Author Archives: Jamie Downs

Renewed Enthusiasm for the S&S 34 Association

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There is renewed enthusiasm for the S&S 34 Association following a committee meeting held on 3rd November 2025.

In April 2025 the committee resolved to wind up the association due to lack of activity and interest. This prompted some members and new owner Allan Coulter to take action to rebuild the association and set a new direction.

In the committee meeting on 3rd November, the president Andrew Waldby and secretary Vera Waldby stepped down from their positions as they are no longer boat owners. New president Allan Coulter and new secretary Jamie Downs were elected. Rob Eliot-Lockhart retains his position of Treasurer.

The committee would like to thank Andrew, Vera and former president Ron Kooy for many years service to the association. Many thanks to Rob Eliot-Lockhart for his continued work as treasurer.

The S&S 34 Association is alive and well. The president Allan Coulter will be focussing on increasing the association membership and setting a new direction and sense of purpose.

The date for the next AGM will be announced soon.

S&S 34 Association Discussion Forum upgrade

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The S&S 34 Association Discussion Forum has been upgraded and is now fully functional.

All posts have been transferred from the old forum. If you were involved with the forum between 2006 and 2020, your username remains in place. For more information click through Forum Registration > Your existing forum membership

New users to the forum are most welcome.

S&S 34’s For Sale in Australia

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Here is a listing of S&S 34’s found to be for sale in Australia. See if you can grab a great yacht!!

Bloodhound is for sale in Port Stephens. Contact Dave McKeag. Email drdavidmckeag at gmail dot com

Morning Star for sale in Queensland. She has an extensive race record, Melbourne to Hobart, Melbourne to Osaka ( 2nd over the line), Brisbane to Gladstone, Surf to City. She is set up for two handed sailing, with all the good gear. Details at https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/sparkman-stephens-34/289283

Morning Bird is for sale in Melbourne. Last S&S 34 to be built in the Swarbrick Brothers shipyard, Morning Bird brings with her a pedigree of sailing history. Details at https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/sparkman-stephens-34/287391

Azzurro is for sale in Sydney. She has been maintained to impeccable standards with no expense spared by her fastidious owner and high profile ocean racing sailor Shane Kearns. She has been completely restored and fully optimised for competitive racing, evidenced by her outstanding race results including twice overall winner of the Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race, first in ORCi in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, as well as numerous divisional wins. Details at https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/power-boats/sparkman-stephens-34/287085

Quixote is under offer. Details at https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/sparkman-stephens-34/284483

Swagman is for sale in Perth. She has been optimised over the years with the addition of SS 34 Mk II keel, UFO 34 spade rudder, skeg removed, taller 2 spreader rig. Swagman is quick upwind, and most importantly, one of the quickest and stable downwind S&S 34’s thanks to the larger rudder. Details at https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/sparkman-stephens-34-now-reduced/280389

Constellation is for sale in Perth. This brilliant S&S 34 was built in WA in 2005 using the cutting edge vacuum infusion method by Swarbrick Yachts under special license from Sparkman and Stephens, USA. Details at https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/sparkman-stephens-34-vacuum-infused-construction/277274

Ciella For Sale. Derek has had to abort his round the world trek and Ciella is now for sale. Details to follow but she is listed under our yacht directory with photos.

Of course you can still get a new S&S 34 built to your specifications! Contact Mike Finn at Cottesloe Yachts. Ring Mike on +61 419 845336.

Happy buying!!

Melbourne to Osaka – Morning Star Second Across the Line

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After 39 days 15 hours 23 minutes and 56 seconds, SS34 Morning Star was second across the finish line in the Melbourne Osaka Cup double handed race on 24 April. Skippered by Jo Breen, 27 and Peter Brooks, 39, both from Tasmania, Morning Star led the staggered start 5,500 nautical mile race until just 250 nautical miles from the finish when the 62ft Judel-Vrolijk 62, Chinese Whisper, passed her on the way to breaking the race record in 21days 12hours 41minutes and 13seconds.

Jo & Peter’s efforts in maintaining their lead right up to the very end has been a testament to their great sailing ability and a very well set up yacht. They have done a fantastic job averaging 5.6 knots and reaching a top speed of 11 knots during the race.

Morning Star was built in 1984 by Swarbricks and was purchased by Jo in 2016. She is a mark 2 hull and has undergone a complete refit including having a new keel stepped tall rig fitted and changing the wheel steering to a tiller. Careful sail selection has given her an IRC rating of 0.913.

Many of us have been following Morning Star’s progress on the Blue Water Tracks website where progress of all the yachts in the race can be viewed. The race still continues with a large part of the fleet having been delayed by tropical cyclone Iris off Australia’s Queensland coast early in April. A link to the tracker can be found below.

https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2018-osaka-race

The Melbourne to Osaka website is http://melbourneosaka.com/en/home/

2018 Commodore’s Perpetual Trophy Race Results

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The 2018 Commodore’s Perpetual Trophy Race was held on the 25th March at Fremantle Sailing Club. We had 10 S&S34’s present and 12 Commodore’s from various clubs in Western Australia.

The wind was a great 15-20knots and conditions were just right for our yachts up until midway in the race when the wind died and we were all left floating for a while. The breeze kicked in again and we were all away to the finish line. Refreshments and presentations were held after and enjoyed by all.

The final results were,

1st and Fastest  – Perie Banou III – Owner Colin Sanders and Commodore Danny O’Byrne from East Fremantle Sailing Club

2nd Morning Tide – Owner Jim Putt and Commodore Graeme Cole from Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club

3rd Seashell – Owner Dave Mitchell and Commanding Officer Brian Delamont from HMAS Stirling, Fleet Base West.

 

Commodore’s Perpetual Trophy Race. 25th March 2018

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Calling All Perth Based S&S34’s

We are looking for any Perth based S&S34’s to enter in the Commodore’s Perpetual Trophy race for 2018!! The race is on 25th March. The format is that a Commodore from clubs around Perth each skipper an S&S34 in a short race. The race is held at Fremantle Sailing Club and the event commences at 12 noon.

Currently nine S&S34’s are confirmed as entered but it would be fantastic to see more of these great yachts participating.

If you would like to be included please contact Ron Kooy on ronkooy@gmail.com.

Jon Sanders Is Coming Home!

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From Royal Perth Yacht Club Mast Headlines 5th Feb 2018

You’re invited to welcome home Jon Sanders from his amazing Swan Song 10th Circumnavigation of the Globe.

Royal Perth Yacht Club is organising a Welcome Home celebration and we’d love to see you there to pass on your congratulations to Jon after over 435 days circling the Globe.

Welcome Home Flotilla – Fremantle

When: Sunday 11th February

Time: 1:30pm – ETA for Jon’s arrival is 2pm.

Where: Boats to meet in the vicinity of South Mole

Yachts and Power Boats all welcome.

Jon will be heading into the harbour and then sailing up river to Royal Perth Yacht Club.

Welcome Home Function  at Royal Perth Yacht Club, Crawley

If you can’t make it under the bridges – meet Perie Banou at Bricklanding

  • Rendezvous with Jon at Bricklanding at approximately 4pm, form an escort to bring Jon and Perie Banou back to Royal Perth Yacht Club.

Following the Welcome Home Flotilla, celebrations will continue at Royal Perth Yacht Club from 6pm with the Beach Party.

 

 

History made in sailpast of the century

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Yachting history was made on Sydney Harbour on the morning of 22nd December 2017 when four yachts designed by the legendary American Olin Stephens for his design firm Sparkman and Stephens, but from vastly different eras, came together for the first time.

Four Sparkman & Stephens boats Azzurro, Dorade, Eve, Kialoa II sail past the Opera House Picture: Andrea Francolini. Courtesy The Australian newspaper

For the full story go to the article in The Australian here

 

S&S 34 Olbia wins Transatlantic OSTAR 2017

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Congratulations Christian Chalandre

S&S 34 Olbia skippered by owner Christian Chalandre has won the Jester Class in the Singlehanded Transatlantic OSTAR 2017 in a time of 32 days, 14 hours and 9 minutes.

More information about OSTAR here.

Pre-race profile of Olbia here.

 

 

Olbia, skippered by Christian Chalandre, has won the OSTAR 2017 (Original Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race, from Plymouth to Newport) in Jester Class. Olbia crossed the finish line on 1 July at 22:09 local time to win the OSTAR Jester class with an elapsed time of 32d 14h 9m and a corrected time of 29d 4h 49m.

Olbia, built in 1971 is one of the original S&S34 yachts, a sister to Morning Cloud that Sir Edward Heath skippered to victory in the 1969 Sydney to Hobart race.

Photo by Paul Gibbins facebook.com/pg/paulgibbinsphotography/

Photo by Paul Gibbins facebook.com/pg/paulgibbinsphotography/

October 28 saw the prize giving ceremony for the winners of the OSTAR and TWOSTAR races. The races started on 29 May and the last yacht completed the race on 3 July.

The first OSTAR Race was run in 1960 and won by Sir Frances Chichester in Gypsy Moth III. The race is run every 3 years by the Royal Western Yacht Club based in Plymouth, UK. There are two divisions for the race, Gypsy Moth Class for boats with an IRC handicap of greater than 1 and Jester Class for those yachts with an IRC of less than 1.

This year’s race was one of the most challenging on record. In the early hours of Friday 9th June, 60 knot winds and 15 metre seas were experienced by competitors, caused by a very low depression (967 mb). These extreme conditions caused damage to many boats with 3 emergency beacons (EPIRB) triggered. The Canadian coastguard in Halifax immediately reacted to the situation sending ships and air support to all the boats in distress. Of the 7 Yachts in Jester class only two remained, Olbia and Solent 1. Olbia was knocked down 3 times during the storm but only sustained minor damage – a testament to the seaworthiness of the S&S 34.

Congratulations to Christian Chalandre for a exceptional feat!!

 

3 days with just storm mainsail with or without storm jib, with 40, 45, 50, or 55 knots !

9th June 2017. Day 12 of the race. Severe depression of 964 millibars decimates the Jester fleet.


  1. Tamarind suffers heavy damage. Skipper abandons her and is rescued by Queen Mary II
  2. Harmonii has problems with the mainsail, retires and makes her way to the Azores.
  3. Suomi Kudu abandons the race with significant problems and returns to England.
  4. Happy is dismasted. Crew abandons ship. Both crew rescued by ocean going tug APL Forward.
  5. Zest abandons the race due to problems with motor and autopilot.
  6. Summerbird has problems, retires and heads towards Horta.
  7. Olbia is knocked down three times just northwest of the depression, in a crossed sea.

Summerbird, Zest, Solent 1 and Olbia remained in the north.

Only Solent 1 and Olbia remained in the Jester class and 7 boats in the Gypsy Moth class.

Retirements: PiR2, Breizh Cola, Opole, Taylor, Hikari, One and All, Zest, Suomi Kudu, Harmonii, Summerbird.
Abandons: Illumia, Tamarind, Furia, Happy.

Christian Chalandre holding the trophy celebrates with fellow Jester class sailors at 2017 Prizegiving night at Royal Western Yacht Club, Plymouth