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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
152 Premier was recently sold to Alain Queval and is still based in Noumea, New Caledonia. Indeed the author spotted her lying in the marina at Port Moselle in 2004. John’s brother Jeff says he still has the main sail that Premier flew in the Citizen Watch Match Racing Series and uses it on his Stewart Matangi, a 36-foot motor-sailor. Pride (of Islay) Sail No. 1678 Builder: Donald Bros. Boatbuilders Launched: 1970 Construction: Cold moulded triple skin kauri, glassed over. Deck and cabins are marine ply glassed over The Donald brothers, owners of Donald Boat Builders on Loop Road in Tauranga, built Pride for themselves. This was the first yacht built by one of the brothers after completing his apprenticeship. They sold Pride to Neville and Peter Millen in 1973, who owned her for at least ten years. Pride was considered one of the faster Stewart 34’s and was registered with the Bucklands Beach Yacht Club. Pride was purchased in 1985 by Steve Balemi who sold within the year as a trade for a bigger boat. She was then thought to have been owned then by M. J. Canning. Captain Ronald A. Palmer bought Pride and sailed her to Wellington in June 1986. Palmer registered her with the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club and entered her in harbour and off-shore races with some success. Pride is a heavier built boat than the other timber Stewart 34’s and Palmer’s search for a boat had taken six months before deciding upon her. Palmer felt that the lighter constructed Stewarts were all right for the conditions found on the Hauraki Gulf but he favoured a heavier boat for the rigours of sailing in the breezier Wellington Harbour and Cook Strait. Pride stood up well to the Cook Strait challenge. Under trysail and working jib she handled 50 knot winds and when racing with a full crew she could carry a deep reefed main and No. 3 headsail. Palmer sold her in December of 1990 to Jeremy Mamcks of Wellington. Pride’s next owner was Dave Mowat, who moved her from Wellington up to Kerikeri. Ken Brewster, her current owner, purchased her in December of 2006 and moved her to Gulf Harbour. Brewster has lived on board and is refitting Pride and bringing her up to Category I standard. He intends to do some single-handed offshore cruising, and feels she’s just the right size and style for the job. Prince Hal Sail No.41 Builder: ExportYachts Launched: 23 August 1984 Construction: Balsa core fibreglass When Chris Packer built Prince Hal, he spared no expense. Bill Miller commented that she was“probably the most expensive Stewart 34 ever built. Most of the gear came from overseas and everything was immaculate.” Packer, from a keen yachting family in Western Australia, came to New Zealand on a holiday and stayed. He represented New Zealand in four of the eleven Citizen Watch Match Racing Series. After her first season’s racing, he then took Prince Hal down to his farm near Hamilton to do some maintenance during the winter and came back in Novemberof 1985forthenewseason. Everywintershewastakenbacktothe farm for maintenance. Packer and Prince Hal won the 1986/87 Stewart Championships as well as that season’s Duder Cup. He raced Prince Hal commendably until 1989 when he purchased the Laurie Davidson design Starlight Express. Prince Hal fetches the windward mark in the 2007 Stewart Championships Stewart Association Collection