Many will agree that widespread dinghy racing was born in Australia due to an 11ft 6” two-handed skiff, conceived by Sylvester ‘Sil’ Rohu and designed by Charles Sparrow in 1931.
Named the Vaucluse Junior or affectionately the Vee-Jay (VJ), the design would go on to spawn tens-of-thousands of builds across Australia and overseas with competitive racing on offer until the 90s. Champions of the class would go on to win olympic gold, world championships and the legendary 1983 America’s Cup (John Bertand).
To celebrate the 90th birthday of this incredibly important boat in Australia’s sailing history, Vaucluse Yacht Club, founded by Sil Rohu in 1939, will be hosting a special event on the morning of Saturday December 11 2021, featuring a display of classic VJs from across the era, a breakfast Q and A with some of the original champions of the class and a VJ sail past.
The Vaucluse Yacht Club remains a thriving hub of dinghy racing with a large fleet of Lasers competing each weekend.
The event is free with registration.
Details:
Date – Saturday 11th December 2021
Time – 8.30am rigging, 10am breakfast Q and A
Location – Vaucluse Yacht Club cnr Marine Parade and Robertson Place, Watsons Bay
Cost – Free with registration – https://www.vaucluseyachtclub.com.au/vj90
By Byron Georgouras, Commodore – Vaucluse Yacht Club
