Scirocco, portrait

of a winner

Launched in Whangarei, New Zea land, in October ’B3 Scirocco was self-built by Frank and Janet Hall over a two-year period. A Warwick 42 design, she is triple-planked kauri over fully laminated kauri frames, and has a fin keel with skeg rudder. Using a two-part epoxy saturation system, Frank has done such a good job of fairing the hull, that one could be excused for thinking she is GRP.

Scirocco’s principal dimensions are LOA 12.8 metres (42 feet), a beam of 3.7 metres (12.1 feet), and draught of 2.1 metres (6.9 feet), and has a designed displacement of 9.5 tonnes.

Frank has fitted Scirocco’s in terior entirely in teak with liberal use of white panels to give a light and airy atmosphere. A narrow double quarter berth to port is fully en closed and contains a navigation station adjacent to the companion way. The galley to starboard is extremely well-planned, with a fully-gimballed Mariner gas and masses of bench space.

Electronics and communications on board are not exotic, but suffi cient for any cruising yacht. A Furuno FSN 80 Sat Nav assists in the navigation whilst a Codan 8121 SSB and a Cybernet CTXSOOO VHF satisfies communication needs. Frank has found the Noel Lloyd’s SSB net on Onerahi sports radio (4419.4), to be invaluable while cruising the South Pacific.

The net gives coverage from the western Pacific right through to Hawaii.

Frank was also impressed with the quality of both the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and commercial radio coastal weather forecasts and reports emanating from Darwin. They were extremely detailed and broadcast at hours to suit the mariner.

Scirocco, despite her victory, was

built for comfortable long-distance cruising at a reasonable rate of knots. Frank and Janet Hall, with their younger son Greg, have co vered many cruising miles since they departed their home port of Whangarei in April ’B4.

Tonga was the family’s first objective, with six weeks spent cruising the northern islands. Then it was on to Fiji and a further six weeks. While in Fiji they competed in the Beqa race and set a new race record for the cruising division on the return run. (Rumor has it though that they were the only yacht in that divi sion!) Vanuatu was the next stopover.

Then it was on to Solomon Islands where Frank found that attempts to pay the “light fees” with an Austra lian $lOO bill met with total dis approval. His advice is to have plenty of dollar notes of $lO or less they just do not use higher denominations and they don’t give change.

Regardless, the Halls voted Solo mon Islands the best cruising ground yet, with beautiful protected anchorages and friendly local villa gers. The Northern Solomons proved the most rewarding, with the sheltered waters of Wana Wana Island as their most remembered stopover.

Scirocco’s Australian landfall was made at Cairns, where the Halls spent the seven months of the cyclone season. The family’s arrival in Darwin saw them joined by their eldest son Michael, who had flown out from the U.K. for the Ambon race.

With the excitement of their double victory behind them, and their numerous trophies stowed away, the Hall family are now cruising Scirocco through Indone sia. Their passage will then take them to Christmas Island and on to

South Africa.

Ian G. Menzies.