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John Stanley
Other NameSteamer
GenderMale
NationalityAustralia
HometownSydney
ClubMiddle Harbour Yacht Club
Boats Sailed OnBallyhoo
Big Schott
Seaflyer

John Stanley

Articles and Pictures

1977 World Championships (held in Jan 1978)

Farmer Reaps world E22 Sail Title

Farmer Reaps world E22 Sail Title
Farmer Reaps world E22 Sail Title
The winning crew of Arunga II - John Staley (left), skipper Frank Tolhurst and Norm Hyett
The winning crew of Arunga II - John Staley (left), skipper Frank Tolhurst and Norm Hyett

Newly crowned world sailing champion Frank Tolhurst is rolling up his sleeves to chase another title - this time on land.

In a few weeks he'll be lining up his prize Hereford bulls in the Royal Easter Show ring for the first time.

"We have high expectations of their chances," he said yesterday ' amid celebrations of yet another sailing triumph.

This time it was the E22 world championship sailed off Palm Beach over the past six days.

Tolhurst defeated crews from all over the world, including an American contingent of 17 boats.

Aided by his crew of Norm Hyett and John Stanley, Tolhurst sailed Arunga II into fifth place in yesterday's final heat behind Pod O'Donnell. O'Donnell, another Pittwater entrant would have won the world title had Tolhurst finished sixth.

"We kept a close watch on Poddy all the way and we were both third or fourth for most of the race," Tolhurst said.

"He got through the leading boats near the finish but it really didn't matter. We were always well ahead of the sixth boat in fact we were only a couple of seconds behind fourth."

Yesterday's triumph completes another chapter in the Tolhurst story - probably one of the most intriguing sagas in Australian sailing.

At 52 years of age the E22 title is his second world championship. He was 5.5 metre champion in 1976 - the year he and his crew made a clear sweep of the world's major races.

They won the Australian championship, the world title and King Olaf race in Norway and the Scandinavian Gold Cup.

Yet the closest Tolhurst gets to water for most of the year is watching his prize Herefords drink from a dam on his 800ha stud property in the New England district.

"We probably only sail about half a dozen times a year," Tolhurst said.

"We took delivery of the E22 last May but it has just been sitting there because there was not time to race."

Tolhurst finally blew the dust off Arunga last November to qualify for the world titles.

Their next start was two months later when they took the series by storm.

In six races they finished third, first, first, fifth, seventh and fifth.

1977

Bob Graham & Steamer (John Stanley) on Bob
Bob Graham & Steamer (John Stanley) on Bob's 1/4 Tonner, Bashford in Half Moon Bay, Aukland 1977

1978

1st Pan Am Clipper Cup Race Series in Honolulu, Hawaii- July 1978

For more pictures, see Pan Am Clipper Cup or Big Schott websites

Big Schott leaving Waikiki Yacht Club, start of the 800nm "Around the State" race
Big Schott leaving Waikiki Yacht Club, start of the 800nm "Around the State" race
Big Schott and The Wizard (USA) about to round wing mark of olympic triangle
Big Schott and The Wizard (USA) about to round wing mark of olympic triangle
Bringing Big Schott to Honolulu
Bringing Big Schott to Honolulu
John Stanley, Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
John Stanley, Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
John Stanley & T. W. Thompson (Tweety), Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
John Stanley & T. W. Thompson (Tweety), Big Schott Clipper Cup 1978
Sailing down the Molokai Passage on Big Schott from Maui to Hononlulu
Sailing down the Molokai Passage on Big Schott from Maui to Hononlulu

Seaflyer 78/79

Seaflyer was christened in September 1978 as Seaply, however had to change her name to Seaflyer due to Rule 26. 

She sailed in the World Quarter Ton Championships in Japan in 1979, finishing in 3rd place.

Crew: Hugh Trehane (Skipper), John Stanley, Mike Sharp, Jamie Wilmot (James Wilmot)

For more pictures, refer to the Seaflyer website.

Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - John Stanley
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Richard Hammond (Sighty), John Stanley
Modern Boating January 1979 Seaflyer
Modern Boating January 1979 Seaflyer
John Stanley at Seaflyer
John Stanley at Seaflyer's mast, shaking out a freef for the broad reach from Oshuma Island

Wangi Workers Club

Wangi Workers Club, Lake Macquarie, Feb/Mar 1978
Wangi Workers Club, Lake Macquarie, Feb/Mar 1978
Wangi Workers Club, Lake Macquarie, Feb/Mar 1978
Wangi Workers Club, Lake Macquarie, Feb/Mar 1978
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