Crux

 

Launched December 15th 2008
Owner Carlos Aydos
Purchased 2018
Contact aydosj@gmail.com
Configuration Double spreader keel stepped rig with Mk2 keel and rudder. Vacuum infused vinylester foam sandwich construction
Colour White hull with red and yellow trim and off white deck
Berthed Sydney Harbour
Sail Number MYC8
Australian Registration
State Registration AJS012N
Call Sign VNZ2732
Builder Swarbrick & Swarbrick Yachts, Henderson + shipwright Mike Foss
Hull Number 122
Fit Out Nanni 21hp Saildrive under cockpit, dinette to port, pilot berth to stbd and fully enclosed head and V berth forward
Previous Owners Simon & Rosemary Torvaldsen
Previous Names Blondie

 The Yacht’s Story

Crux (ex Blondie) is the 3rd S&S 34 to be built since the moulds came back to Western Australia and were refurbished to allow vacuum infused construction. Construction commenced in 2007 and took some time to complete as she was the first fully fitted cruiser/racer built using the new construction methods and the first one designed from the start to have a fully enclosed head. Several new mouldings were developed for her fitout,  including the heads compartment, companionway hanging locker, steps and gas bottle locker. Although the construction is entirely foam sandwich composite, wood veneers were used as a finish though the saloon. No liners were used in construction, the remainder of the interior finish being 2 pack polyurethane faired, sprayed and polished.

After a lot of planning and negotiation all hurdles were overcome and she was finally built. She was built under survey and the surveyor had nothing but praise for the quality of her construction. The final fitout was meticulously and beautifully done by Mike Foss and the electrics/electronics wired and installed by Steve Humphries. All deck gear is Ronstan and the quality of the fittings supplied was outstanding, in nearly all cases designed and built to a superior specification to their competition.

A lot of design has gone into optimising the interior and fitout, and we are confident that future owners (of which we hope there will be many) will be saved time, trouble and money by having the detailed development work already done for them. The rig has been standardised and suits both cruising and IRC racing, being significantly stronger and lighter than that originally specified by Sparkman & Stephens.

For more details on the fitout click here or alternatively click on the “new S&S 34” button on the home page

New Owner

The new owner of Crux (formerly Blondie) is Carlos Aydos, who will be racing Crux in Sydney and surrounds.

Previous Owners

Simon is a GP who previously owned a much smaller M27. This was sold to raise funds to buy in to a medical practice and he foolishly thought it wouldn’t take long to save up enough for another boat. Rosemary decreed that the new boat had to have standing headroom, an inboard motor (she still has memories of failing outboards going under bridges), hot water and an enclosed toilet. It had to be a boat that was safe and easy to sail shorthanded for cruising, not too big, but able to be raced competitively if required. She needed to be well built and seaworthy. After a lot of looking around only the S&S 34 really fitted this description and also had the advantage of being pretty and having a very friendly and supportive class Association.

To date most sailing has been racing (fortunately with quite good results) IRC Offshore racing in Western Australia so far, beating the newer Beneteaus, Archambaults etc more often than not. However, we have spent some time at Rottnest, and sailing up and down the coast a little.

For a copy of the article in the West Australian newspaper on our win in the 2011 George Law race (our first real ocean race) please click here

Simon is the current Webmaster of the S&S 34 Association.

Photos

The official launching of Blondie, 11th January 2008, RPYC. Conducted by Dick Newnham and Michael Finn. Click on photos for larger view          

          

          

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Under Code 0 on her way to winning the 2011 George Law Ocean Race outright on IRC. Photo courtesy Bernie Kaaks


Racing back to Fremantle From Hillarys in the Shepherdess Cup race, 29th Jan 2012. Photo courtesy of Bryan Thurston

Crux

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6 thoughts on “Crux

  1. Reveillier would like to offer her congratulations to Blondie for her win in Western Australia.

    Reveillier is an S & S 34 also, built approximately 1970 in Norfolk UK and cruises and races in the Irish Sea.

    Regards,

    Brenton

    • Dear Brenton,
      Thanks very much, it was a fairly hard race with the wind on the nose 0-30knots for 3 days and it was nice to win against some good opposition. It’s not that often that you can say you beat a professionally crewed TP52 by over 6 hours! I was pleased that only 4 boats out of 10 beat us over the line in Div 2, so it wasn’t all just a favourable IRC rating. If you would like to give me some current details on Reveiller, I will update your web page for you. I still have her as owned by Tom & Sheila Smith in Poole.
      Regards, Simon

  2. Pingback: Blondie is for sale | S&S 34 Association

    • Lots more on Blondie’s web page and also the “New S&S 34 specs” which are largely taken from Blondie, although Blondie dose have some extra fit out not in the specs, such as separate Fridge & freezer etc. For anyone who is seriously interested I have spreadsheets detailing the fitout (and costs) down to almost the last block and shackle. Just email me direct via the website.
      Simon

  3. Pingback: Blondie is still for sale! – previous sale fallen through | S&S 34 Association

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