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Stella Class- Alana

Vessel numberHV000650

Sail Number6521

Vessel Registration NumberKW139N

Builder Hans Venables

Designer Kim Holman

Date1964

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 7.92 m × 2.23 m × 1.22 m (26 ft × 7.33 ft × 4 ft)

DescriptionHal Venables had a boatshed in Rose Bay where ALANA was built and launched in 1964 for owner Frank Collins from nearby Vaucluse. It is clinker planked and was built to an Australian modified version of the UK designed Folkboat class. This class came from Europe where it was well known, and had become popular in Sydney after the first one was built locally in 1960. The design’s low freeboard and low headroom restricted it to harbour sailing around Sydney, and quite quickly a pragmatic solution was adopted, the design was modified locally by an unknown builder to incorporate an extra plank for more freeboard, a higher cabin top, more ballast and sail area, and an internal auxiliary engine. It was given the name Stella, and boats of this class raced with the Folkboats even though there were some significant differences.

Hal Venables built a small number of the yachts, and ALANA is believed to be the first one with a raised doghouse as another minor change incorporated locally. In all it is thought 20 Folkboats and 15 Stellas may have been made in Australia by a small number of builders, and this is not counting the fibreglass versions of the Folkboats that extended the life of the class into the 1980s.

ALANA was originally named NIGHTWATCH by the Collins family and was christened by the daughter Suzanne. The Collins owned the yacht up until 1983. It was then sold to Paul Isherwood who kept it until 2005, when it was bought by Jeff Rice, who sold it to the current owners in 2007. By then it was known as HANSKY.

ALANA has always sailed on Sydney Harbour and is in largely original condition, and has been representing the Stella class at classic boat festivals over many years.

SignificanceALANA is a cruising and racing yacht built in Sydney by Hal Venables in 1946. It is one of the Stella class, an adaptation of the Scandinavian Folkboat design that was very popular internationally and in Australia during the 1960s and 70s. It is in original condition and has had a long association with recreational sailing on Sydney Harbour.