats they owned. Three of the big versions (Apollo II, Gingko and More Expectations) were as fast as anything their size and rating in the world in their day, although they were never at their best in light winds due to the small rigs and big hulls. Some of the more radical developments of the Ciel III shape had slacker bilges and more Vee in the hull and sometimes more tortured sterns, and they were often notoriously slow.

I think Ciel went OK a few years ago under IRC - her results were on the RORC site I think.

 

Thanks

Thanks so much for e information. I will have a search on the RORC website and old results. Makes me want to buy the old girl but running coats would be steep and she needs some major TLC before she slides into decline.

Andy

 

Looks cool, those pics on the brokerage site are seven years old, how does she look against them now.
Would be great for you to buy but I'd tread carefully(literally), if still in reasonable cond could be fun.

All the best.

 

Tired

Hi, yes the pics are old and she does look very tired and dirty and that is just the surface condition. What lurks beneath who knows. I think on one pic of the stern it looks like there is some opening on the planking but might not be. I am away for a week but when I am back I will get a look around her and take some more up to date pics. I found some cool pics on a French site for One Tonners....

http://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/One Tonner/One tonner Liste.htm

Searching for Ceil III gives this and some great pics of her with blooper...

http://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/One Tonner/ODE 1 Ceil.htm

Cheers, Andy

 

Video of 1973 Sydney Hobart

Found this, lost of great footage of a golden age of yacht racing...and lots of shots of Ceil III.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNeugm6APE8

 

Good Day -
Do you know where CEIL III is located now ?
Am a bit nostalgic - Have sailed Ceil III in 1980 for the British Isles race...
Thank you

 

Ceil III

Hi, yes I believe she is still berthed at Lady B Marina in Shoreham. If you call Graham Barnes at the GP Barnes chandlers and yacht brokers he can tell you as I believe the boat was sold to a member of the Sussex Yacht Club in Shoreham. Graham sold the boat. She had not had any work done last time I was down about 6 moths ago so I hope she is being looked after being wood she could go downhill fast. Good luck if you go down there, I am sure Graham would put you in touch with the new owner or even show you round. She was quite a time warp when I looked at her. Would be great to see her racing RORC or JOG races. Post a reply if you get to see her. Regards. Andy

 

Thanks a million Andy.
I am in Cape Town now but next time I am in Europe, will try to go there. Meantime, I will get in touch with Graham Barnes. Cheers - Jean-Bernard.

 

Hi, website for chandlers is http://www.gpbarnes.co.uk

His brokerage site is Adur Boat Sales

http://www.adurboatsales.co.uk

He is not to quick replying to emails but may be better to call if not too expensive. Good luck. Andy

 

Some notice about this boat?? It's possibile Miller-Whitworh Olympic 48?