Images(5)

The sailplan by Fife of the 6 metre class

Two views of JUDITH PHIL under its previous name JUNO showing the cabin house and deck arrangem…

JUDITH PHIL on Sydney Harbour, date unknown

Judith Pihl

Vessel numberHV000181

Vessel Registration NumberFIFEMRN

Designer William Fife III

Builder Charlie Peel

Date1934

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 11.1 m x 7.3 m x 1.8 m x 1.6 m, 3.7 tonnes (36.42 ft x 23.95 ft x 5.91 ft x 5.25 ft, 3.76 tons)

DescriptionCharlie Peel built JUDITH PIHL and a sister ship ACROSPIRE V in 1934, from plans based on the design of TOOGOOLOOWOO II, owned by Bill Dagg, also built by Peel. The original design came from William Fife III of Scotland, a renowned designer who had a strong influence on designers around the world.

After TOOGOOLOOWOO II won the Northcote Cup in 1932 Dagg agreed to make his plans available to others if Fife consented. Fife agreed and asked for only a small royalty fee for each new boat built. The aim was to establish a local one-design class based on the 6 Metre Rule.

The 6 Metre class was designed to the International Rule. The class competed for the Northcote Cup, an interstate challenge cup, from the early 1900s. This series was a major drawcard for spectators, along with the Sayonara Cup and The Forster Cup. The 6 Metres also raced in mixed fleet club events.

Peel's three yachts formed this small one-design class on Port Phillip, Victoria. Two other yachts, ERA and CLIPPER, were built by James Hayes in Sydney to sail in NSW, and extend the class. Percy Coverdale also built SJO RO in Tasmania for (Sir) Claude Ploughman to race in NSW. Different interpretations of the plans by the builders meant that each hull was very slightly different; it is even thought that SJO RO was built with all the offsets enlarged by just under one-percent.

The boats built by Peel had hulls of Huon pine planking on spotted gum frames to the class scantlings, which were based on Lloyds Rules for Yachts. This gave the yachts a robust construction and they remained sailing for many years. JUDITH PIHL was named after Charlie Peel's daughter, using the original Polish spelling of their surname. It was owned by Alf Watt at the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club on Port Phillip and unsuccesfully challenged for the Northcote Cup in late 1934/early 1935, soon after it was launched. It was beaten by TOOGOOLOOWOOO II, but finished ahead of sisterships SJO RO and ACROSPIRE V which were also racing in the series. It raced for the Cup again, and in 1949 was beaten by the more modern design YEOMAN.

JUDITH PIHL changed hands and sailed on Sydney Harbour from 1938, later renamed JUNO. Changes were made to the deck and rig in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2008 it had a small cuddy cabin with a masthead sloop rig, but retained the original hull construction by Peel and the elegant overhangs and hull shape which were a Fife trademark.

TOOGOOLOOWOO II and SJO RO were also still afloat in 2008, but the whereabouts of the other three 6 Metre class yachts was unknown.
SignificanceJUDITH PIHL is a wooden racing yacht built in Victoria in the 1930s and is is one of three known examples of the early 1930s local adaptation of the 6 Metre class in Australia. It was built by Charlie Peel, a well-known designer and builder in Melbourne in the first half of the twentieth century.