CLARION OF WIGHT was built in 1963 at Clare Lallow in Cowes to designs by Sparkman & Stephens. She was thought at the time to be very light and of the original 10 tonnes displacement, 4 ½ tonnes was in the lead keel. In her launch year she was selected for the British Admirals Cup Team, going on to win the Fastnet race with the British team winning the Admirals Cup - she proved herself a magnificent all-rounder!
CLARION OF WIGHT was built in 1963 at Clare Lallow in Cowes to designs by Sparkman & Stephens. She was thought at the time to be very light and of the original 10 tonnes displacement, 4 ½ tonnes was in the lead keel. In her launch year she was selected for the British Admirals Cup Team, going on to win the Fastnet race with the British team winning the Admirals Cup - she proved herself a magnificent all-rounder!
CLARION was launched as a state of the art offshore racer, thankfully at time when beautiful boats were still a by-product of the designer's quest for speed and interiors could still be friendly and accommodating - she remains much loved by her owners and certainly fast enough to hold her own in a modern or classic fleet. For many her name and pedigree will speak for themselves.
Brokers Comments
CLARION OF WIGHT was built in 1963 at Clare Lallow in Cowes to designs by Sparkman & Stephens. She was thought at the time to be very light and of the original 10 tonnes displacement, 4 ½ tonnes was in the lead keel. In her launch year she was selected for the British Admirals Cup Team, going on to win the Fastnet race with the British team winning the Admirals Cup - she proved herself a magnificent all-rounder!
CLARION was launched as a state of the art offshore racer, thankfully at time when beautiful boats were still a by-product of the designer's quest for speed and interiors could still be friendly and accommodating - she remains much loved by her owners and certainly fast enough to hold her own in a modern or classic fleet. For many her name and pedigree will speak for themselves.
History
Her first owners Messrs D Boyer and D Miller, having raced her successfully, sold her on to Sir Maurice Laing, who had the keel hung rudder replaced by a skeg mounted version, the original reduced to a trim tab, subsequently locked off. Sir Maurice is noted for introducing Ted Heath to offshore racing aboard Clarion of Wight; competing in the Cowes-Dinard Race. Ted must have enjoyed the experience as he then bought his first MORNING CLOUD, another Sparkman & Stephens design. In 1971 in the ownership of Dr R. O’Hanlon CLARION OF WIGHT competed again in the Admirals Cup, this time in the Irish Team.
Having admired her for her lines in Poole Harbour but quite unaware that CLARION had been one of the most successful British racing yachts ever, Brian and Yvonne Turner bought her in 1992 from Christopher and Pamela Hare. Brian and Yvonne themselves went on to compete in the 1996 Ostend Heligoland race and then the 1997 Fastnet, in which they were narrowly beaten by Cetewayo. In 1999 they were overall winner of the Gt.Yarmouth to Terschelling Lutine Trophy. Reports of this event had CLARION described by the yachting press as “The Veteran British Yacht”. She was first of the classic yachts in the Millennium Round Ireland Race. CLARION has continued to be a worthy racing boat in her current French ownership.
Construction
- Carvel mixed hardwood planking over oak frames
- Lead ballast
- Teak laid swept deck coach roof & cockpit
- All through hull fittings, floors & mast step of bronze
- Bronze straps from shroud plates extended to the floors & keel
- Self draining cockpit
- Below decks 90% original
- Professionally sheathed with Cascova below the water line during 1970s - antifoul painted
Deck Equipment and Ground Tackle
From the bow
- Bow rollers and fairleads
- Pulpit
- Guard rails running through stainless steel stanchions both sides to pushpit aft
- 45 lb galvanised CQR main anchor & chain and Danforth kedge anchor
- 2 x mooring cleats
- Stainless steel mushroom vent over forecabin
- Electric low profile anchor winch with foot switches
- Dorade box with chromed cowl vent on deck fwd
- Fore hatch
- Trunk cabin with raw teak decking coach roof
- Sealed windows in trunk cabin sides
- Spinnaker poles stowed on deck each side
- Dorade boxes with chromed cowl vent to stbd
- Mast with 5 winches including new bronze ST main halyard winch
- Skylight hatch
- Teak handrails on coach roof each side
- Stowage for life raft on trunk cabin centreline
- 2 x Dorade boxes with chromed cowl vents
- Spray hood
- Sliding hatch and removable boards access accommodation
- Coaming descending from trunk cabin each side and aft of cockpit
- Bridge deck to cockpit
- 2 x Lewmar 48 bronze 2 speed ST secondary winches on pedestals outboard
- 2 x Antal 52 bronze 3 speed ST primary winches on pedestals astride coaming
-Main sheet track on narrow bridge
- Navigation repeaters in bridge facing helmsman aft
- Trefoil helm wheel in pedestal with steering compass binnacle
- Engine controls to stbd
- Well and seat aft for helmsman
- Fairleads set in cap rail each side mooring cleat
- Stainless steel pushpit
Accommodation and Domestic Equipment
- Accommodation is for up to six in saloon, fore cabin and two quarter berths aft
- From cockpit over the bridge sliding hatch and steps down to the accommodation below
- Pilot’s seat chart table and nav instruments to port
- 12 V Fridge / freezer below the chart table
- Galley opposite to stbd with sink; H&C mixer and cooker
- Half bulkheads forward
Saloon
- Well lit by sealed windows both sides
- Mainly white décor contrasting with varnished mahogany joinery
- 2 x Settee berths; one each side with stowage under
- 2 x Single berths up and outboard; one each side with stowage under
- Drop leaf dining table
- Storm force 10 cabin heater
- Full bulkhead and doorway by mast forward
Head to port
- Blake Lavac sea WC
- Wash basin and shower with pressurised hot & cold water, port side
To forecabin
- Stowage with hanging lockers and drawers opposite to stbd
- Access forward to fore peak with single berth
- Coming aft through saloon past galley and chart table
Quarter berths port and starboard
Rig Spars and Sails
- Bermudan sloop masthead rig single spreader
- Stainless standing rigging
- Anodised aluminium mast & boom
- 2 x spinnaker poles
- Aluminium jockey pole
- Dynema main & headsail halyards
- Main slab reefing at mast
- Adjustable backstay
- Reckman double luff groove foil & furler; drum easily removed
- All associated sheets guys & blocks
All sails built as racing sails by Dolphin
- Mainsail Tri radial construction new 2008 excellent condition
- Furling headsail tri radial construction; Pentax new Oct 2009
- Tri radial spinnaker good condition
- Reaching spinnaker good condition
- Heavy weather upwind headsail good condition
- Storm jib
- Tri sail
- Spare mainsail good condition
- No1 & No 2 Genoas both in very good condition need converting to luff groove
Mechanical Electrical and Tankage
- Volvo D2 40 HP in October 2015 circa 60 hours; 2 lever control in cockpit
- Hydraulic drive all reviewed and refurbished 2015
- Wet exhaust line with new water box new 2015 – boat fume free
- Polythene fuel line new 2015
- Larger dia prop shaft and stuffing box fitted new 2015
- Folding 2 bladed bronze propellor
- 6.5 knots cruising approx 1/3rd to ½ gallon per hour
- 2 x 140 AH Batteries; 1engine start and anchor winch, 1 domestic
- Waeco split charging system
- Switch panel and fuse box
- 12 V Lighting throughout
- Vetus 24 gallon / 110 litre fuel tank and piping with sight gauges new 2014
- 2 x Stainless steel water tanks
Navigation Communication and Electronics
- Garmin GPS
- Nasa Clipper GPS repeater
- Navtex (Needs replacement aerial)
- VHF telephone hand set with AIS
- Autohelm Log / speed & wind
- Navigation lights
- Brookes & Gatehouse depth, speed, log & direction indicator
- Clock
- Compass
- Auto Helm autopilot
- Dimmable light to chart table
- Clock and barometer
Safety
-1 Offshore life raft for six persons 2012 – reviewed 2016
- 2 x Horseshoe lifebuoys & lights 1x Danbuoy
- Firdell blipper radar reflector
- Emergency tiller
- Gas sniffer
- Engine driven Jabsco auto bilge pump
- 2 manual bilge pumps; 1 at Nav station, 1 in cockpit
- 2 x Dry powder fire extinguishers
Miscellaneous Equipment
- Engine spares
- Mooring lines
- Fenders
- Ensign & staff
- Cockpit cover
- Mainsail cover
Refit and Works Done
Work done from 2014 to 2016
- New fuel line,
- New exhaust line
- New engine
- New shaft and new stuffing box
- Complete review of the hydraulic drive (taken out o the boat and reviewed in a workshop)
- Cockpit and roof varnishes sanded to bare wood and re varnished in 2016.
Works (mainly on hull) in 2007
- Decks removed, ply substrate renewed & epoxied before ½ inch teak deck laid
- Stem head removed and refitted with replacement bronze bolts
- Replacement fore & centre hatches built & fitted
- Top 2/3rds of transom replaced
- Backstay fitting bronze fastenings replaced
- Some splines to hull replaced
- All exterior varnish stripped and sanded back before 6 coats varnish applied
- Electric anchor winch fitted
- Window frames & winch bases re-chromed
-T eak capping added to cockpit coaming
Works in addition to annual maintenance
- Prop shaft replaced
- Bruntons folding prop fitted new 09
- Insulated earth starter motor overhauled, insulated earth
- Uprated alternator replaced 09
- Exhaust manifold replaced.
- Diesel injectors overhauled
- Jabsco engine driven bilge pump overhauled
- Hydraulic pump to prop shaft replaced
- Reckman headsail furling gear fitted
Works to be considered
- Weakness in the fwd port side cockpit sole - some initial reinforcement has been done
- Authohelm pilot ram needs replacement - pilot works otherwise
- Painting of hull topsides
- Replacement of foresail cover or fitting anti UV protection on genoa and jib
- Hot water tank fed by engine calorifier disconnected when the engine replaced
- Suspected weakness in pipe inside implies the need to replace the 40 L tank
Other Equipment
CLARION OF WIGHT
