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Malveena

Vessel numberHV000579

Sail NumberA 60

Official Number853277

Builder RC Masters Pty Ltd

Previous owner RC Masters Pty Ltd

Designer RC Masters Pty Ltd

Date1966

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 10.06 m x 7.31 m x 2.9 m x 1.75 m, 6.1 tonnes (33 ft x 24 ft x 9.5 ft x 5.75 ft, 6 tons)

DescriptionMALVEENA was lofted on Clem Masters’ shed floor and, as such, no plans exist. The hull is splined Oregon planks. The yacht is 10.06m (33 feet) long overall, 7.31m (24 feet) on the waterline, with 2.9m (9 feet) beam and a draft of 1.75m (5 feet 9 inches). The separate fin (or short keel) and rudder was then becoming more widely adopted on yachts in the USA and Europe, replacing the long keel and keel hung rudder combination that had been used by most ocean going yachts since the earliest days of yachting. The yacht was named after the Sydney Harbour champion 18-foot skiff MALVINA, owned and skippered by Bill Haywood in the 1930s. Masters had used this name on earlier small racing dinghies that he had sailed, using the variant spelling MALVEENA .

Masters hoped to have the same success as the UK designed Lion class or Alan Payne's Australian designed Tasman Seabird from the late 1950s with his new class, but only one sister ship, WANDA ,was built. The late 1960s became a period of one-off, custom designs in Australia, many from experienced overseas firms. With the newly introduced IOR offshore rule also evolving from the mid-1960s onwards, having the latest design configured to changes and developments was always an advantage. In addition, fibreglass construction was becoming established and able to produce a hull more economically. This enabled yachts such as the Swanson 36 to have more local market success.

Seacraft magazine followed the yacht’s progress, and in July 1966 noted that “Clem Masters' light displacement Oregon-planked 33 footer under construction at Deagon is coming along fine. She will have a reverse raking hanging rudder and a measured sail area of 450 sq ft.”

Seacraft in November 1966 carried this report:

'MALVEENA, Clem Masters' new 33 foot sloop made an impressive debut when she was first across the line in the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club's Watson Brothers Trophy race. Masters is her designer, builder, owner, skipper.'

MALVEENA has since sailed extensively in Australian waters. The yacht has competed in three Sydney to Brisbane races, finishing 47th out of 60 finishers in its first race in 1968. It raced in three Brisbane to Gladstone races finishing third in both the 1968 and 1969 races, and has twice sailed to Lord Howe Island. It has also sailed from Port Douglas across the top end to Darwin.

MALVEENA has undergone two major overhauls. In 1983 it was splined and a doghouse added to the cabin top. In 1999, it underwent an extensive restoration by Sailmar Shipwrights in Perth. In December 2004 MALVEENA was moved by truck across the continent to Pittwater NSW and in April 2010 sailed down to Sydney Harbour to sail with Sydney Amateur Sailing Club with sail number A60.

Clem Masters’ shed remains in operation but is now run by Peter Kerr. The park adjacent to the yard has been dedicated to Clem Masters.

SignificanceMALVEENA was designed and built in Deagon at Sandgate, Queensland by boat builder and shipwright R.C. ‘Clem’ Masters in 1966. It has had a long racing career, largely in Queensland where it was one the state’s well-known racing yachts and Masters was one their best known yacht and boat builders. MALVEENA was launched as the first boat in an intended new class for Australian ocean racing. It was also one of the first Australian designed classes to feature the short keel and skeg rudder combination that was then becoming the normal configuration for ocean racing yachts.