Back in 1972 I bought my first sailing dinghy. This is a Q Class, an unrestricted 12 foot skiff, a class still active in New Zealand today. I sailed it single handed most of the time which involved a complex range of control skills to keep it upright, everything done from a trapeze wire. Even my brothers were too scared of it to help me out!
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| Waikiwi the day I launched her as my own at Waiake Beach Auckland 1972. |
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| Typical Torbay Boating Club fleet of Paper Tiger catamarans. Waikiwi (foreground) was very competitive against these boats in light airs. |
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1973 I'm pictured here with my Father Roelof and my brother Marten in the driveway of our family home in Waiake, Auckland.
I had repainted Waikiwi over winter, replacing the yellow and white to a royal blue and white colour scheme. |
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| I have no sailing images of Waikiwi. This is another 12 foot skiff from the same era, a Des Townson design. |
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| Waikiwi at Waiake Beach Auckland. I'm adjusting the sail batten tension to create extra draught into the sail for light airs. |
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Waikiwi fresh out of the workshop after a new paint job.
Picture taken at our family home in Waiake, Auckland.
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