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Doug Wells
Doug started sailing when he was 30 years old. He learnt to sail in a one
man OK dinghy that he built himself (learning to sail in an OK dinghy was
like teaching someone to swim by throwing them in at the deep end).
Over the years he has owned a 22 foot Bluebird, a Marauder 24 (bought as a
bare hull and fitted out by Doug), a Highway 21 and an Adams 10.
Doug has been a member of the Townsville Sailing Club, the Townsville Yacht
Squadron and the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
He sailed regularly in club races and other events including the annual OK
dinghy races from Cairns to Green Island and back to Ellis Beach (15nm each
way), JOG championships and coastal races out of Townsville to Dunk Island,
Hinchinbrook Island and Brampton Island.
Doug has been racing radio yachts for five years.
He currently sails a Forte design by Jeff Byerley
Tony Fannin
Tony started sailing in keel yachts in the early 1970’s in New Zealand. His
first keeler was a modified Yachting World Diamond. A keen racer he has
competed in regattas, coastal races, short handed races, in both Western
Australia and New Zealand.
While in W.A. in the late 80’s he crewed regularly on One Tonner’s
Hitchhiker I & 2, Six-pack, and Fremantle Doctor.
Moving back to New Zealand Tony worked through to the mid 1990’s as a full
time professional skipper in the NZ charter industry and holds a commercial
skipper’s ticket.
He won the two handed division of New Zealand’s Coastal Classic in the mid
90’s on his extensively modified Crowther Buccaneer trimaran. Tony also
owned another interesting trimaran, named Demon Tricycle, a very quick “one
off” desig by Malcolm Tennant, built in stressed ply and at 7.5 metres was
exceptionally light and very fast. He has extensive experience in the Young
II class sailing on Honeywell and The Chairman, two of the top boats in
class.
Tony became involved in the IOM class in the early 1990’s. A prolific if not
entirely successful designer builder Tony has burned more IOM’s than he
cares to remember.
He currently sails a Peter Kampe Designed Ghost IOM.
Nick Fannin
While new to the sport of radio yachting Nick has yachting in his blood.
Even at a very tender age he could steer an accurate course on the family
yachts. He started sailing at 7 years in the optimist class in Keri Keri,
Bay of Islands New Zealand. Nick was a little to young and soon lost
interest. However he retained the basic skills and has shown plenty of
improvement and loves every minute sailing his TF Skinny.
Nick sails a Tony Fannin designed TF Skinny.
Ben Downey
Ben has been sailing all his life. He has spent most of his sailing career
in trailer-sailors, Blazer 23, Thompson 7 and 8, to name just a few. Racing
these yachts has seen him travel and compete up and down the east coast. He
also has considerable experience sailing 18foot skiffs and14 foot skiffs,
and has also competed in youth match racing championships. Ben started
sailing IOM’s for a change thanks to John White & Ben Leigh Smith.
Ben currently sails a Brad Gibson designed Disco IOM
Alan Walker
Alan started sailing at North Harbour Sailing Club (Sydney) aged
10, in V.J.’s and later Gwen 12's. He moved to 14 footers at Manly in 1962
gaining a 3rd place at the Nationals in Perth in 1963.
Between 1964 and 1968 Alan sailed 16 footers at Manly Skiff Club.
Over Easter 1968 Alan and his crew achieved 1st place in Soling Nationals
run off Broken Bay. This win earned Alan the honour of representing
Australia with a new boat named "Waltzing Matilda" at Copenhagen, the
location of the World championships. The team won all pre world regattas
throughout Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Unfortunately they were dismasted in
the 1st race of the World Champs and never recovered. They did manage to
finish 7th. The series was won by the great Paul Elvstrom. In 1970 Alan
joined Hugh Treharne with his new 18 ft skiff named "Thomas Cameron ". The
team won both State and World Champs on Sydney Harbour.
A career and young family intervened until Alan joined Hugh again in 1974
with another 18 footer named "Booth Holden". Designed by kiwi Bruce Farr
this was the last of the last 4 hander ever built. The team again
acheived1st in State Champs that year but a dismasting in 1st races of both
Aussie titles on Brisbane River and Worlds in Auckland put paid to another
major success. Family interests again intervened until
1980 when Alan joined up with a couple of mates to campaign the Gary Mull
designed prototype of the Sonata 8 named "Mulberry". The team won the
National J.O.G. Champs off Sydney Harbour. Then between1980 and 1986 the
team had numerous other adventures with Sonata 6 prototype also named
"Mulberry", winning the Careel 22 class with 4 national wins. Alan has also
been extensively involved with the Etchells class, meeting and competing
with Brad Johnston. Retiring from the motor industry in 1986 Alan signed up
as "boat nigger" for a new Davidson 36 to be built in N.Z. The boat arrived
in September 1986 and was campaigned very successfully on the east coast for
the next 2 years, most significantly winning 1st overall Sydney Hobart
in1986. Alan and his family moved to the Gold Coast and "plunged" into golf
until introduced to radio sailing by Brad Johnston at Palm Beach. He was
immediately hooked, and here we are today.
Alan sails a Cockatoo11 IOM designed by Jeff Byerley
Charmaine White
Charmaine started sailing at Gold Coast Radio Yacht Club in 1994. Her
partner John had just acquired a new 10 rater and Charmaine decided that 2
should play at this game and requested her own 10R which was duly
forthcoming.
Along with husband John, Charmaine came in contact with Frank Russell and
purchased a Phoenix 1, however this did not last long as he had a new boat
on the horizon the Phoenix 2. After taking delivery of the new boat
Charmaine won the handicap series that year.
The IOM yacht was introduced to Charmaine and John by Jeff Byerley, and
Charmaine just had to have one.
She ordered a Haka from the chicken man (Ron Ingham) from Toowoomba.
While this boat proved to be an excellent up wind performer it lacked
downwind speed compared to a new design just released, the TS2 from designer
Garry Cameron. She once again just had to have one, this time she won the
GCRYC handicap series. The TS2 has proved over the years to be an excellent
design winning many championship regattas.
While having had a great time with radio yachts, time and work commitments
forced both Charmaine and partner John’s retirement in 2000.
But she’s back with a vengeance, (and a smile).
Charmaine currently sails a beautifully presented Widget IOM from Martin
Roberts.
John White
John started sailing at Gold Coast Radio Yacht Club in 1994 (from a now
depleting memory). He built a ten rater design over a period of 3 months but
had little success with it. John then made contact with Frank Russell (the
god of 10r at that time) and purchased a Phoenix 1. This boat was the breath
of fresh air John was looking for.
However this did not last long as Frank had a new boat on the horizon the
Phoenix 2 (who would have thought of that name?) After acquiring a new boat
john won the 10R QLD Championship.
Then a new little boat came on the scene, the “Mirage” IOM introduced by
Jeff Byerley. John thought this class would ever take over his precious 10R
but it did.
He just had to have one. This boat proved to be on the money as the
following year he won the 1999 QLD Championship.
While having a great time sailing r/c yachts time and work commitments
forced his retirement from the sport in 2000 but now he is back, and
enjoying it more than ever.
A new club, with old and new friends
John sails a Cockatoo 11 IOM designed by Jeff Byerley
Brad Johnston
Having been introduced to sailing at a very early age, Brad has been sailing
for
Over 50 years. Classes of boats competitively sailed include: Sabots,
Moths, OK Dinghy, Laser, J-24, Etchells, and various J.O.G Yachts
Various successes in these classes include Club, State & National Titles,
with
Brad competing in five World Championship campaigns overseas in J-24, Laser,
and
Etchell classes.
Currently focussing on One metre sailing Brad is the 2005/2006 Masters World
One
Metre Champion.
Brad sails a Jeff Byerley designed Cockatoo 11
Roger Taylor
Roger started sailing OK dinghies aged 8 in Tasmania with my dad. They then
moved to Sydney and sailed out of Dobroyd Point, Five Dock for about six
years in VJ’s and VS’s. High points were winning club championships in these
classes and achieving a 4th and 7th place in two state regattas. Roger then
moved to St George Yacht Club and into the Skate class. He sailed in the
Skate Nationals (early 60s) in Perth.
Roger joined the Navy and had a potentially brilliant career cut short by a
“buddy” panicking (blew his eardrums out!) so transferred to the Army. He
spent some time in Small Ships – very different from VJ’s, VS’s and Skates.
Discharged from the Army in 1986 in Perth, Roger sailed in “Apogee” with a
schoolteacher based team. It was there he met and crewed for Ross Dennis,
skipper of “Western Union”. They competed successfully in off-shore racing.
Roger and his family moved to Gold Coast late 1990 where he started sailing
I0M’s in 2000 with Gold Coast Radio Yacht Club. That year he won GCRYC
Rookie of the Year.
Roger’s first boat was bought from Bill Clancy – a Mirage. He has also owned
an Ocka, Bandito and a Bag.
Roger currently sails a Jeff Byerley designed Cockatoo II.
Peter Kampe
Peter started sailing sabots with his older brother and finished last in the
first Q.L.D. Championships sailed at Sandgate. He then upgraded into
cherubs, these high performance dinghies made for lots of swimming. After
mastering the Cherub Peter then moved into Arrow catamarans. Peter and
his Dad were responsible for the construction of all of Peter’s boats. After
sailing Lasers for a year, Peter got married at age 24. Sailing was put on
hold for 11 years. He then moved back into cherubs for a season. Another
break from sailing due to work and family commitments occurred. Then at age
50 Peter was hooked on IOM’s and have been sailing them ever since.
Malcolm Kampe
Malcolm’s Dad was in ships and sailboats all his life and this part of his
genes were passed on to Malcolm. He says his Dad was always very neat and
had everything polished but it looks like that gene never made the distance
to him.
Heused to have an old dinghy in the back yard at Bulimba which was always
filled with water as it used to rain then, and he would sail his little
boats in this.
Malcolm says he has fond memories when still very young, of mum and dad on a
Sunday afternoon taking him and his model sailboats over to the large pool
at Sandgate and letting them sail from one end to the other. This was long
before radio control, and probably telephones.
Sailing has been a passion apart from motor vehicles for most of Malcolm’s
life. It has served him as a hobby, a sport and a business. Malcolm has been
a professional sailor as well. He has been blessed with all sorts of sailing
experiences starting from racing in the Moth class, Lasers, catamarans
(sorry), Ocean racing, crossing the Pacific, Americas Cup and now radio
yachting.
Malcolm believes he has gone the full circle starting with model boats and
now finishing up with model yachts.
Malcolm sails a Peter Kampe designed Ghost IOM
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