yachts

KAY BASON reports from Port Moresby , Papua New Guinea .

It’s on again, the fourth biennial yacht race from Cairns to Port Moresby. The race will start on Sunday, May 5, 1985. The organis ing club, the Royal Papua Yacht Club of Port Moresby, advises that the Cairns Cruising Yacht Squad ron will be assisting in race or ganisation in Caims, and will also be involved in the inaugural feeder race from Hamilton Island to Caims. Make a note of the date, you yachties.

Lead-up races include the Syd ney to Mooloolaba, Brisbane to Gladstone, Gladstone to Hamilton Island, and the highly successful Hamilton Island Race Week, which starts on April 13.

The 450-nautical mile Cairns- Port Moresby Race was dubbed the Coral Sea Classic by the winner of the first race, Jack Rooklyn, whose Apollo took double honors back in 1979.

Papua New Guinea’s national airline, Air Niugini, is again sponsor ing the race and offering substantial discounts on airline services for crews involved in the race.

Competing yachts in 1985 will find the Royal Papua Yacht Club even better than before with its new floating marina (no wet feet in the dinghy) off the clubhouse which is situated in the centre of Port Mores by harbor. The club is renowned for its fine hospitality, and promises lots of lively entertainment for the crews.

It is hoped that a major new trophy, the Coral Sea Trophy will be awarded to the yacht scoring most points in the four major races from Sydney to Port Moresby. • ATOLL. This delightful yacht’s circumnavigation is almost com pleted as she heads back home to Brunei.

Atoll is an 8 m riveted alloy lifeboat hull which probably came off a British ship in Borneo. Owner John Bromage fitted her out using beautiful tropical woods. He admits she is quite heavy at 5Vz tonnes. He built her especially for this trip, and feels she’s done a good job well since he set sail in 1981. Not many lifeboats of this size would be used in such an attempt, but John considers the shape of the hull is marvellous. There is plenty of stow age and she has proved to be a very good seaboat. Having covered over 25,000 miles she has about 3000

more to go. Good going for an “Old Girl”.

John’s lovely wife (they were recently married in Fiji) Theresa, is almost sure to be the first Brunei lady to have circumnavigated the world in a yacht, and John’s 99 per cent sure that Atoll will be the first Brunei yacht to have completed a circumnavigation.

They encountered very bad weather in the Indian Ocean, which was the toughest part of their voyage. Gales of Force 10 hit and they lay ahull for two days south of Madagascar. Their longest passage was from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas, 35 days. Best cruis ing was across the South Atlantic, perfect 12-knot trade winds, twin headsails flying, self-steering tuned in and plenty of good books to read. The kind of cruising we all hope for but don’t often get.

John has travelled many thousands of miles, he’s a veteran at it. Originally from England (he’s rather British) he has explored Europe and Africa and motored in an old 1959 Morris 100 from Cape Town to Cairo. He’s even visited the base camp at Mount Everest.

This interesting man loves remote places and has seen plenty. He has lots of interesting and highly amus ing stories to tell. Summing it all up, he said Venezuela was his favorite place. The people were very friend ly, it had a lively atmosphere, and it was a cheap place to live.

Theresa Bromage (left), “Fat Cat”, and John Bromage aboard Atoll in Port Moresby.-Kay Bason photos.

Atoll, based on a riveted alloy lifeboat hull, at anchor in Port Moresby.

Early this year a volcano near Tonga threw up a new island, and for thousands of miles westward John and Theresa have seen end less lumps of pumice. John was worried that the pea-size lumps would get into the water intake on Atoll and cause damage. He was amazed how far the pumice had travelled.

On board with this “super” cou ple is Murray Armstrong, alias “Fat Cat”, who came on aboard in Fiji.

He had previously cruised with John from Durban to Cape Town and is part of the fixtures. He really enjoyed the PNG beer while in port.

They had all hoped to see more of PNG but with only a 1937 chart, which was well used, they decided to be prudent and head for Port Moresby avoiding the Louisiade

Archipelago. All three agreed that the Royal Papua Yacht Club must be about the friendliest yacht club in the world.

Atoll will head for Thursday Island and hopefully cross their outward bound track 150 degrees east. They will have to double back to the Java Sea and the east coast of Borneo.

John hopes to continue writing, but plans to write books as opposed to articles (they don’t pay enough).

They will be fiction, travel-based books and I’m sure will give the reader new insights into this re markable man. • STARRY NIGHT. Julien Putley hails from Devonshire, England, and has cruised extensively in his Tayana 37. His yacht is a cut above the normal production boat, and has a custom cockpit of teak and

carved bulkheads. Julien likes to explore remote areas and is not interested in the “yellow brick road” or “milk run” routes. In June 1982 he sailed from Singapore to San Francisco and the Hawaiian Islands. He spent seven months in the Marshalls and the Carolines, and then visited Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea.

Julien is a keen photographer and has made a video movie of the Melanesian lifestyles, cultures, and naturally, the aspects of the sea.

He s shown the video movie in villages and the locals have been very happy to oblige with sugges tions and performances of special events. It should provide an excel lent movie which he hopes to sell to help finance his cruising.

Theresa in Atoll’s galley. Note the carving on the bulkhead.

Starry Night in Port Moresby.