Seven Australian yachting legends have been inducted into the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s new Hall of Fame at the Club’s inaugural dinner celebrating the launch.
The Club inducted Captain John Illingworth, Stan Darling, Trygve Halvorsen, Magnus Halvorsen, Syd Fischer AM OBE, Hugh Treharne OAM and Michael York OAM into the official CYCA Hall of Fame, the first in its history.
“I’m so proud to have been inducted,” said Hugh Treharne OAM.
Treharne, widely considered as one of the most exceptional sailors in Australia, has salt-water in his veins.
“When I was young my family lived in and operated Manly Boatshed. At two years old, If I had of been looking in the right direction I could have watched the start of the very first Sydney Hobart Yacht Race at North Head – if only I had been paying attention!”
CYCA Commodore Paul Billingham also took time to reflect on the Club’s history:
“Establishing the CYCA Hall of Fame is an important milestone in the history of the Club.
“On the eve of the Club’s 75th anniversary it’s fitting to acknowledge the quite exceptional records of sailing achievement by seven CYCA Members of the past and the present in the Hall of Fame.
“In future years we will add to the number of inductees who have, through their example, truly lived the core, understated but simple purpose of the Club – to promote and encourage yachting,” said Billingham
The inductees into the CYCA Hall of Fame were acknowledged at a night that also paid tribute to the Club’s Members who have recently registered 20 years’ Membership.
Information follows on the seven inductees into the CYCA Hall of Fame, provided by CYCA Life Member David Kellett, as well as Peter Shipway, a prominent ocean racer and Member for nearly 50 years.
Captain John Illingworth was one of the greatest exponents of sailing and ocean racing. Following World War II, he was the Chief Engineer Officer at the Royal Navy Repair Base at Garden Island. His reputation as an accomplished ocean racer in the UK had preceded him, notably his knowledge of all aspects of yacht design, rigging and racing and his willingness to share his knowledge with others earned him the deep admiration of would-be ocean racers in Australia.
Following a meeting of the newly formed CYCA in May 1945, Illingworth was invited to join Peter Luke, Jack Earl and Bert Walker in a cruise to Hobart over Christmas that year. Illingworth suggested “Why don’t we make a race of it” and the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was established.
Through Illingworth’s connection with the RORC, their rating rule was utilised to measure the fleet. Illingworth went on to take Line Honours in the first race and win the event on handicap.
John Illingworth is considered the Father of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and was elected a Life Member of the CYCA in 1957 and remained a friend of the CYCA for the rest of his life.
Stan Darling was born in Hobart in August 1907. He worked for the ABC as a radio announcer and in 1936 was transferred to Sydney before enlisting for service in World War II in the Royal Australian Navy. Stan returned from the war as one of the most decorated Australian naval officers being awarded three Distinguished Service Crosses.
In 1947, Stan joined Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen as navigator aboard Peer Gynt thus embarking on a yachting career with equal distinction, making up the third member of the most consistently winning ocean-racing team ever put together.
Stan competed in 27 Sydney Hobart Yacht Races, taking Line Honours twice (1953 Solveig and 1976 Ballyhoo) and was overall winner five times (1954 Solveig, 1957 Anitra, 1963 and 1964 Freya and 1970 Pacha).
Due to illness, the Halvorsen Brothers did not sail in 1954, leaving Stan to skipper Solveig to an overall win. In 1967, Stan was navigator in the winning Admiral’s Cup team aboard Balandra.
Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen are among the most successful ocean racers ever to have sailed out of Sydney. Their record performance in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is unlikely ever to be broken and overshadow their unquestioned distinction in boat building, yacht design (Trygve’s great talent) and ocean yacht navigation (Magnus’s self-taught specialty).
Trygve joined the CYCA in 1946 serving on the Board of Directors and Rear Commodore 1953-54. Magnus joined in 1947 and had an active role in the Safety Committee
The brothers designed and built all their boats meeting great success in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with five overall wins (1954 Solveig, 1957 Anitra, 1963,64 and 65 Freya), in addition to five second-place finishes.
Magnus went on to win the race again in 1974 as navigator on Love & War, as well as Line Honours twice, 1971 Kialoa II and 1975 Kialoa III. The race record, set by Kialoa III in 1975, stood for 21 years.
Syd Fischer has been a Member since 1962, and has competed in 47 Sydney Hobart yacht races, owning 14 different yachts along the way. His first Hobart in the Lion Class Malohi in 1962 was followed in 1968 by the most famous of his yachts, the 48’ Sparkman and Stephens-designed Ragamuffin, in which he went on to race to Hobart in six races, rarely out of a podium finish either overall or in division. Syd won the race overall in 1992 and took Line Honours twice in 1988 and 1990.
Syd was a committed competitor and was part of the Australian Team in the Admiral’s Cup in six events, Captaining the Team on five occasions and winning the Fastnet race in 1971 and leading the winning team in 1979. In addition, Syd challenged for the America’s Cup five times involving many CYCA Members, particularly junior sailors in many of his challenges.
A Member since 1971, Hugh Treharne is one of the most exceptional sailors in Australia, having won the America’s Cup in 1983, Admiral’s Cup in 1979, Sydney Hobart race twice (1992 and 1993), the Fastnet Race in 1971, the World One Ton Cup in 1971 and Half Ton Cup in 1975 and the World 18-foot Skiff Championship in 1970 as well as numerous national titles in yachts and skiffs.
Hugh has sailed in 30 Sydney Hobart races commencing with Norm Brooker aboard Seawind in the mid 1960s. He sailed aboard many top-quality yachts including Ragamuffin winning the race overall in 1992 and winning overall again in 1993 aboard Cuckoo’s Nest.
Hugh sailed in six Admiral’s Cup campaigns, including winning the Fastnet Race aboard Ragamuffin in 1971 and winning the Cup for Australia in 1979 as helmsman aboard Impetuous.
Michael York is the longest-serving member of the CYCA, having joined in 1945. Mick and his wife Jeannette have been a part of the CYCA virtually since inception and have contributed much to the fabric of the club. The annual drinks party at the York’s waterfront home for visiting international yachts out for the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race are fondly remembered.
The consummate seaman Mick was in high demand aboard ocean-racing yachts in his day and was a crew member aboard Gretel in Australia’s first challenge for the America’s Cup in 1962 and aboard Caprice of Huon in the 1965 Admiral’s Cup team. With the arrival of the maxi yachts contesting Line Honours in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Mick was a regularly crewman aboard Kialoa and was aboard Kialoa III in 1975 when she set the race record which stood for 21 years.
In 1974 Mick skippered his Tasman Seabird yacht Tui Manu to an overall win in the Sydney Noumea Yacht Race. He and Jeanette spent many years cruising their yacht Rockhopper in the Pacific.
The CYCA will honour other Club legends in its 75th year, adding more personalities to its Hall of Fame in 2019.
