Rani
The crew of winning yacht Rani Rani from Sydney Morning Herald archive

Country	Australia
Sail Number	44
Year Build	1936 (age 88)
Owner (s)	Capt John Illingworth, RN
Designer (s)	Arthur Barber
Builder	Les Steel

Rani

Stories

Lake Macquarie Yacht Rani Wins First Sydney to Hobart Race

Rani - Legendary Sydney to Hobart Yacht - Heritage of East Lake Macquarie - History of East Lake Macquarie, Swansea, and Surrounds - Newsletters, Walks, Videos, Stories (helm.asn.au)

In 1945 after the war, a group of sailors from the Cruising Yacht Club discussed having a cruise to Hobart from Sydney. Capt. John Illingworth, the British Fleet Engineer Officer, stationed at Garden island and a noteworthy yachtsman, persuaded them to make it into a race. And so, on Boxing Day, 9 yachts set out to traverse the 630 nautical miles in what was to become the inaugural Sydney - Hobart Yacht race, an icon of Australian sport. One of the smallest yachts was the "Rani", a double ended 35 foot cutter built by Les Steel at Speers Point. Capt. Illingworth enlisted a crew of Royal Navy officers, engineers and local amateur yachtsmen to fine tune, scrub and paint. Rani was made from Huon pine planking, copper nailed to the frame. The sails were made from hand stitched cotton; ropes - Indian hemp; mast of Oregon pine.

Most of the boats were heavy cruising yachts with deep keels. In the line-up was the 52 foot "Winston Churchill", patriotically named, and considered to be the foremost yacht in Australia; its hull was polished with floor wax so it would glide faster through the water.

Radios were not compulsory back then. Rani had loaned one, but 2 valves burnt out before they set out; so, they departed with no viable means of communication. Safety controls were almost non-existent - no life rafts, rescue ships; no helicopters to rescue or guide. They sailed with only traditional navigational aids - paper charts, compasses for steering, sextants for position.

As often happens, the weather turned on the second day of the race and they had to battle against gale force southerly winds (force 9) and wild seas with waves up to 50 feet high in the Tasman Sea and across Bass Straight. The storm lasted for 36 hours and all the yachts hove to or sheltered, except for Rani. The men were exhausted as they worked hard to keep control of Rani as they headed vertically down waves, then popped back up. The main sail ripped, but was repaired by one of the crew. Water below decks floated the labels off bottles and tins, which consequently choked the bilge pump; and left no clues as to the contents of the food containers, making meals a total surprise - baked beans or custard?Memories of crewman Ray Richmond

Race officials and the RAAF were unable to make contact or locate them in their searches. Rani had disappeared from sight and contact; even the RAAF Catalinas despatched to track boats were unable to sight Rani. It was presumed she was lost, and that in hindsight it was a mistake to let such a relatively small yacht join the race. The storm was followed by a calm, and the Rani crew despaired that they would be last as they seemed to be moving ever so slowly.

A RAAF Catalina eventually spotted them in Storm Bay at the mouth of the Derwent River. As they moved up the Derwent and came closer, messages began to be flashed in Morse Code using car headlights, to ascertain that it was Rani and she was safe. Illingworth wanted to know how many boats were in; astounded by the answer that they were the first. They crossed the line and berthed at Sullivan's Cove to a hero's welcome at Constitution Dock, where they opened the bottle of whisky handed to them to celebrate their historic win. Rani took both line and handicap honours in 6 days, 4 hours and 22 minutes; arriving on 1^st January, 1946. (The record now is 1 day, 18 hours, 23 minutes - Wild Oats 11 in 2012).Offshore yachting

Rani entered the history books, not only as the winner of the inaugural race; but also as the smallest boat to take line honours; and one of only 6 to take the double of line and handicap honours.

Other Lake Macquarie boats to enjoy success on handicap honours have been Struen Marie 1951, Rival 1961 (both built by Les Steel) and Picollo 1976. In 2017, 3 Hunter boats competed - She's the Culprit; Dare Devil; and the 70-year-old grand lady from Newcastle - Freya.

"RANI" - THE LITTLE BOAT THAT COULD!

Rani - Legendary Sydney to Hobart Yacht - Heritage of East Lake Macquarie - History of East Lake Macquarie, Swansea, and Surrounds - Newsletters, Walks, Videos, Stories (helm.asn.au)

Before the war Les Steel built a 35 ft yacht for one of the local doctors - Dr Rowley Pittar, in 1936, called Doris. Designed by A C Barbour, and costing 258 pounds for materials; 358 for labour totalling 616 pounds;- engine and sails were another 600. She was built as were many other boats of different shapes and sizes at Speers Point. (Row boats, motor boats, cruisers, skiffs, yachts, VJs). Les lived 2 blocks from the water with a laneway at the back of his boat building shed. To launch the boats they had to be placed on a long cradle trolley with rail wheels; then winched on to a pair of long rails. Upon reaching the end of the first set of rails, another set was placed in front and the boat guided onto them. Then the previous ones were manually shuffled to the front. This process was repeated many times from the boat building shed, across the main road until the lake was reached at Speers Point.

She was sold in Sydney after the war by a broker to Capt. Illingsworth, who renamed her Rani. We know that despite all odds, she won the first Sydney - Hobart, Dec 1945. But what happened to her afterwards?

Acquired by a new owner in the late 1940s Rani was returned in 1951 for repairs and a major refit in Les Steel's shed at Speers Point. - materials 185; 1466 hours of labour 1150 = 1335 pounds. Sadly, after her refit, she was driven ashore onto Mungo Beach, north of Port Stevens - a total loss; but fortunately, no lives were lost.

A piece of history returns to the Club

05/06/2020

A piece of history returns to the Club - Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (cyca.com.au). This article suggests that RANI was Doris as well.

In January this year the CYCA was approached by Commander Ronald Osborn RAN Retired, offering the gift of an original Bill Mearns (1931- ) painting of Rani sailing across Storm Bay on her way to winning the first Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Ron had seen the painting for sale in Hobart and he was hoping to donate it to the club in memory of his late uncle, Leslie James Steel (1888-1974) of Lake Macquarie, the builder of Rani in 1936.

CYCA Director and History and Archives chairperson Bradshaw Kellett replied to Ron's email in favour of the idea, where Ron then went and purchased the painting directly from Bill Mearns in Hobart and had it sent to his home in Sydney. Ron then added a plaque in memory of his uncle Les Steel. Once the painting was ready with plaque attached, Ron emailed the CYCA and Commodore Paul Billingham then graciously officially accepted Ron's offer.

Ron and his wife Noni delivered the painting to the club in late May, prior to the Clubhouse post-COVID re-opening on Thursday 4 June. There was a small hanging ceremony with Ron & Noni, Commodore Paul Billingham, Director Bradshaw Kellett and CYCA CEO Justine Kirkjian, with Ron recollecting memories of signing up for the navy in 1947 at HMAS Rushcutter where RANSA and the Sir David Martin Reserve are currently situated and he remembers the tin boatshed that was the original CYCA Clubhouse. Ron's other memories he shared included serving in the navy with the late Sir David Martin RAN and being a growing boy around his Uncle Les' shed in Speers Point.

Ron was kind enough to supply a copy of the Les Steel chapter in Fred Thomas' book Boat-builders of Lake Macquarie and Beyond, in which memories of Les Steel's life are recollected from his family and many of Australia's finest yachtsmen including CYCA members.

Described in Boat-builders of Lake Macquarie and Beyond, Les Steel was a quiet man and a builder of fine vessels. He made local Lake Macquarie and early Australian ocean racing history by building three overall Sydney Hobart Yacht Race winners within 16 years of the race commencing. These winning yachts being Captain John Illingworth RN's Rani in 1945, Kings Cross chemist Tom Williamson's Struen Marie in 1951 and Alby Burgin & Nelson Rundle's Rival in 1961.

Rani was built in 1936 in Les Steel's shed in Speers Point, Lake Macquarie where the yachts were hauled to and from the shed to the lake along leap frogging rails across the main road. According to Boat-builders of Lake Macquarie and Beyond, Rani was launched as Doris for local Lake Macquarie doctor, Dr. Rowley Pittar (Rob Mundle's book The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race reports Dr. Pittar's name to be Rowland). The 35-foot Arthur C. Barber designed Doris was reported to have cost Les Steel £616 ($1,232) to build her for Dr. Pittar (sails and engine would have been extra). Shortly after World War II Dr. Pittar sold Doris through a Sydney broker to Captain John Illingworth RAN who renamed her Rani (when Captain Illingworth purchased her, the book The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race reports Rani's name to have been Maharani in honour of a Hindu name for Dr. Pittar's wife Doris). Captain Illingworth sold Rani in the late 1940s with her eventually going back to Les Steel's shed for "extensive changes" in 1951. With after war inflation this refit costs £1,335 to complete and sadly, Rani ran aground on Mungo Beach north of Port Stephens shortly after her refit and she was a total loss, luckily no lives were lost.

The painting's artist Bill Mearns is a Scottish marine artist, with a strong following in Hobart where he resides in Tasmania. He has sketched marine subjects since boyhood, particularly on the east coast of Scotland, where his seafaring ancestors piled their trade for many generations. Bill has extensive knowledge of seagoing vessels and takes every opportunity to be sailing.

As well as his traditional works, he enjoys the challenge of painting modern racing yachts and shipping vessels, but also builds models of traditional vessels. Bill's work has been collected in many countries such as Australia, USA, UK, NZ, Canada, Italy, Japan and Holland with solo exhibitions being held in Australia since 1981.

The painting will be on permanent display in the clubhouse at the entrance to the Rani Room in the Sydney Hobart Bar downstairs. The CYCA Board would like to thank Commander Ronald Osborn RAN Retired for his generous gift and we know that members will enjoy the painting in the clubhouse for many years to come.

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