The eleven boats

Each boat in the fleet is a replica of a specific original 18-footer, built by hand to the old designs, carrying the original's sail insignia and a dedication to a named person. The boats are listed in the order the originals were built, oldest first, each with the era it sailed in. The fleet races every summer Saturday from Careening Cove.

1906The big boat era

Scot

Replica of the 1906 skiff built by Joe Donnelly and launched at Cook Street, Glebe. The replica was built from the half model by Reg Barrington and Len Heffernan; the club's records disagree on whether it was launched in 1995 or 1997.
1919The big boat era

Britannia

Replica of the 1919 skiff built, owned and skippered by “Wee Georgie” Robinson, the famous Balmain footballer; the restored original is on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum. The replica, the only true carvel planked replica in the fleet, was built by Ian Smith and launched in 2002.
1925The big boat era

Yendys

Replica of Norm Blackman's 1925 snub-nosed skiff built by Charlie Hayes. Yendys is Sydney spelt backwards, and her revolutionary design gave her a theoretical waterline of 21 feet. The replica was built by Col Bailey and Ian Perdriau and first raced on 3 March 2007.
1930The big boat era

Tangalooma

Replica of the 1930 Brisbane syndicate boat that was Australian Champion in 1931-32 and 1936 and State Champion in 1934, 1935 and 1936; the remains of the original are in the Brisbane Maritime Museum. The replica was built from the original plan by Reg Barrington and Len Heffernan and launched at the Australia Day Regatta in 1994.
1932The big boat era

Aberdare

Replica of the 1932 Brisbane-built skiff known as the Galloping Ghost, the revolutionary heel-less 7ft beamer that was Australian champion four seasons running in the 1930s. The replica was built by Robert Tearne and launched in 2000.
1933The big boat era

The Mistake

Replica of the 1933 skiff whose defiant 2+2=5 insignia answered critics who called her a mistake, and whose arrival helped trigger the 1934 split that created the NSW 18-footers Sailing League. The replica was built by Robert Tearne and launched in 2005.
1943The split and the war years

Australia IV

Replica of the very successful 1943 skiff built by the Fisher family of La Perouse, Club Champion in 1944 and 1945 and State Champion in 1945 and 1946. The replica was built by Billy Fisher Jnr, a fifth-generation boat builder, and launched in 2007 as a tribute to his family.
1946The split and the war years

Australia

Replica of the Norman Wright Jnr built skiff that won the Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour in the 1946-47 season. The replica was built by Robert Tearne, launched in 2000, and was commissioned by John Winning in memory of his father and uncle who sailed on the original.
1946The split and the war years

Top Weight

Replica of the 1946 skiff built by Norman Wright Snr at Bulimba on the Brisbane River. Her bookmaker owner gave her a name from the racetrack: the favourite horse carries the top weight. The replica was commissioned by Grant Taylor and built by Robert Tearne.
1947The split and the war years

Alruth

Replica of the 1947 skiff built and raced by Alf Beashel, whose name combines Alf and his wife Ruth. The replica was built by Robert Tearne and launched in 2001, from plans drawn up from the half model made by Ken Beashel.
1950The postwar champions

Myra Too

Replica of Bill Barnett's 1950 skiff that swept the state, national and world titles in 1951, winning the J.J. Giltinan Trophy for the Sydney Flying Squadron for the first time. The replica was built by Barnett's former apprentice Bob McLeod to plans by David Payne and launched in 2013.