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Plum Crazy

Vessel numberHV000839

Builder Douglas Brooker

Designer Joe Adams

Date1971

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 9.22 m × 7.69 m × 1.52 m (30.25 ft × 25.23 ft × 4.99 ft)

DescriptionPlum Crazy is a 30ft 'half tonner’ yacht built by Douglas Brooker in 1971 for offshore racing. Brooker is famous for his series of cold molded timber yachts of strong yet light construction. These included Plum Crazy and Defiance; Hobart winning one-tonner Ceil III; three-quarter tonners Impeccable Pazazz & Dancing Mouse, the 36ft Baden Design cruising yacht Pericles, Australian champion quarter-tonner Jiminy Cricket and his own design 42ft cruising yacht Touchwood. Plum Crazy's hull is constructed of three skins of triple diagonal planked Oregon wood on laminated frames, its deck a mixture of timber and plywood. It has an overhanging stem and stern, round bottom, and fin keel.

Plum Crazy's design is attributed to the highly regarded and innovative naval architects Joe Adams and Bob Miller. At the time of Plum Crazy's construction Adams was Miller's highly skilled assistant, and the vessels designs are attributed to his drawings. Adams went on to develop the ‘Adams 31’ and the 1973 Sydney to Hobart Yacht winning 'Helsal’ which established his reputation for fast and sea worthy yachts. Miller went on to great fame as Ben Lexcen, immortalized in 1983 as the designer of Australia II - America's cup winning yacht.

Plum Crazy was launched on the 16 December 1971 and ten days later competed in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. 'The Plum’ caused great sensation in leading American J.B Killroy's champion maxi yacht Kialoa II for 20 minutes in the race to the Sydney heads. Original owner Tig Thomas recalls the beginning of the race:

“A bit of an easterly was blowing and we put up our brand new reacher. We got a gun start and led the fleet up the harbour for the first 20 minutes. Then the breeze kicked around to the north-east and we had to do a sail change, to a number one headsail. Back in those days you had to unhank one sail before the next sail could be hoisted so in the process of changing we lost the lead. We led the fleet for 20 minutes of glory. And apart from having a line squall off Wollongong, it was pretty much an easy run."

Plum Crazy went on to win second division and division 2B in the race, and was 16th out of 79 starters. 'The Plum’ went on to have a very prolific racing career, and was at the forefront an era of half tonner racing that took off in Sydney during the 1970s. This resulted in new one off designs and the work of naval architects such as Peter Joubert and Peter Cole provided options for affordable close offshore racing yachts.

Plum Crazy's win at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's Dunhill Trophy Half Ton Championship in December 1972 was pivotal. This resulted in an endorsement by the Australian Yachting Federation for Plum Crazy to represent Australia at the 1973 International Half Ton Cup in Denmark, and a fundraising campaign by the CYCA to send the best half tonner crew to Denmark. During an unfortunate mishap, Plum Crazy sustained considerable damage whilst being craned into the water in Denmark – the crane overbalancing, the crane jib falling on top of the yacht and crushing the coach house. The subsequent repair period gave the crew limited race preparation time and Plum Crazy ultimately finished tenth, the French team in the lighter and narrower Impensable winning the race.

Plum Crazy bounced back in 1974 winning the South Solitary Island race – a race from Sydney to South Solitary Island and back to Pittwater. Plum Crazy's race career highlight arrived in 1975 when it recorded a Sydney to Hobart Race time of 4 days 1 hour 18 minutes 16 seconds. At the time, this was the fastest time recorded for a yacht under 9.5 meters in length, a record that Plum Crazy held for 25 years. As of 2023 Plum Crazy has been restored, is in excellent condition and primarily used as a recreational cruising yacht.

SignificancePlum Crazy is a 30ft 'half tonner’ yacht built by Douglas Booker in 1971 in his yard in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Plum Crazy was built for offshore racing, and had a very prolific race career, competing in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race a week after its launch and coming second in its division. In 1975 Plum Crazy set the Sydney to Hobart race record for the fastest time for a yacht under 9.5 meters in length, completing the race in 4 days 1 hour 18 minutes 16 seconds. During the 1970s 'The Plum’ was at the forefront of half tonner racing – representing Australian in the 1973 International Half Ton Cup in Denmark. Plum Crazy's cold molded timber design made it strong and light in form, and contributed to its offshore racing success. This design has been attributed to highly regarded naval architects Joe Adams and Bob Miller.