Wilparina

Wilparina is one of the well-known and sturdy S&S designs. She was fitted out by Maybrook Marine in Sydney and was Maybrook’s display vessel at the 1982 Sydney Boat Show. Has excellent teak and celery-top pine interior fit-out and was used for a Performance Test in Australian Sea Spray in August 1982, which also featured a photo of the 31 year-old. Named by Alan McAlpine from Maybrook, her first owner was Con Rafferty. In 1987 Wilparina was sold to Keith and Maureen Cole, who mostly sailed the sturdy design on Pittwater. Was sold to Chris Jackson in 2005, who took her to Brisbane, made cruising modifications.

Present owner, Nick Cannar, is making his Hobart debut with a yacht that will be a stayer if the going gets tough. Wilparina comes from a long line of remarkable S&S designs, including three-time Hobart overall winner, Love & War. The crew of six is an an eclectic and multi- generational (19 years to 68) one of six brought together by a shared love of S&S34s and a desire to do the  Rolex Sydney Hobart. Three are keenly competitive Laser dinghy sailors at Greenwich Sailing Club with a common background in cruising small yachts up and down the east coast. One has also navigated the Murray Darling and Hawkesbury Rivers on home-made rafts and is currently building Australia’s first Eco houseboat at Jarken in Jervis Bay.

Also joining the crew is American, Brian Caldwell, who in 1996 was the first person under 21 (he started at 19 and was 20 when he finished) to sail around the world single-handed with stops. Turning 38 in December, he is now a veteran of numerous Sydney-Hobarts, Mini Fastnets, Trans Pacs and others. Fittingly, Caldwell and his partner live on twin S&S 34’s in the USA.

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