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CHERUB sailing in 2009 with its restored gaff rig
Cherub
CHERUB sailing in 2009 with its restored gaff rig
CHERUB sailing in 2009 with its restored gaff rig
Reproduced courtesy photographer J Jeremy

Cherub

Vessel numberHV000290
Sail NumberA4
(not assigned)86
Date1948
DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 7.31 m x 7.31 m x 2.82 m x 1.52 m (24 ft x 24 ft x 9.25 ft x 5 ft)
DescriptionCHERUB was launched in February 1948 from Billy Fisher's La Perouse, New South Wales boat shed. CHERUB is one of about nine yachts that are all very similar to the original RANGER (HV000034) and have formed themselves into class, with many of them racing together on Sydney Harbour. RANGER was designed by Cliff Gale in the early 1930s and is the classic raised-deck style of craft that has been popular throughout Australia. It has connections back to Australian work boat design and construction which influenced details in Gale's design.

D'Alpuget had been given the lines plan of RANGER by Cliff Gale for the construction of his own boat, but Fisher recalled that changes were made to these lines during the construction. The changes were captured in the mould station shapes. Fisher planked the flooded gum and Oregon hull around the final shaped moulds used for RANGER, but fined up the mid-sections of these moulds at the keel. This was done because RANGER was built with a wide timber keel to incorporate a centreboard, later replaced with a fixed lead keel and deadwood. CHERUB was built from the beginning with a ballast keel and deadwood and therefore did not need the wider timber keel. It is quite likely that CHERUB is the closest in shape of the nine or so Ranger class yachts to the original hull of RANGER.

D'Alpuget named the yacht CHERUB in reference to his daughter and only child Blanche, who is now a well known author and journalist. It was launched with a gaff rig, and he sailed the boat with Sydney Amateur Sailing Club and cruised on Sydney Harbour before moving the boat permanently to Avalon at Pittwater, just north of Sydney.

During his ownership the rig and keel evolved from consultations with some famous names. America’s Cup Naval Architect, Alan Payne and sailmaker Peter Cole created a Bermudan rig and added lead bulbs to the keel sides, improving the yachts performance and making it easier for D'Alpuget to handle. A little later on Bob Miller (well known as America’s Cup winning designer Ben Lexcen) suggested modifications to the bulb shape. He also suggested cutting away part of the deadwood aft along with designing a new rudder shape. These changes brought further improvements to speed and handling that were topped off when an aluminium spar replaced the heavier wooden mast, and the jib became a 7/8 rather than 3/4 high sail plan. Although D'Alpuget stopped racing a few seasons after all the changes were made, he very much appreciated CHERUB's wonderful sea kindly hull shape and delightful performance as he cruised around Broken Bay.

D'Alpuget owned CHERUB for almost 50 years before finally selling it to John Westacott early in1996. Westacott continued to maintain CHERUB to the high standards already set. It has since changed hands once more, and once again races with Sydney Amateurs. Following a mishap to the Bermudan rig in late 2008, CHERUB was being returned to a gaff-rigged configuration early in 2009, this time in consultation with David Payne, nephew of Alan. CHERUB's configuration will now be very close to that of the other Ranger class yachts in Sydney.






SignificanceCHERUB is a wooden Ranger class yacht built in 1947/48 by the well-known Sydney shipwright Billy Fisher for the renowned yachting journalist and writer Lou D'Alpuget. CHERUB has been well known on Sydney Harbour and Pittwater for almost 60 years and the evolution of its configuration involves associations with a number of famous Sydney yachting identities.
RANGER sailing up Sydney Harbour near the heads and showing the very efficient sail plan.
CAM Fisher and Sons
1933
JUNE BIRD in 2005 at its moorings, the couta boat stem and  sheerline stand out in this image.
J Hayes & Sons
1914
FIDELIS in 2012 during a mid week race on the harbour.
Lidgard Boatbuilders
1964
KIM operating as a charter vessel on Darwin Harbour around 2005
Streeter & Male
1958
WINDWARD II on Port Phillip in 2008
Percy Coverdale
1929
KATHLEEN GILLETT racing in Gaffer's Day 2004 on Sydney Harbour.
Colin Archer
1939
FREYA on the Solent in the Admirals Cup
Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty Ltd
1963
HOANA under sail on Sydney Harbour early in its racing life.
J Hayes & Sons
1925
Merlin
Cliff A Probin
1948
AUSTRALIA  sailing on Sydney Harbour in May 2012
Steve Ward
1977