Black Sheep (Lidgard 50)

Black Sheep was a 50 footer designed by Kevin Lidgard for owner Alistair Shanks. She started life as a long lean racing yacht but somewhere along the way she became an IOR design, smaller on the waterline and with fewer cruising pretentions. Shanks' commission had a view towards the 1984 Clipper Cup, and with her raking transom, flush deck and masthead rig she appeared to take some design cues from the classic Peterson and Frers yachts that had been successful in the 1982 Cup, such as Bullfrog and Margaret Rintoul III.

Black Sheep was built by Lidgard Yachts in Divinycell, Kevlar and unidirectional glass, and was launched in February 1984 - an instantly recognisable yacht thanks to her striking black finish, and snorting ram motif on her graceful retrousse stern. She was of reasonably heavy displacement, although probably considered moderate under the IOR, of some 25,900lbs, with a total ballast package in the keel and hull of some 13,800lb - a further ton was added later to improve her performance in a breeze. She sailed with an IOR rating of 40.2ft.  

 Black Sheep under construction at Lidgard Yachts

Black Sheep was Lidgard's third IOR design. The first, Barefoot, was a Quarter Tonner of mid-1970s vintage, the second was the 40 foot design to which the trio of Defiance, Dictator and Domino II were built  - the former two being members of New Zealand's ill-fated 1982 Clipper Cup team. Compared to those earlier designs Black Sheep was less extreme, with more emphasis on enabling clean water flows through a faster underwater shape less pushed at the measurement points.

Black Sheep fully powered up and working her way to windward off Mission Bay, Auckland, during the 1984 Clipper Cup trials

Black Sheep two sail reaching down the Rangitoto Channel during the 1984 Clipper Cup selection trials

Black Sheep was skippered by Graeme Woodroffe and started her bid for selection in New Zealand's 1984 Clipper Cup team with a line and handicap double in the first race of the trials, the Balokovic Cup. She went on to produce a strong performance throughout the remainder of the trials races with a 3/4/1/1/2/4/1, resulting in a clear lead on points.

However, Black Sheep was not selected for the New Zealand A team, instead joining Anticipation and the Ross 44 Blast Furnace in the B team. The trials were based on an 'observation' format rather than points, and her inclusion in the B team caused some consternation for the crew, and Woodroffe was outspoken in his criticism of the selectors who preferred Pacific Sundance, Exador and Shockwave for New Zealand's A team. Unfortunately the controversy around this decision attracted more media attention than the trials series themselves.

However, the relegation of Black Sheep to the B team was justified somewhat when Black Sheep became an early victim of New Zealand's broken mast syndrome, losing hers in the first race through a rigging failure at the middle spreader (where the rod passed through the spreader bend). It happened at the start of the second beat, with Black Sheep well placed in Division B. Only four masts were lost during the series (compared to seven in 1982), but three of those were on New Zealand boats (including Exador who lost hers in the final 'Round the State' race which cost New Zealand the Cup).  

Black Sheep sails downwind during the 1984 Clipper Cup

Black Sheep was sailing again for the fourth race, after a new mast had arrived from California at 0130 that morning and the crew had worked all night to get it rigged and stepped. Fortunately everything fitted, but the crew were exhausted and were still adjusting the rig during the race. Not surprisingly they were over at the start and had to return. On the last beat they lost a jib halyard, broke a jib sheet and the jib tore out of the headfoil. They were still using the old damaged one because a new one hadn't arrived with the remainder of the rigging. In spite of all this, they finished 14th in the Clipper Cup fleet, one place ahead of A team yacht Shockwave.

More bad luck was to ensue in the Round the State race finale, when Black Sheep struck an unchartered rock off the north coast of Oahu early in the race, and she had to be slipped soon after finishing. She managed to continue, however, and finished 11th overall in the triple-points 780 mile race and beat both the redoubtable Checkmate and Tomahawk from the US team on corrected time.

Black Sheep just visible here to windward of Artemis, with Checkmate (US-8997), Orlanda (I-10149) and Tomahawk to weather (photo Phil Uhl)

Overall, Black Sheep had looked good in B Division which had some of the best boats in the fleet. Lidgard was satisfied with her performance, commenting afterwards that Tomahawk was probably the best sailed 50-footer in the Pacific and they managed to beat her in the long race. In the end Black Sheep finished in 22nd place overall with placings of DNF/DNF/DNF/14/11, not far behind team-mate Anticipation in 18th but ahead of Blast Furnace in 26th, while the B team finished 7th overall (of 11).  

Black Sheep sailing upwind during the 1986 Kenwood Cup

Black Sheep returned to New Zealand for repairs, and later sailed for Hong Kong in the 1985 Southern Cross Cup series, but with four 'DNC's and 31st in the Sydney-Hobart race finale it was clear that she was not a serious campaigner. She went on to have another tilt at the Kenwood Cup series in 1986, by now with a reduced rating of 39.6ft, where she finished 32nd with placings of 29/27/42/27/25.

Black Sheep also sailed in the 1989 Auckland to Fukuoka Yacht Race, and is seen above just after the start (photo Maritime Museum).

Black Sheep later competed in the 1989 Auckland to Fukuoka Yacht Race, where she finished in fifth place overall in the IOR division. 

Article updated February 2026

Epic (Farr One Tonner)

Epic Lass (left) on launching day (photo Gibbs Family Collection)

Epic was a Farr One Tonner (just under 40 feet long), which started life as Epic Lass, a thinly disguised reference to the Epiglass brand owned by the yacht's sponsor, Healing Industries.

The yacht was a development of Bruce Farr's dominant One Ton design, Design #136, which had formed the basis of New Zealand's outstanding 1983 Southern Cross Cup team. Epic Lass, and her sistership Swuzzlebubble V, were designed and built with a view to competing for New Zealand in the 1985 Admiral's Cup series, and were twin versions of Design 138, optimised for the lighter airs expected in Europe being slightly shorter in length (approx 7in), lighter (approx 190lb), with a fractionally lower ballast ratio, and carrying more sail for the same One Ton rating of 30.5ft IOR.

Design 138 in profile

Epic Lass in light airs during the Auckland Anniversary Day regatta, January 1985 (photo Dan Nerney/Yachting New Zealand magazine)

Epic Lass and Swuzzlebubble V were launched together amongst much fanfare outside the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in December 1984. Epic Lass was skippered by Peter Walker and featured many of New Zealand's top offshore yachtsmen in her crew, including Peter Lester as helmsman.

Epic Lass during the 1985 New Zealand Admiral's Cup trials

In the five-boat Admiral's Cup trial series held in early 1985, Epic Lass lined up against sistership Swuzzlebubble V, veteran performer Exador, the Davidson 40 Canterbury Export, and the Peterson 43, Barnstorm. The trials series was closely fought, but Exador and Canterbury Export selected themselves, while two more races had to be added to the evaluation schedule to determine whether Epic Lass or Swuzzlebubble V would make the team. Being slightly smaller than their predecessor Exador and optimised for European conditions, both yachts gave no real indication of being an improvement on the original Farr 40. 

Epic Lass sails downwind during the 1985 Admiral's Cup trials

Epic Lass sails upwind past North Head and into the Rangitoto Channel

Epic Lass during the 1985 Admiral's Cup trials, approaching a windward mark off Westhaven behind Canterbury Export, Exador and Swuzzlebubble V (photo Rob Tucker/Sea Spray magazine)

However, neither boat demonstrated that they were fully optimised either - changing gears was a problem common to both boats - and the selectors wondered how much performance was untapped. In the end, both final races went Epic Lass' way, with skipper Peter Walker winning the first race and finishing third in the second, pulling in Exador and Canterbury Export as she went. 

Epic Lass during final warm-up trials in Auckland before being shipped to Europe

The inherent link of the name Epic Lass to her sponsor was too obvious to sustain in international competition under Rule 26, and so her name was shortened to Epic after the team was repainted in matching grey and black livery for their European campaign. 

Epic is loaded aboard New Zealand Pacific for her trip to England

All three New Zealand yachts competed in the 1985 One Ton Cup curtain raiser, held in Poole before the Admiral's Cup. With so many Admiral's Cup teams fielding One Tonners, the series was well attended with 38 boats from 16 countries, and was closely fought. Exador had a solid series, but after incurring a significant penalty in one race slipped from a possible third place overall to fourth behind Jade, Highland Fling and Panda.  

Epic finished eighth with an 22/35/7/11/19 series. She was lucky to have completed the series - in the final leg of the second race the barrel fitting at the bottom of her forestay let go - there was no securing split pin and the whole thing unwound and finally pulled out. Epic quickly bore away and ran off while the crew managed to re-attach the stay and they then belatedly completed the leg and finished the race. Her fourth race result was affected by a 20% penalty after being involved in a mark rounding contact with French yacht Coyote. The points lost between these two events cost her a potential third place.

Epic in the thick of the action during the 1985 One Ton Cup

Epic battles it out downwind with other One Tonners during the 1985 Admiral's Cup

Epic rounds a mark in a group of One Tonners

In general, though, the European boats had proven quicker than the New Zealand boats downwind, much to the consternation of the New Zealand crews who were used to having the upper hand once sheets were eased.  

Exador then went on to lead the New Zealand Admiral's Cup team from the front, finishing as fifth yacht overall to help secure the team's third place amongst 18 teams, the country's best result in the regatta up to that time. Epic had a reasonably strong series, and like Exador, she was one of the best in the fleet upwind, but lacked the legs two-sail reaching. It was hard work though, and the crew had, somewhat caustically, referred to her as 'E-pig' - in response to the difficulty they had keeping her in the groove.  

Epic and team-mate Canterbury working along the Solent shoreline during the 1985 Admiral's Cup (photo Alan Sefton/Yachting New Zealand magazine)

Epic heads off downwind at the start of the Fastnet race (photo Roger Lean-Vercoe/Sea Spray magazine)

Epic seen here just behind Austria's Pinta and crossing ahead of US yacht Sleeper (photo Guy Gurney)

Nevertheless, Epic performed strongly enough through the series to be in the top ten going into the Fastnet race finale. However, in another windy edition of the offshore classic, and while level pegging with Exador and other top One Tonners, Epic lost her rig while two-sail reaching in 25 knots and just 30 miles from Fastnet Rock. Her retirement dropped her to 21st in the individual placings.

Epic on a downwind leg during the 1985 Admiral's Cup, just ahead of Belgian yacht Formidable (a Dubois 44-footer) (photo Bateaux magazine)

Epic racing in the US (photo John A Glynn | Facebook)

Epic racing in Marblehead during the 1990s (photo Facebook)

Sometime after her Admiral's Cup campaign Epic was bought by US yachtsman Don Wittenberg, and sailed her out of Greenwich, Conneticut. She sailed for a few years in the mid-1990s in Marblehead before she was relocated to Chicago. Chris Upton ran the boat in stages over this time, and has good memories of regularly racing the boat against other One and Two Tonners on Long Island Sound. Upton recalls that she loved to go upwind, but was a bit of a dicey proposition downhill - "we had a complete yardsale downwind doing 16 knots before wiping out".

Epic, now Big Time, at the Erie Yacht Club

Epic has been recently bought by a Dutch sailor who found her at the Erie Yacht Club (and now named Big Time). A survey confirmed that she was in excellent shape besides a few scratches, and most of the original gear is still on board, including the ships bell and sails, although all the electronics have been removed. Her new owner plans to keep her in original condition, and has even renewed her membership at the RNZYS. Big Time has been sailed down the US east coast and was expected to make a crossing of the Atlantic in June 2017 to her new home in Holland.  

A 2017 photo of the interior of Big Time

Big Time safe and secure for the winter (2017)

Big Time - 2021 (Facebook)

Big Time is now located in Delfzijl (Netherlands) and was further upgraded over the winter of 2021/22, including the addition of a small bulb to the keel.

Big Time, May 2022

Big Time seen here in August 2023 (photo Facebook)

Updated February 2024

The International Offshore Rule - Part 2: Measuring Depth

In this article we look at the rated depth (D) and the draft correction (DC) aspects of the IOR formula for measured rating (MR). 

Light air bow down trim aboard Jiminy Cricket (photo Farr YD)

The D value represented the rated depth of the yachts hull. This was based on mid and forward depth stations (MD and FD respectively), which were located at points at half and quarter the length of LOA from the bow, and then measured from specified widths from the centreline. These points were eventually expressed through visible 'flats' between these measurement points as designers sought to shed unnecessary hull volume and unmeasured displacement from a yacht's hull. Additional depth measurement points were added to the rule as early as April 1971 in order to discourage the emergence of these flat sections in the garboard area of the hull in particular. The effect of this change was limited, however, and flat sections between the depth measurement points were considered to be fast under the rule (relative to rating), and persisted throughout its life.

Noticeable flats between measurement points displayed here on the 1976 Farr Two Tonner Uin-na-Mara

Because all depth measurements were in the centre and the forward part of the yacht, boats typically featured a bow-down static trim when properly optimised, sometimes assisted by a more for'ard location for the yachts engine than might otherwise be ideal. The mathematics involved in determining D looked like this:

The B x D component of the MR formula thus provided an estimate of the boats volume through an approximation of the cross-sectional area of the hull. A larger value for one or both factors would result in a reduction in rating, all else being equal.

Bow down trim is evident here on the Davidson One Tonner Pendragon, circa 1988

The centreboard on Resolute Salmon

The DC component allowed for differences from 'base' draft (DB) and rated draft (RD) values, calculated as a function of rated length, with deviations on either side of the base value becoming a positive or negative factor for the resulting rating. The rule did not initially measure centreboards in their fully lowered position, and this conferred a negative, and therefore advantageous, DC value to the MR formula. This was not so much a loophole as a recognition of centreboard craft popular on the east coast of the US due to the shallow nature of the cruising grounds prevalent in that area. However, US designer Britton Chance recognised a potential advantage under the IOR if the centreboard was designed solely as a useful lifting foil, in combination with internal ballast. The result was Resolute Salmon, a big heavy One Tonner that was ideally suited to the conditions off Marseilles, France, to win the One Ton Cup in 1976. 

Comparative rating statistics between some of the top boats at the 1976 One Ton Cup

The issue of centreboards became a hot topic at the next meeting of the International Technical Committee at their annual meeting after the 1976 series, but it was left for another year while the Committee focussed on what was seen as the bigger issue of broad sterns that were evident on some of the new light displacement yachts that had come on the scene. With the centreboard option still open, the 'Ton' Cup events for 1977 were set to be dominated by a new generation of offshore centreboarders.

Another advantage of a centreboarder was the ability to launch at low tide!

The advantages of the centreboard lay not just in the DC measurement benefit. With ballast mostly internal, the new vanguard of centreboard yachts took advantage of lightweight construction techniques that provided for a high ballast ratio - with that ballast held in the bilges their pitching moment in waves was much reduced. Use of a centreboard also allowed a designer to incorporate a little more displacement into the keel area of the hull because the centreboard displaced less than a keel which provided a depth measurement increase. The boats were measured with the centreboard up and this also allowed the boat to sink a little more and thus further reduce rating.

With her centreboard retracted Gunboat Rangiriri is prepared for launching (mid-1977)

However, the use of centreboards, in combination with light displacement and light construction, led to a great deal of controversy through the 1977-78 Southern Hemisphere season, and new stability tests (via a new 'Screening Value' promoted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) were devised in attempt to outlaw such yachts from competing from events such as the Sydney to Hobart.

The Farr One Ton centreboarder Hecate undergoes a pull down test before the 1977 One Ton Cup to assess the effect of the new CYCA Screening Value formula

The ITC belatedly acted in its November 1977 meeting to change the rules relating to centreboards, and to introduce a moderated form of the Screening Value test, but it still remained an option to use them, but unless it was pinned in place the appendage would carry a penalty. Their short reign practically ended in the 1978 Northern Hemisphere season, and it was notable that in the 1978 Half Ton Cup, and even though Waverider won, there was no real difference between centreboarders and keelers. Indeed, a full scale experiment between two otherwise identical Holland Half Tonners showed that the keeler was faster. 

An unusual sight in offshore sailing, the crew of Silver Shamrock III install the centreboard before racing in the 1977 Half Ton Cup in Sydney

A centreboard made its most prominent re-apperance at the 1985 SORC on the Ted Irwin design Razzle Dazzle, a heavy masthead yacht with an elliptical centreboard shape that attracted a 0.3ft rating penalty. In comparison to earlier approaches, the board weighed some 5,000lbs and required hydraulics to lift it. Razzle Dazzle's modest effort in the series did not lead to any further development of the concept.

Waverider, with her centreboard pinned in place, taking the gun in the first race of the 1978 Half Ton Cup

The next article will look at the measurement of rigs, which was an area that yielded some of the more radical looking rule cheaters of all. 

 
A scanned copy of the IOR rule (Mk III 1985) can be viewed here.

Part of the text used for this article is adapted from the book A Lighter Ton - The Champion NZ Yachts of the 1970s, 2012

Howzat (Whiting Half Tonner)

In 1976 New Zealand designer Paul Whiting was beginning to win world attention as a result of his success at the Quarter Ton level with Magic Bus and his Half Tonner Candu II. Auckland yachtsman Allen Walbridge commissioned a new Half Tonner from Whiting, which was essentially a development of Candu II but with a longer and more cruising-oriented cabin. The 31 footer was named Howzat - not just a cricketing reference but also a representation of the moment of truth when various measurement challenges were overcome in the midst of IOR rule changes and a Half Ton rating of 21.7ft was achieved.

Such challenges included the need to place her 12hp engine not just for'ard of the mast, but actually in the bow. This provided sufficient bow down trim to gain a critical rating benefit, but as can be imagined it made the boat particularly cranky downwind.

Howzat on launching day, Westhaven Auckland (photo Allen Walbridge Collection)

Profile drawing of Howzat (courtesy demi-coques website)

Howzat was raced extensively in Auckland regattas and some of the offshore classics, including the Auckland to Gisborne race. Her first major series was the 1977 South Pacific Half Ton Cup. By this regatta the hot favourite was another new Whiting boat, the centreboarder Newspaper Taxi, which won all but one of the races. Howzat finished fifth overall, with placings of 5/3/11/3/6. 

Howzat during the 1977-78 season (photo Allen Walbridge Collection)

Howzat alongside the Paul brothers' Farcical off the now-demolished Hobson Bay dinghy lockers sometime in the late 1970s (photo Allen Walbridge collection)

Howzat then went on to contest the New Zealand Half Ton Cup trials later that year, a series which was dominated by yet another new generation of yachts, the Farr centreboarders Gunboat Rangiriri and Swuzzlebubble and the Davidson centreboarder Waverider, and Howzat was out of the running for selection but enjoyed close racing with other 'second division' keelers such as Instinct and Farcical. 

Howzat during the 1977 Half Ton selection trials (photo Maritime Museum)

Mast reinforcements after withdrawing from the Tonga Race 1978

Soon afterwards Howzat contested the Southern Cross Cup trials, coming up against her centreboard Half Ton competition as well as their bigger One Ton sisters. Howzat initially gave a good showing in the fourth race, running second on corrected time in the early stages but fell back later after a big wind shift. Still, she had a consistent regatta, just finishing out of team contention in fourth place overall. Howzat went on to race in the 1978 Tauranga to Vila race, and then the 1979 Auckland to Tonga race - in the latter she suffered almost complete rig failure near the Kermadec Islands, but a jury rig arrangement saw them arrive back in Auckland safely.

Howzat inTauranga after a race from Auckland

She nearly made the Southern Cross Cup team in 1979, but after leading the series she was forced to withdraw from the final race after failing to find Groper Rock in fading light, big seas and high winds, and finished the series in fourth place overall.

Above and below - Howzat has been part of the racing scene in Tauranga before being recently transported back to Auckland

Walbridge has recently found his former charge in Tauranga and she has just been transported back to Auckland for a full refit. This will include repainting the yacht in her original colour scheme, and the fitting of a new keel and rig, in a similar manner to her earlier sistership Candu II. I will be following Howzat's refit with interest and will post updates on her progress here.

Howzat on arrival at the Okahu Bay boatyard, August 2013 (photo Heath Walbridge)

Later in August, the keel and rudder are off, the skeg has been cut out and the hull has been stripped back (photo RB Sailing)

More recent photographs (May 2014) can be seen here, being re-launched here, and photographs of her in on-edge conditions during a 2015 race here.

Howzat is presently for sale (August 2023).