Classic yacht Sayonara (1899)
The legendary Australian yacht Sayonara - designed by William Fife III - photographed off St. Kilda (Melbourne) on September 2, 1899. The 17.67 m (LOA) x 3.29 m Sayonara is here shown with her original yawl rigging. My restoration and digital hand colorization of Mark James Daniel´s 1899 photo in the Victoria State Library archive.
"Sayonara, Japanese for goodbye, was built for Mr G F Garrard, then commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV) at a time when the largest yacht in Australia were to be seen on Port Phillip Bay.
Designed as a fast cruising yawl with high bulwarks by W Fife of
Scotland, being a sister ship to his own champion Cirego, she was built by Mr A McFarlane of Birkinhead, Adelaide, and launched in November 1897. She then cruised around to Melbourne in record time.
Her first major race was when sailed by Mr A P Agg of the Brighton
Yacht Club in the Intercolonial regatta held on Hobsons Bay, February 1898, where she defeated all opposition including the then undefeated South Australian Champion Alexa to win the major prize of $140.
In no time she proved to be invincible on Port Phillip. She was a
marvel in light weather when she was able to walk away from all
opposition. Then a hard blow was struck when the various clubs decided to put limitations on the sizes of yachts entering important races and regattas.
This decision only affected Sayonara and the Alexa which had remained in Victoria for several years as there was no competition for a yacht of her size in Adelaide.
July 1898, Sayonara was sold to Messrs C D and J A Wallace who decided to keep her at St. Kilda in season 1898/99, when able to, she raced in events of both the RYCV and the St Kilda Yacht Club. In winter 1899 her rig was altered to that of a cutter, increasing her sail area to 2079 sq. ft. Shortly afterwards she was under the sole ownership of C D Wallace. The season 1900/01 she was laid up as her owner was overseas."
In 1912 Sayonara was sold to Sydney, where she has remained ever since under several owners:
"Sayonara was converted to a Bermudan rig and spent the latter years on Pittwater. The yacht has been a well known sight at her mooring off Scotland Island being used for cruising. The previous owner, Mr Hank Kossen, was impressed with the restoration of Waitangi when he inspected the yacht in Sydney during the 1995 Gaffers Regatta. He undertook to advise Col Anderson if he was ever to consider selling Sayonara (which at that time was unlikely).
Late in 1996 Hank advised that he wished to sell Sayonara. A holding syndicate was formed to purchase and transport the yacht to Melbourne and gave her a million-dollar refit before re-launching her in 2000.
She has since been a regular in classic yacht events."
(Classic Yacht Association of Australia)
Classic yacht Sayonara (1899)
The legendary Australian yacht Sayonara - designed by William Fife III - photographed off St. Kilda (Melbourne) on September 2, 1899. The 17.67 m (LOA) x 3.29 m Sayonara is here shown with her original yawl rigging. My restoration and digital hand colorization of Mark James Daniel´s 1899 photo in the Victoria State Library archive.
"Sayonara, Japanese for goodbye, was built for Mr G F Garrard, then commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV) at a time when the largest yacht in Australia were to be seen on Port Phillip Bay.
Designed as a fast cruising yawl with high bulwarks by W Fife of
Scotland, being a sister ship to his own champion Cirego, she was built by Mr A McFarlane of Birkinhead, Adelaide, and launched in November 1897. She then cruised around to Melbourne in record time.
Her first major race was when sailed by Mr A P Agg of the Brighton
Yacht Club in the Intercolonial regatta held on Hobsons Bay, February 1898, where she defeated all opposition including the then undefeated South Australian Champion Alexa to win the major prize of $140.
In no time she proved to be invincible on Port Phillip. She was a
marvel in light weather when she was able to walk away from all
opposition. Then a hard blow was struck when the various clubs decided to put limitations on the sizes of yachts entering important races and regattas.
This decision only affected Sayonara and the Alexa which had remained in Victoria for several years as there was no competition for a yacht of her size in Adelaide.
July 1898, Sayonara was sold to Messrs C D and J A Wallace who decided to keep her at St. Kilda in season 1898/99, when able to, she raced in events of both the RYCV and the St Kilda Yacht Club. In winter 1899 her rig was altered to that of a cutter, increasing her sail area to 2079 sq. ft. Shortly afterwards she was under the sole ownership of C D Wallace. The season 1900/01 she was laid up as her owner was overseas."
In 1912 Sayonara was sold to Sydney, where she has remained ever since under several owners:
"Sayonara was converted to a Bermudan rig and spent the latter years on Pittwater. The yacht has been a well known sight at her mooring off Scotland Island being used for cruising. The previous owner, Mr Hank Kossen, was impressed with the restoration of Waitangi when he inspected the yacht in Sydney during the 1995 Gaffers Regatta. He undertook to advise Col Anderson if he was ever to consider selling Sayonara (which at that time was unlikely).
Late in 1996 Hank advised that he wished to sell Sayonara. A holding syndicate was formed to purchase and transport the yacht to Melbourne and gave her a million-dollar refit before re-launching her in 2000.
She has since been a regular in classic yacht events."
(Classic Yacht Association of Australia)