Sail Number: R4
Type: Gaff Topsail Cutter
Acrospire III Specifications:
LOA: 59’0″ / 17.98m
– LOD: 50’0″ / 15.24m
– LWL: 38’2″ / 11.64m
Beam 10’6″ / 3.23m
– Draft 6’11” / 1.86m
– Hull Number: – Designer: Charlie Peel –
Original Owner: Joe White, Commodore St. Kilda Yacht Club
– Current Owner: Colin Anderson
– Year Built: 1923 – Built By: Hayes Brothers Sydney
– Hull Material: NZ Kauri – Displacement: 8 tons / 9000kg
– ARHV Number: HV000541
Historical:
Raced in Sayonara Cup in Sydney 1928, restored in Melbourne 1997, competes regularly in CYAA Victorian series.
Restoration:
Completely restored to original condition over 2 years and re-launched in 1997.
Her restoration involved replacement of all ribs (west Australian Karri), keel floors (Iroko and Tasmanian Celery Top), deck beams (Celery Top), beam shelfs (Oregon), sheer planks (Kauri), garboards (Tasmanian Huon Pine), deck (Queensland Beech over epoxy covered 8mm ply), stern post (European Oak), king planks, gunwales,cabin, main hatch forward hatch (Eastern Mahogany) and a new rudder was fitted. Where appropriate replacements were increased from original to increase strength. All fastenings were replaced including new Keel bolts. The remaining main original structural timbers including the keel, deadwood, bilge stringers (45ft single piece fine grain Oregon), internal strongback (Iron Bark) and sub floors forward were as new.
Bronze straps were fitted from deck to keel to take the four shroud chainplates each side. Acrospire 111’s hull has been fully splined and is not sheathed. The Mainmast,Boom, Gaff, Topsail Yard, Jackyard and Bowsprit were made using hollow Stave construction with 8 sections of tapered Aircraft grade Sitka Spruce. These spars are extremely light yet very strong.All spars and brightwork are finished in International Epivar Epoxy and are like brand new due to the recent refit. Standing rigging is hand spliced Dynex with soft eyes on spars and served lower ends around Aluminium Bronze thimbles. Rigging screws are Aluminium Bronze. Running rigging is Marlow Hardy Hemp and has just been replaced. All Blocks were made by Dragonfly with bronze bearings, Aluminium Bronze bindings and English Ash shells.
All hardware has been replaced with Aluminium Bronze including chainplates, rudder head, tiller fitting, gooseneck, gaff jaws and mainsheet horse to original patterns,.Tiller, spreaders and cleats are American white Ash. The new sail wardrobe is are by Doyle using taffeta/Taffeta Vectran Stratis membranes.Wardrobe consists of Mainsail, Jib, Staysail, Jackyard Topsail and Jib Top. All sails are in excellent condition. There is a new Mainsail cover and new all over cover from end of bowsprit to stern. Acrospire111 has been maintained to the highest standards and is reluctantly on the market for the owner to make way for the next project. This is a very fast, easily driven yacht especially in 0-15knots yet is extremely docile and light on the helm,a joy to sail. In the past she has been sailed in 20-30 knots and gybed in these conditions but the current owner prefers to sail these days in winds under 20 knots.
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner/Guardian: (1923) – Joe White, Commodore of the St. Kilda Yacht Club