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Eudoria

CountryAustralia
Sail NumberMH28
ClubMiddle Harbour Yacht Club
LOA11.27m, 37f
Displacement8.67 Ton
Year Build1948 (age 76)
Owner (s)John Sturrock
Norman Way
W D Sturrock
Designer (s)George Griffin
Builder(s)Jim Perry

Eudoria

This 37-foot yacht, launched in 1948, was designed by George Griffin and built by Jim Perry at the O'Rourke's Boatshed, The Spit, Mosman. 

Eudoria was built for the then current Commodore of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, Norman Way. She was named after Norman's wife Daphne Eudoria Way. 

She was one of the first boats on the MHYC register and raced in the first offshore race run by MHYC to Lake Macquarie in 1955. In the early days she won more races than any other yacht on the Division I register.  

In 1963 Doug Sturrock bought Eudoria and raced her competitively until 1987. "In the last race she competed in there were three generations of Sturrocks who made up her crew'" said Doug Sturrock.

Note: In some articles, she is called Eudoria II as it is believed that Norman had a first smaller Eudoria, however John Sturrock (her current owner) says her original registration plate is in the name of Eudoria.

Pictures and Articles

Note: This 3rd picture says MH14 is Eudoria, but this is not correct. Need to check with John Sturrock whether the picture is correct. MH14 is Bimini.

Eudoria racing on Harbour with Norman Way in the middle.
Eudoria in Shoal Bay 1960
Eudoria in Shoal Bay 1960
MH14 and Julnar MH8
MH14 and Julnar MH8
The Launching of Commodore Norman Way new boat Eudoria
Mrs Daphane Eudoria Way christening Eudoria at Griffins Boat Shed (now O'Rourke's)
Selection of photos of MHYC First Commodore Norman H May 1946-55
Commodore Way Relaxing at Store Beach
MHYC Register 1946/47

Stories

From the Gordon Reynolds Story

extract from Gordon Reynolds:
"Norman had a 28-foot yacht Eudoria and a 36-foot George Griffin-designed Julnar-class yacht which he also called Eudoria. Jim Perry built the newer Eudoria in Griffin's shed at The Spit. She was about three minutes faster around the Manly/Neilsen Park course than the original Julnar sailed by George Griffin with Snowy Pearson and Jim Turner as crew. 
 
Norman discovered a car-top dinghy in the Yachting World magazine, sent away for the plans and had one built in the workshop of his department store, Ways, in Pitt Street. The dinghy was quite a success as a trainer for children and was later renamed Heron, a class that still exists and races at Clontarf on Sundays during summer."

MHYC's First Ocean Race

The Early Years

MHYC: The First 60 Years

Article by: Frank Likely

Published: 1999

Chapter 3 Ocean Racing

Max Barnett's Pinta was the Winner of MHYC's first offshore yacht race. Prior to this event, however, a number of skippers of club yachts had indicated their desire to go offshore sailing. This followed a glowing speech by Wally Burke about his participation in the Lake Macquarie Race. Wally's talk fired up members and the next Lake Macquarie Race saw six MHYC yachts enjoying the excitement of a night start and sail up the coast, and the 'hauling down' to be towed over the 'drop over' into the lake. The hauling down procedure required two motor boats: one to haul the yacht down by the mast using its halyard, the other to tow it over the shallows.

MHYC participants in the 1955 Lake Macquarie Race were: Eudoria (Norman Way); Aquarelle (Nev McEnally);Ailsa (Bill Henderson); Firefly (Graham Newland); Seawind (Norm Brooker); Ladybird (Hal Harpur); and Blue Peter (Wally Burke). There was great racing on the Lake that Easter weekend with outstanding hospitality from the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club and the inevitable hung-over passage home on Easter Monday. Some yachts cruised north to Port Stephens and Broughton Island.

The club's first ocean race, up to Broken Bay, was organised in 1954. Wally Burke was appointed scrutineer, to check the suitability of the competing yachts, and at 0800 hours on August 21, the small fleet drifted across the line, full of anticipation for a pleasant sail up the coast, hopefully with a sojourn in the Newport Pub to follow. The pioneering yachts were: Pinta (Max Barnett); Joy (Alf Wildman); Windsong (Noel Hopkinson); Ladybird (Hal Harpur, sailed by Peter Fletcher); Poinciana (Harry Begg); Talua (Max Halliwell); Ailsa (Bill Henderson); Seawind (Norm Brooker); and Firefly (Graham Newland).

Light headwinds meant that by mid-afternoon only the leaders had reached Long Reef. Max Barnett in Pinta had whistled up a bit of a breeze and had established a good lead, but a few of the fleet gradually dropped out and returned home, or resorted to motoring to Pittwater for the rendezvous at Newport Pub. Around Barrenjoey, the crew of Pinta set a kite, and finished at 0335 hours on August 22 well pleased with their effort. Ailsa crossed the line at 0430 hours; and Seawind followed five minutes later.

The participating skippers voted to repeat the event the following year and it became known as the 'Harry Elderfield Trophy Race'.

Frank Likely

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