Casuarina
Vessel numberHV000859
(not assigned)A27
Builder
Hald & Johansen
Designer
Kim Holman
Date1967
DescriptionCasuarina is a 28ft racing and cruising sloop that was built by Hald and Johansen in 1967. It has a 8ft beam, 5ft draught, and designed weight of 4.9 tones. It was designed in the UK by Kim Holman as a ‘twister’, and is believed to be on of four of these in Australia, the others Tigress, Aphrodite, and Samiel. The yacht class was named after the dance move the ‘twist’ a nod to the Beatles song Twist and Shout which came out the same year as the design was laid down, in 1963. The class also made the most of, or twisted, the then possible rating rules to get the best possible handicap.
Kim Holman has described his design approach as follows:
“The aim in designing Twister was a small cruiser with more comfort and space than the Stellas or H26s which were dominating the Class 3 East Anglian Offshore events in the early 60’s. I allowed an extra 18” of LWL, but the rating had to be similar to give close competitive racing, or so I thought. The beam and depth of hull was increased but when the design was advanced enough to calculate the rating it was too high. Drastic action was needed. Out came the pencil and 450 set square and the transom was moved f’wd 6”, something I had long wanted to try. This did the trick. The calculated rating was now much the same as the Stellas, but with the great increase in displacement would she perform? In fact under nearly all conditions T of M [Twister of Mersea] was so much faster than the competition on the E. Coast, it was no contest” - The Twister - Twister Class Association
Labour costs in the UK in the late 1960s made the Twister an affordable, fast, and seaworthy cruiser/racer. It is estimated that 50 Twisters were completed in a home DIY capacity. This build approach aligned well with the mentality of Hald and Johansen, widely known for their prolific boat building shed in Dee Why in the 1960s.
Anders Johansen arrived in Sydney in 1960 and began working at the Lars Halvorsen Sons yard. While working on FREYA Lloyd Burgess asked him to build the Folkboat. Johansen left the yard and set up his own business with TUP (HV000717) as the first yacht project, see also Vivienne Marie (HV000818), and he was soon joined by his uncle John Hald. Hald and Johansen were recognised not only for their Folkboats but other yachts that are still on Sydney Harbour including MORAG BHEAG which is still raced regularly. They did not stay long in Smithfield and moved their yard to the coast setting up at Villiers Place in Dee Why. They built more than thirty yachts during the 1960s. Their last yacht in early 1968 was the Alan Payne designed 5.5m yacht KAREELAH for Russell Slade, after which they closed the partnership and Johansen returned to Demark and continued boatbuilding there.
Whilst some Twisters were made in fibreglass form, Casuarina’s hull is strip planked Oregon for the speed of build and for the hull strength. In 2021 Casuarina underwent minor structural local timber repairs and had all paint and brightwork re-done. Casuarina was registered with the CYCA by Mike Elliot and is believed to have raced offshore as part of the JOG divisions, as did her sister ship Samiel, a slightly larger vessel at 30ft with a counter stern. Casuarina has raced as part of the Sydney Amateurs Classic fleet, taken part in Gaffers Day in 2022, the 150th Anniversary regatta, and exhibited at the 2023 Timber Boat Festival in Pittwater.
SignificanceCasuarina is a 28ft racing and cruising sloop that was built by prolific Danish boatbuilders Hald and Johansen in 1967 at their boatshed in Dee Why. It is a unique example of the UK ‘Twister’ design developed by Kim Holman, with design specifications purposely developed to push the limitations of rating rules. Casuarina’s hull is strip planked Oregon for the speed of build and for the hull strength. As of 2024 it is in excellent condition and is moored in Mosman Bay in Sydney Harbour. In 2024 it participated in the Timber Wooden Boat Festival at the RMYC in Pittwater, and has been an active participant in historic regattas at the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club.
Vessel Highlights
1917
1935
c 1915
