About
Remember that pond yacht you had as a child?
Did it sail off into the distance like mine did?
These new classic yachts are just what every big kid wishes for in a model yacht, lovingly put her together and go for a sail...... she even comes back (if you steer the remote controls!)
Perhaps you remember John Bertrand winning the Americas Cup in 1983 (that’s right over 30 years ago), or follow the current batch of International Americas Cup boats?
Then there are a few yachts you may like to sit on the mantel piece or race, because whenever there is more than one yacht on a stretch of water, it inevitably becomes a race.
Thank you for visiting, hope you enjoy the site and remember as Ratty said, there simply is nothing quite so much fun as just messing about in boats’, that’s what we are about, enjoy!
Did it sail off into the distance like mine did?
These new classic yachts are just what every big kid wishes for in a model yacht, lovingly put her together and go for a sail...... she even comes back (if you steer the remote controls!)
Perhaps you remember John Bertrand winning the Americas Cup in 1983 (that’s right over 30 years ago), or follow the current batch of International Americas Cup boats?
Then there are a few yachts you may like to sit on the mantel piece or race, because whenever there is more than one yacht on a stretch of water, it inevitably becomes a race.
Thank you for visiting, hope you enjoy the site and remember as Ratty said, there simply is nothing quite so much fun as just messing about in boats’, that’s what we are about, enjoy!
the 650 - CLICK TO READ MORE
the 507 - CLICK TO READ MORE
the Classics - CLICK TO READ MORE
More from Andrew, below!
As a child I spent a lot of time in my cubby house and one day I was locked in by its designer.
Ok so I was first taken sailing in my cot, the cubby house was always a yacht and the designer was Bruce Farr!
My family started sailing at our local yacht club over 100 years ago, well actually they were founding members of the Sandringham Yacht Club, and sailing at picnic point well before that, so is it any wonder I have salt in my veins?
Inspired by those early days of my childhood and that of my ancestors, I decided to study design at university, from there dabbling in yacht design was a natural progression.
From 2 imported ‘Victoria’ model yachts, people just kept borrowing my boats for a ‘test sail’, now we are over 200 victorias strong and have launched our own yachts the ’507’ and ‘Classic yachts’.
As a sailing junior I was inspired to receive a medal for racing from John Bertrand, skipper of Australia 2.
Over 20 years after the historic Americas cup win in 1983 we have only recently stopped offering the12 metre model and introduced another modern racing yacht , the ‘650”.
But the really exciting boats are the classics, the Balmain Bug is a model of the historic 1800’s 18 foot skiff, these skiffs were overpowered beasts that would develop into the ultimate speed machines.
Indeed the 18ft skiff has attracted many of Australia’s top yachtsmen, among these Iain Murray who later went onto the Americas Cup, and his design ‘Spirit” that started the International Americas Cup Class in 1992 (IACC).
Earlier than that, legendary yacht designer William Fife (or young Willie as Uffa Fox refers to him) was designing Cup yachts like ‘Shamrock’ and others to set the style for today’s designs.
The ‘Fife Classic’ yacht pays tribute to one of the world’s greatest designers and embodies all the things in ‘that pond yacht you used to have as a child as well as remote controlling her so she will come back!
These are not just pond yachts, build them, sail them and create your own story and memorys like the history of a flag they will embody aspects of your story over time.
Our yacht club flag is a diagonal red stripe on a white background, this evolved from the winning yacht in the race being awarded a crayfish (lobster) as a prize.
The tail of the eaten cray was hoisted to the mast top of the winning yacht as a victory gesture, from here our flag originated.
It is my hope with these yachts we can embody the spirit, technology and history passed down over time.
Perhaps more importantly we can share this love of the sea with new friends and help more people find the lure of the sea.
It’s a dream, it’s fun and it is happening!
Thank you all.
Andrew Cook.
Ok so I was first taken sailing in my cot, the cubby house was always a yacht and the designer was Bruce Farr!
My family started sailing at our local yacht club over 100 years ago, well actually they were founding members of the Sandringham Yacht Club, and sailing at picnic point well before that, so is it any wonder I have salt in my veins?
Inspired by those early days of my childhood and that of my ancestors, I decided to study design at university, from there dabbling in yacht design was a natural progression.
From 2 imported ‘Victoria’ model yachts, people just kept borrowing my boats for a ‘test sail’, now we are over 200 victorias strong and have launched our own yachts the ’507’ and ‘Classic yachts’.
As a sailing junior I was inspired to receive a medal for racing from John Bertrand, skipper of Australia 2.
Over 20 years after the historic Americas cup win in 1983 we have only recently stopped offering the12 metre model and introduced another modern racing yacht , the ‘650”.
But the really exciting boats are the classics, the Balmain Bug is a model of the historic 1800’s 18 foot skiff, these skiffs were overpowered beasts that would develop into the ultimate speed machines.
Indeed the 18ft skiff has attracted many of Australia’s top yachtsmen, among these Iain Murray who later went onto the Americas Cup, and his design ‘Spirit” that started the International Americas Cup Class in 1992 (IACC).
Earlier than that, legendary yacht designer William Fife (or young Willie as Uffa Fox refers to him) was designing Cup yachts like ‘Shamrock’ and others to set the style for today’s designs.
The ‘Fife Classic’ yacht pays tribute to one of the world’s greatest designers and embodies all the things in ‘that pond yacht you used to have as a child as well as remote controlling her so she will come back!
These are not just pond yachts, build them, sail them and create your own story and memorys like the history of a flag they will embody aspects of your story over time.
Our yacht club flag is a diagonal red stripe on a white background, this evolved from the winning yacht in the race being awarded a crayfish (lobster) as a prize.
The tail of the eaten cray was hoisted to the mast top of the winning yacht as a victory gesture, from here our flag originated.
It is my hope with these yachts we can embody the spirit, technology and history passed down over time.
Perhaps more importantly we can share this love of the sea with new friends and help more people find the lure of the sea.
It’s a dream, it’s fun and it is happening!
Thank you all.
Andrew Cook.
Spectre Marine by ARC Design since 1996.
Quality pond yachts made in Australia