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Bright ' Un

Vessel numberHV000323

Sail NumberR21

Builder JB Jones

Previous owner Royal Brighton Yacht Club

Vessel class 21 Foot Restricted Class (1907 - 2007)

Date1923

DimensionsVessel Dimensions: 7.62 m x 6.4 m (25 ft x 21 ft)

DescriptionBRIGHT'UN was built as the prize in a fundraising raffle for the Royal Brighton Yacht Club. The builder was JB Jones and it was recorded in the Argus 14 July 1923 as follows:

"NEW YACHT FOR BRIGHTON.
To the order of the Brighton Yacht Club, Mr. J. B. Jones, of Ascotvale, has constructed a new type of vessel, of the "21ft. restrlcted" class. His Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Forster), who inspectod the new yacht this week, was particularly interested In the keel and rudder, The yacht will be finished to-day. It is 25ft. overall, and has a beam of 7ft. 9in."

Major Campbell, who is recorded in the club's history as the owner in 1924, is understood to have been the winner of the raffle. Club records also note BRIGHT'UN was sold to James Linacre in 1925 and sailed by him in the 1925/26 season. The Linacre family has been prominent sailors in Victoria over a number of generations. Alex Macintyre, another important figure in the 21 Foot Restricted Class, is recorded as having sailed BRIGHT'UN. He later represented Victoria in the Forster Cup.

BRIGHT'UN's carvel planked hull has a steep bow and narrow stern in contrast to the lower overhanging bows and wider sterns seen on many other 21s. These differences gave BRIGHT'UN better performance in open water with bigger waves. It is thought the design may have been deliberate to suit conditions experienced on Port Phillip in RBYC races.

Much of BRIGHT'UN's long history is not well documented. In 2009 it was in Goolwa South Australia as part of the large fleet of original and new 21's sailing there. Like much of the Goolwa fleet it now carries a modern Bermudian rig, and a cuddy cabin has been fitted. At some point the hull was splined and sheathed in fibreglass, a modification made to many of the other 21s still sailing.
SignificanceBRIGHT'UN is a Victorian built wooden racing yacht from the 1920s. It is one of the 21 Foot Restricted Class yachts which was a significant Australian racing class from the 1920s through to the mid 1950s. It was built in 1923 for the Royal Brighton Yacht Club (RBYC) in Melbourne, Victoria by JB Jones. It has a different hull shape from many of the class and is better suited to open water racing.

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