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Seaflyer
Modern Boating January 1979 Seaflyer
Modern Boating January 1979 Seaflyer

CountryAustralia
Boat TypeSloop
Sail NumberMH101
ClubMiddle Harbour Yacht Club
Year Build1978 (age 46)
Webwww.rbsailing.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/quarter-ton-cup-1978.html
Owner (s)Hugh Treharne
Other Boat NamesSeaply
Designer (s)Paul Whiting
Former CrewBrian Smith
Hugh Treharne
Jamie Wilmot
John Stanley
Mike Sharp

Seaflyer

Seaflyer is a Paul Whiting Quarter Tonner and built in 1978. She was originally called Seaply, but because of Rule 26 at the time, needed to changer her name to Seaflyer.

She a centreboard boat and was built in plywood. It was thought to be the fastest Quarter Tonner at the time.

Pictures and Articles

Seaply Christening

Seaply's Christening at Middle Harbour Yacht Club - September 1978.

Seaply was a Paul Whiting 1/4 Ton Yacht.

Later called "Seaflyer" because of Rule 26.

Crew:

Hugh Trehane (Skipper)

John Stanley

Mike Sharp

Jamie Wilmot (James Wilmot)

Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Hugh Trehane
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Hugh Trehane
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Mike Sharp, Jamie Wilmot
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Mike Sharp
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Mike Sharp
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Jamie Wilmot
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - John Stanley
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Jeanine Treharne
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Bruce Gayfer, Neville Golding
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Bruce Gayfer
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Eric McLaughlin
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - John Pryor
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Neville Golding, Bruce Gayfer
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Richard Hammond (Sighty), John Stanley

World Quarter Ton Championships

  Japan - January 1979

From RB Sailing Website 

From RB Sailing Website www.rbsailing.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/quarter-ton-cup-1978.html

New Zealand had a design connection to the third placed boat, the Whiting-designed Australian entry Seaflyer, which finished with results of 5/7/2/1/3. Seaflyer was a development of Magic Bus, and of specially designed offset construction plywood and had a centreboard. Potentially Seaflyer was the fastest in the fleet, but a lack of tuning time probably cost the Australians the win. The boat had also been designed for optimum performance in light to moderate winds and flat seas. Unfortunately it blew hard for four of the five races, with vicious sea conditions common throughout, churned up by a combination of wind and racing tidal currents. 

As it was, Seaflyer lost the series by a mere two placings in the final 210 mile race - strong winds and high seas in the last half of the race proved too much for the lightweight centreboarder and she wasn't able to hold off the determined challenge from the two top Japanese yachts. 

Knowing they had to finish two places ahead of Magician V in the final race, Hugh Treharne and his crew drove Seaflyer to the limit, capsizing twice as they sought the achieve an overall victory. 

Her first capsize came midway through the race, the result of a wild broach under spinnaker. The second was at night while sailing upwind - a rearing wave knocked the boat into an involuntary tack, while the crew were still stacked on the weather rail. 

The Australians recovered from that more frightening episode to finish behind Kamikaze Express and Magician V (profile plan, left) to take out second overall.

Modern Boating

Australian Representative in the Quarter Ton Worlds sparked a controversy when a protest forced her to change her name, adding confusion to the alreadymessy Rule 26 situation. Picture by Peter Campell.

Modern Boating January 1979 Seaflyer
Modern Boating January 1979 Seaflyer
Seaflyer chases Harold Cudmore
Seaflyer chases Harold Cudmore's Quarter Apple before the later was dismastered in race 1
Seaflyer sails peacefully home after winning race four,a short, light-wind affair
Seaflyer sails peacefully home after winning race four,a short, light-wind affair

Australian Sailing - January 1979

Seaflyer capsized twice during the final race in the Quarter Ton Worlds "but in both cases came through without damage to boat or crew. The first capsize came when the yacht broached under spinnaker as skipper Hugh Treharne tried to steer the boat down the back of a wall-like wave. The plywood centreboarder came up quickly without damage.

The second capsize was on the wind, less than five miles from the finish of the final and deciding race. Knowing they had to finish two places ahead of.Magician V, Treharne and his crew drove Seaflyer to the limit. In the darkness, with Jamie Wilmot at the helm, a rearing wave knocked the boat into an involuntary tack, with Hugh Treharne, John Stanley and Mike Sharpe all out on the windward rail.

Because they didn't have lifelines clipped on, they were able to quickly climb up to the other side of the boat as the mast tip dipped below water. John Stanley was actually standing out on the centreboard, but Seaflyer quickly righted herself as soon as the runners and sheets were released.

Soaking wet from the capslze, the Australians crossed the line in third place in that final race, less than 35 minutes behind the winner Kamikaze Express and only 10 minutes astern of Magician V, the ultimate winner of the 1978 Quarter Ton Cup. Those two vital placings in the fifth and final race cost Seaflyer the championship."

Australian Sailing Jan 79
Australian Sailing Jan 79
John Stanley at Seaflyer
John Stanley at Seaflyer's mast, shaking out a freef for the broad reach from Oshuma Island
Seaflyer chases Harold Cudmore
Seaflyer chases Harold Cudmore's Quarter Apple before the later was dismastered in race 1
Seaflyer
Seaflyer's Christening Sept 78 - Bruce Gayfer
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