Sail Number: 24
Type: cruising 9-metre
LOA: – LOD: – LWL: – Beam: – Draft: – Designer: William Fife III – Original Owner: Mr A.C. Buckle – Current Owner: – Year Built: 1933 – Built by: Charles Hayes – Hull material: – Sail Area: – Displacement: – Engine: Nanni diesel N4.50 47.5 HP – Flag: Australia – Club:
Historical:
Mr Buckle commissioned Charles Hayes to build the cruising 9 metre Josephine he asked Cliff Gale to be helmsman and Roger Gale to be forward hand. The yacht was designed by William Fife and named after Lex Buckle’s daughter whom Roger subsequently married. The yacht is a magnificent structure of outstanding appearance — Cliff claimed that Fife was incapable of drawing an unfair line.
Cliff was skipper for a few seasons in the early 1930s in the strong and highly-competitive Division 1 at the RSYS and she was never then displaced from her scratch handicap. All skippers at the time were attired in yachting jacket, shirt and tie with cheese-cutter caps. Cliff always said that she was the best boat he ever sailed — Bermudian rig!
It is a great joy to me that she is owned by member Nick Rowe and for the first time ever she is competing with the SASC. I am pleased that she still has the original number 24
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
- Owner/Guardian: (1933) A.C. Buckle
- Owner/Guardian: Frank Packer
- Owner/Guardian: John Penton
- Owner/Guardian: Nick Rowe
Resources
Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian Classic Yacht Association
I am delighted to see that this yacht is still cared for. I last saw her when I was 7 on my grandfathers slipway in Little Sirius Bay in 1958 thereabouts. I saw references to her in Australian Sailing(?) years ago when she was yawl rigged in Tasmania?? Would like to know more of her history. Thanks, its a great website.
My father, John Hamilton Thackray sailed aboard Josephine with Reg Houghton who bought her from John Penton, a senior member of Frank Packer’s staff . They competed in the wild 1953 Montague Island Race and Josephine was first around Tasmania Island in the 1953 Sydney to Hobart Race. Josephine ignited my childhood passion for sailing and maintains her well deserved reputation as a classic example of William Fife III’s interpretation of the timeless metre boat rule.
Mike Thackray. CYCA member and International 8m Team Defiance crew.