A topsail gaff cutter today, Sayonara was built by Mr A McFarlane of Birkinhead, Adelaide, and launched in November of 1897 for Mr G F Garrard, the then commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV) at a time when the largest yachts in Australia were to be seen on Port Phillip Bay. She was designed as a fast cruising yawl by W Fife III of Scotland and is the sister ship to his own champion, Cirego. With high bulwarks and a graceful sheerline, Sayonara hit the water running, cruising around to Melbourne in record time and making an instant name for herself.
Today, the records of latter-day yachts may overshadow Sayonara, but she is still very much a legend. In fact, she is considered the most famous keel yacht in Australian yachting history. Her name is immortalised by the Sayonara Cup, which was raced for up until the early 1960s by yachts of between eight and nine metres. But owing to the popularity of smaller ocean types, no challenge had been issued for some years.
INVINCIBLE FROM THE START
Sayonara's first major race was when she was sailed by Mr A P Agg of the Brighton Yacht Club in the Intercolonial Regatta held on Hobson's Bay in February 1898. She defeated all opposition including the then undefeated South Australian champion Alexa to win the major prize of 140 Pounds. Big bucks back then.
In no time, Sayonara proved to be invincible on Port Phillip. She was said to be a marvel in light weather when she was able to 'walk away' from all opposition. Then a hard blow was struck when the various clubs decided to put limitations on the sizes of yachts entering important races and regattas. This decision only affected Sayonara and the Alexa, which had remained in Victoria for several years, as there was no competition for yachts of their size in Adelaide at the time.
In July 1898, Sayonara was sold to Messrs C D and J A Wallace who decided to keep her at St Kilda for the 1898/99 season. When able to, she raced in events of both the RYCV and the St Kilda Yacht Club.
In the winter of 1899, her rig was altered to that of a cutter, increasing her sail area to 2079ft². Shortly afterwards, she was under the sole ownership of C D Wallace. In the season 1900/01 she was laid up as her owner was overseas.
ON TO SYDNEY TOWN
After being sold to Alfred Gollin sometime around 1902/03, her new owner tried to stimulate interest in NSW in an intercolonial challenge. This, at first, did not meet with approval in Sydney for reason that a larger type of yacht would have to be built than was then in vogue in Sydney.
Finally, a challenge issued through the RYCV was accepted by Mr H Binney (RSYS) whose Auckland designed and built Bona had the reputation of not having been beaten. Gollin then donated a $105 trophy for the series. The interstate competition was back. From her moorings at St Kilda, Sayonara reportedly took 13 days to reach Sydney in light, fluky conditions. The three-heat series conducted in January 1904 was a closely contested one with Sayonara winning the first and final heats, so winning the Cup.
Gollin then offered back the Cup as a perpetual trophy to be called "The Sayonara Perpetual Challenge Trophy" for competition between Victoria and NSW. Conditions were then drawn up for future competition on lines similar to those of the America's Cup.
Over the years, Sayonara changed hands several times, in January 1910 she lay dismasted on her moorings at Williamstown when John Dixon of the Brighton Yacht Club came forward and purchased her merely with the idea that Victoria should not concede the Cup by default to NSW.
He then hurriedly got her ready for the series. Sayonara had to concede defeat to Culwalla III in a closely contested three-heat series and the Cup finally found its way to Sydney.
Not long afterwards, Sayonara was back on the register of the St Kilda Yacht Club where she remained until 1912 when she was sold to Sydney where, under several owners, she has remained ever since.
Sayonara was converted to a Bermudan rig and spent the latter years on Pittwater. The yacht was a well-known sight at her mooring off Scotland Island from where she was used for cruising. She was owned by Hank Kossen, who was impressed with the restoration of a similar yacht, Waitangi, which he inspected during the 1995 Gaffers Regatta in Sydney.
He undertook to advise the Waitangi Syndicate that if ever he was considering selling Sayonara (which at the time was unlikely) he would tell them first, but late in 1996, Kossen decided to sell her. A holding syndicate was formed to buy and transport the yacht to Melbourne.
2000 RESTORATION
Sayonara was restored over a four-year period and relaunched in 2000. Virtually every fitting was removed while she was on the dry. New decks were laid, planks were checked, and she underwent a major alignment in keeping with such a venerable old girl.
The yacht was authentically and meticulously restored by skilled shipwrights who followed the original drawings, copies of which were obtained from Fairleys of Scotland. Amid fanfare and celebration she was formally recommissioned at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria in August 2000.The refit is said to have cost a million dollars.
Restoration project leader Doug Shields told The Age that "even the leather lounges on which owners would relax after a race were replaced". Deck fittings were custom-made because "you just can't buy the fittings these boats had in their original time".
"It is hoped that the yacht is bought by a devoted benefactor or a group of custodians. Sayonara is valued at about $820,000, but if not one owner then it is hoped a syndicate of owners each with say $70,000 buys the yacht and she is displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum, while also being sailed to major wooden boat festivals around the country," explains Brendon Hunt who has Sayonara listed.
Sayonara's principal dimensions are: Length overall (including bowsprit and boom overhang) of 73ft8in; deck length of 59ft8in; waterline length of 38ft2in; a beam of 12ft6in; a sail area of 2080ft²; sail number R67; and, a displacement of 16 tons.
For further information contact Brendon Hunt from Vicsail, tel 0411 802 796
Footnote: The Sayonara Cup is entitled the 'Interstate Yacht Race Cup' and is sterling silver, Sheffield hallmark, 1901, on an ebonised wood base. The races were sailed in 8 Metre yachts from 1951 to 1962 and later challenged in International Dragon Class yachts from 1984 to the present day. Nick Rogers from Tasmania is the current Cup holder and The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania has the silverware for the second-year running.
* This article was prepared with material from the Classic Yacht Association of Australia.