Featured Boatbuilders - McConaghy Boats

McConaghy Boats is an Australian boatbuilding company, founded in 1967 and went on to engineer yachts in vacuum formed foam sandwich, fibreglass and Kevlar construction synonymous with high-tech yachts of the IOR days in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company became well known in the field of very competitive large yachts, and for many Australian challengers in the Admiral's Cup, Kenwood Cup and Southern Cross Cup arenas. McConaghy Boats has done a great job of documenting its history on its website, and a number of its top IOR yachts are featured here with links to the photo library which include construction, launching and sailing photos.

Bondi Tram (1982) - a 41ft German Frers design, and the top Australian yacht in the 1983 Admiral's Cup (currently for sale in Hawaii)

Drake's Prayer (1984) - Farr 43, sistership to Snake Oil and member of the fourth placed Australian Admiral's Cup team in 1985

Madelines Daughter (1986) - an updated Farr 43 and part of the 1989 Australian Admiral's Cup team

Sagacious (1987) - a Farr One Tonner, seen here in 1989 with a modified stern

Beyond Thunderdome (1988) - a Davidson One Tonner, later chartered by Ian Gibbs for the Sydney Hobart race in 1994 and renamed Swuzzlebubble VIII

By the late 1980s and early 1990s the IOR 50 class had become well established, and McConaghy Boats were involved in building a number of these racers from the US design office of Reichel/Pugh. Although this was some time ago now, the yachts featured the very latest in carbon fibre technology, and interior fitouts that are not very different to current racing yachts.

Abracadabra (1990) - a Reichel/Pugh 50 footer

Fujimo (1990) - another Reichel/Pugh 50 footer

Champosa VII (1990) - another Reichel/Pugh 50 footer, now based in Auckland, New Zealand