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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
139 Pindaric, sporting a prod and a cool new paint job, anchored off Rakino Island in 2008 George Backhus At age 83, Bill Miller (right) still helms or calls tactics on Pionnier Ivor Wilkins for a few years,mooring her in Nelson. C.FulfordboughtPimpernelaround1995. Heandhiswifewerefarmers ontheWestCoastandPimpernelwastheir“townhouse”in Nelson until they later moved there. They used her predominantly for day sailing and cruising with their family. Pimpernel’spresentownersareMarkandVickiGledhillof NelsonwhopurchasedherinAprilof 2007. Markwrote:“Shewasgetting a little tired but we were prepared to spend the time refitting her. We will be using the boat for day sailing and cruising the Tasman Bays,Nelson,MarlboroughandCookStrait. Wearetoldthatshewouldstillbecompetitiveinthekeelerfleetsowemayraceatsome stage in the future.” Pindaric Sail No. 5993 Builder: Export Yachts Launched: 1985 Construction: Balsa core fibreglass Don Lidgard and Brian Windram’s Pindaric was the last of the fibreglass Stewarts built. Pindaric had some issues early on with conforming to class rules. In April 1986, Lidgard queried the banning of rod rigging, which is now permitted under class rules. In June of that year it was determined that 384 lbs of extra weight were needed to bring Pindaric up to the class minimum weight of 10,350 lbs. In October 1986, after weighing, still another 37 lbs. had to be added at deck level. Pindaric was a crack boat and Lidgard an excellent skipper. She was sailed in the 1987 CitizenWatch Match Race Series by Chris Dickson to a fourth-place finish and by Rod Davis in 1989 to a second-place finish. In January of 1998 she was purchased by another keen racing skipper, Paul Stroobrant, who owned her until October of 2003. Stroobrant raced Pindaric very successfully in the Stewart Championships and Ponsonby Cruising Club events. She was purchased by the partnership of John Ormrod and Kevin Purcell, who raced her competitively for the 2003/04 racing season. Ormrod and Purcell sold to the young boatbuilder Campbell Dickie inApril 2004. Dickie has since refitted the boat extensively for cruising, including the addition of a retractable bow sprit. Pionnier Sail No. 3822 Builder: Coastal Yachts/Ian Fish Launched: 1978 Construction: Solid fibreglass Pionnier was the very first fibreglass Stewart 34,built for Bill Miller by Ian Fishof CoastalYachts. Constructioncommencedlatein1977andshewas launched in 1978. TheStewarthullmouldwastakenfromMiller’spreviousStewart,Princess. The keel profile and position slightly differed from the original due to an error on the part of the boat builder, who placed the keel stub for the mouldinanincorrectlocation. ThiscostCoastalYachts about$10,000as Pionnierhadtobealtered,thekeelstubhadtoberemovedfromthemould and a new one built and joined to the hull mould in the correct position. Boatbuilder Rod Holt did most of this work before he could use the mould to build his second Stewart,Palmarie.