[ad name=”intheboatshed-post”]
Ross Lillistone’s restored Finn
Sailing in perfect conditions and looking good… Here is a Flickr set of boatbuilder and restorer Ross Lillistone’s restored Finn thought to have been built for the 1956 Olympics. As Ross points out, the sail isn’t quite right, but she looks great to me!
Here’s Ross’s email to me about it:
‘Dear Gavin,
‘The set was put up by Michael Storer after I sent him a few pictures of the boat after an on-line conversation.
‘The boat was restored by an apprentice at Norman Wright & Sons in Brisbane quite a few years ago, and passed through several hands before coming to me. Research suggests that she was originally KA 6, but in the photos she is carrying the sail KA 151, which itself carries a stamp from the 1970 Finn Gold Cup. I’m afraid that I can’t take credit for the restoration, but I am the custodian and maintain her. She is a beautiful boat, built from five layers of diagonal cedar, with an Australian red cedar plywood deck. Super to sail, even for a 54 year-old like me!
‘You may be interested in other photos which appear on my website. The boat I’m working on at the moment can be seen under the buttons labeled Periwinkle Photos (1, 2 and 3). She is a design and build commission, and you will see that her layout bears a striking resemblance to Nathanael Herreshoff’s Coquina. This was definitely not a case of copying, but rather an example of convergent evolution, separated by one-and-a-big centuries. The rig configuration determined the layout.
Please let me know if you want more photos (or drawings) of any of my stuff.
‘Cheers,
‘Ross’
Thanks Ross. To you and to other professionals, I’d say that intheboatshed.net focuses on traditional, traditionally built and vintage boats, with occasional forays into modern designs derived from traditional types. If you’ve got a story to tell, please get in touch. I need good photos, and 200-300 words or a little more if you need them to tell your story.
The beauty of diagonal cedar that is varnished perfectly is only surpassed by the joy of the knowlege that it so resistant to rot and will last for years to come!