The Yacht’s Story (from Chris Jackson)

Wilparina is reportedly hull no 101 (although I can’t actually find this number anywhere on the boat). She was apparently Maybrook’s display vessel at the 1982 Sydney boat show, and has the excellent teak and celery-top pine interior fitout that was pictured in Maybrook brochures around that time. She is the boat pictured and sailed in the Australian Sea Spray “Performance Test” article in August 1982. She was fitted out and named by Alan McAlpine from Maybrook, and the first owner was Con Rafferty. In 1987 she was sold to Keith and Maurine Cole. The Coles sailed her mainly in Pittwater until we purchased her in November 2005 and brought her to Brisbane.

We intend to fit her out for cruising the Queensland coast and, if we can find the time, the western Pacific. So far we’ve installed new standing rigging, a genoa furler, and new instruments; more work is on the way.

Webmaster note: It is possible that Swarbrick’s invoiced her as hull no 101 but recorded it as 103 in their records as a lot of S&S 34s were being built at this time and the number recorded on the invoice could have differed from that recorded in their register, which lists the boats according to the date the contract was signed rather than the date of completion. For the Association records we have gone by the Swarbrick’s register as this is the only official record.

Photos

On Pittwater, when owned by Keith Cole. Photograph: Keith Cole