Allegiance (Andrews One Tonner)

Changes to the One Ton rating limit in 1983 provided the opportunity for a new breed of dual purpose 40 footer aimed at level-rating as well as grand prix competition. The design of Allegiance was born from this new potential, and the design was commissioned from Californian-designer Alan Andrews in the summer of 1983 following a Transpac race with the owner, Bill Ostermiller, aboard his previous boat, the Peterson-designed Serendipity 43 Celerity. 

The challenges of performing in mixed and level-rating fleets was highlighted by Andrews, who commented at the time that the two styles of racing - corrected time on one hand, boat-for-boat on the other - made it hard to create a specialised boat. "I've just tried to get the best performer I could from the IOR. We have concentrated on upwind ability". The hull was low in freeboard to save weight and windage and to add stability, while the keel was not that generous in terms of lateral plane, but was balanced by a deep, high-aspect, rudder. Her for'ard sections were reasonably fine, but not as deep as some of her competitors.

The deck plan for Allegiance - courtesy Andrews Yacht Design

Allegiance was built by Dennis Choate's Dencho Marine from carbon fibre inner skins and unidirectional S-glass outer skins laid over a Divinycell core, while an aluminium H-frame was designed to accept the mast, keel and engine loads. Allegiance was also one of the first boats with a composite rudder stock. The weight savings achieved through her exotic construction had to be offset by ballast to achieve the necessary rated displacement figure, and this contributed to a high ballast ratio of 56 percent that, along with powerful mid-ship sections, provided excellent upwind performance. Andrews noted that while Allegiance could carry as many as 12 crew for the SORC, in One Ton Cup competition they were limited to eight which would place a premium on inherent form stability.

 Allegiance approaches a weather mark during the 1984 SORC (Sail magazine)

Sail magazine observed that, beyond the refinements in her hull design, Allegiance's performance stemmed from being a lightweight boat, and having an adventurously light Sparcraft mast, although it was not dissimilar to other fractional rigs emerging at this time. This was a thin, three-spreader spar tapered over its top 12 feet, controlled with jumpers and two sets of runners. Her "maximum depth" boom (whereby the limit to depth was a function of the 'E' measurement) was chemically etched to shave off some 10 pounds. 

Interior plan for Allegiance

Allegiance was launched and sailed in California in December 1983 which made the Age Date cutoff, and enabled an IOR rating just below the One Ton limit, at 30.4ft. Early in 1984 she was trucked to Florida and re-assembled for SORC, the first attempt at this regatta for Ostermiller. Andrews recalls that the sailed at least the pre-SORC regatta, "before launching into that marathon of distance and day races". Allegiance went on to be a stand-out performer in the 1984 SORC, and was an impressive IOR debut for Andrews who had previously been known for designs to the MORC rule. Andrews recalls that he was well pleased with the boat, and that her performance benefited from a good crew for the series.  The crew (with some rotating in and out for parts of the series) included Olympic Soling sailors Robbie Haines (helm) and Ed Trevelyan (mainsheet), as well as Andrews himself (headsail trim).

Allegiance during the 1984 SORC (photo Larry Moran)

Allegiance during the 1984 SORC (photo Seahorse)

Allegiance had a close contest with the French One Tonner Diva for overall and Class E honours - each manged to beat the other three times. Included in that was the Miami-Nassau race, when, after 26 hours of hard reaching, beating and countless sail changes made in darkness, Diva managed to dive across the Nassau finish line just 3 seconds ahead of Allegiance. The differences between the boats were subtle, Allegiance was a bit heavier but carried more sail. Diva was light, but also a bit fuller in her stern sections. In the end, Allegiance won Class E, but Diva took out the overall fleet prize, the Governor's Cup.

Allegiance during the 1984 SORC

"As the series developed we had quite a battle with Diva that went down to the last race", says Andrews. "Allegiance pointed a bit higher and when truly upwind had better VMG but Diva had greater sailing length and could jib reach/fetch faster. We didn’t learn early enough about playing to our strengths versus boat-for-boat covering. We beat them in class but they beat us in fleet for the overall". 

On the strength of these performances, Allegiance was selected to the US Sardinia Cup team (alongside SORC Class C yachts Secret Love and Scaramouche). Following the SORC, Allegiance went on to race the One Ton North Americans in Annapolis (April 1984) where Haines and Trevelyan had to leave to prepare for their Olympic Soling campaign, and Lowell North, David Miller and Peter Stalkus joined the boat. She finished fourth overall, behind the J-41s Smiles, Road Warrior and Dazzler (with placings of 7/4/2/4) 

Allegiance during the 1984 One Ton Cup (photo Histoiredeshalfs)

Allegiance was then shipped to France for the 1984 One Ton Cup in La Trinite Sur Mer. "Some factors of the rig tune were inadvertently adjusted/lost in transit and we didn’t get up to speed until near the end of the series" says Andrews. Allegiance finished in 11th place in the 24 boat fleet (won by Passion 2), with results of 11/19/7/7/12. 

Allegiance during a leeward mark rounding during the 1984 One Ton Cup

Allegiance can be seen here to leeward of Nuova, Fair Lady and Cifraline 3 at a start during the 1984 One Ton Cup (photo Histoiredeshalfs)

"Most of the crew stayed the same for Sardinia but Lowell and Peter left and were replaced by Dave Ullman, Steve Benjamin and Rob “Magellan” Vaughan. Sardinia was a tough series with the Argentinean Red Rock clipping our backstay and bringing down the topmast in a day race. We fixed it in an all-nighter and started the distance race the next day in 20+ knots of building Mistral. That was one of the windiest races I’ve sailed with the wind instruments blown off the masthead. We know it was really windy when the boatspeed went up after we changed to the storm trysail from three reefs in the main". Allegiance's overall place is not known, but the US team finished the series in fifth place, of 16 teams.

Following Sardinia, Allegiance returned to Southern California and was fitted with a new rig. After another year or two of racing the boat moved on to a new three-person partnership of owners who had great racing at the top of the Long Beach/LA fleet for many years competing against the Dubois One Tonner Victory. "We helped them with a major refit that opened the transom, reduced interior weight, a new rudder, reduced deck hardware, etc" recalls Andrews. "After a few other owners the boat is now in San Diego named “Sugar Sue” and club racing there. Not bad for a 31 year old boat!"

Andrews also notes that Allegiance has a near sister Impact, which was ordered after the owners sailed in Allegiance’s sea trials. The main difference was Impact had a masthead rig and slightly wider stern. Impact has won many California races including the San Francisco Perpetual Cup match race in which she defeated Irv Loube’s Beneteau One-Tonner Bravura and the SoCal IOR Championships. 

Allegiance more recently (One Ton Facebook page)

Rubin VIII & Saudade (Judel/Vrolijk One Tonners)

Saudade was a One Ton design from the German design duo of Judel/Vrolijk, one of a series of boats of this size that developed from the success of their earlier Sudpack during the 1984 One Ton Cup, and from the bigger Container and Pinta designs. Compared to its 43 foot predecessors, the new One Ton design utilised a lower beam to length ratio for better performance in light airs. With a change to the stability factor in the IOR, the new boat retained the same stability as Sudpack, with an optimised sail to hull ratio of 16.11, near to the maximum under IOR before penalties would be incurred. The boat was designed to rate at the One Ton limit of 30.5ft, but could be optimised down to 30.3ft for the Admiral's Cup. 

The first boat to the new design was finished at the end of 1984 as Rubin VIII (G-3388), the latest in a long line of boats owned by German yachtsman Hans-Otto Schumann to carry the Rubin name. In keeping with Schumann's fascination with the technology of fast boats, he fitted an elliptical keel, based on concepts tested at Heidelberg University. Rubin VIII joined the German team for the 1985 Admiral's Cup, alongside the 44ft Diva G and another new One Tonner Outsider. Rubin VIII was considered to have a smoother shape than Outsider, and to be a better all-rounder and less cranky in fresh downwind conditions.   

Rubin VIII demonstrating her upwind form (above) and downwind (below)

Both Outsider and Rubin VIII sailed a patchy series in the 1985 One Ton Cup in Poole, the month before the Admiral's Cup, but had managed a first and second between them during the five race series. However, the German team put together a solid performance in the Admiral's Cup to successfully defend their previous win in 1983. 

Deck plan of Rubin VIII

In a reversal of pre-regatta form and predictions, Outsider was the top German yacht, finishing second overall, while Rubin VIII also placed strongly and together they were able to overcome the handicap of the larger Diva G in a series where the smaller boats dominated.

Outsider - second overall and the top German boat in the 1985 Admiral's Cup

The new Rubin IX (G-1919)

Rubin IX during the 1986 Sardinia Cup

For the 1987 Admiral's Cup Schumann elected to commission a larger 43 foot sister to the new Pinta (Rubin IX), while Albert Bull built a new One Tonner Saudade, as an update of the earlier Rubin VIII.  The boat was wintered in Palma, Mallorca, which allowed the crew to work up her speed in 15-20 knots, and she made the German team, alongside the new One Ton Container and the latest Diva. 

Saudade powers upwind (photo Peter Neumann)

But the German effort came adrift midway through the series, with the third race being disastrous for the team's hoped-for defence. Saudade followed Diva's error at the fourth mark, when helmsman Uwe Mares underestimated the tide and brushed the buoy. When the crew re-rounded they managed to interfere with several other yachts. Back in the jury room Saudade dropped from 26th to 42nd. The team finished fifth overall, while Saudade was 15th yacht in the individual standings.

Saudade can be seen here in the middle of a crowded startline during the 1987 Admiral's Cup

Saudade after the finish of the 1987 Fastnet Race, with team-mate Diva G in the background (photo Shockwave40 blogspot)

Saudade went on to compete in the 1987 One Ton Cup, where she finished in 24th place in the 34 boat fleet.

Above and below - cockpit details of Saudade (photos courtesy of Ian Watson)

The updated Saudade, a 1988 Farr design, can be seen here.

Saudade is still sailing and maintained in good condition, as seen below, and carries the Heatwave name, having been bought by the yachtsman who had owned the ex-New Zealand One Tonner featured in a previous post.

Rubin VIII meanwhile has been in the ownership of the Pannanen family for nearly 30 years, who have kept her in excellent shape, and a functional lightweight interior for the boat was built during 1992-1995 along with a new keel. The mast is still original, but all new rod rigging was made by Baltic Yachts also in 1995.