Theme
Theme in 2020, now owned by Brian Holt, twilighting west of the Spit.

Country	Australia
Boat Type	Classic Wooden
Sail Number	1292 29 (in 1972)
Club	Middle Harbour Yacht Club
Year Build	1968 (age 56)
Owner (s)	Brian Holt
Former Owners	D F Swinfield (1984 SASC) Graham O John L Hagan (1972) Mark Tolhurst Norman Hyde
Designer (s)	Peter Cole
Builder(s)	Ronnie Balkwell

Theme

Looking for information on the yacht Theme - this is what we have so far.

Brian Holt is now the proud owner of Theme, a 40' timber classis originally designed by Peter Cole in 1968 from the lines of Barrenjoey, the 5.5 that won Australia's first sailing gold medal in 1964. She was a stretched out version of Barrenjoey.

Brian says he thinks she raced at MHYC in those early days when John Hagan (a friend of Brian Holt's father) owned her and he understands she may have been the club scratch boat.

She is in excellent condition for a 54 year old boat and has done a couple of races at MHYC more recently.

History

MHYC History so far

Barrenjoey in (W H Northam who I gather is Bill Northam) registering this boat in 1964.

The first time Theme is listed in the MHYC handbook is in 1972/3, owned by John L Hagan - sail number 29..

She was still in the 1975/6 book but I have the rest of them after that at the MHYC.

From John Stanley who spoke to Normie Hyde

* Theme was designed by Peter Cole based on the 5.5 Barrenjoey who won the first Sailing Olympic Gold medal for Australia. She was a stretched version of Barrenjoey. * She was built by Ronnie Balkwell

* At the time another similar boat was built - Tunami (believed to be be from Pittwater)

* Graham O'Neil (Pittwater) then bought both boats (Theme and Tunami) and Ken Swanson did both boats up.

* Normie Hyde used to match race them then.

* Next Mark Tolhurst (Frank Tolhurst's son) bought Theme. Mark is still around and is looking at representing his father at the next World 5.5 championships.

YNSW Yacht Register and others

This is what I have so far

Year	Number	Owner	Type	Club	Source
1968	No Mention				YNSW Year Book
1972	29	J L Hagan	Sloop	MHYC	YNSW Year Book/ MHYC Sailing Handbook
1973	29	J L Hagan	Sloop	MHYC	YNSW Year Book/ MHYC Sailing Handbook
1974	29	J L Hagan	Sloop	MHYC	YNSW Year Book/ MHYC Sailing Handbook
1975	29	J L Hagan	Sloop	MHYC	YNSW Year Book/ MHYC Sailing Handbook
1976	29	J L Hagan	Sloop	MHYC	MHYC Sailing Handbook
1976	29	T Copes	Sloop	MHYC	YNSW Year Book
1977	29	T Copes	Sloop	MHYC	MHYC Sailing Handbook
1981	29	W Ross & C. McLennan	Sloop	?	YNSW Year Book
1982	29	D F Swinfield	Sloop	SASC	YNSW Year Book
1983	29	D F Swinfield	Sloop	SASC	YNSW Year Book
1984	29	D F Swinfield	Sloop	SASC	YNSW Year Book
1985	29	D F Swinfield	Sloop	SASC	YNSW Year Book
1987	29	R Humphries	Sloop	RSYS	YNSW Year Book
1997		G O'Neil	Sloop
2000		J G O'Neill	Sloop	RSYS	RSYS Book
2007	1292	Not stated	Sloop
2021	1292	Not stated	Sloop	SASC	SASC Newsletter
2020	1292	Brian Holt	Sloop	MHYC	MHYC Boat Register