Medium TS by Mike O'Reilly, It's a GEM #119

Medium size trailable yachts … easier as time goes by

Australian Yachting's recent Trailer Sailer Review gave a quick snapshot of the range of trailer yachts available across the Australian market.

After discussion and reflection, I noticed it listed many yachts that are only available second-hand and some not even that. This presents an opportunity to focus on the several trailable yachts that are still being built by surviving builders in this turbulent, competitive field.

The reason for so few current constructors is the delicate balance of serving ever-changing market desires, while creating a product that is locked to a design (or construction method) that generates unavoidable high costs.

While many sailors would like a 2001 version build of an older design, they are not likely to pay a new retail price, at least double that of a second-hand unit. Materials - particularly resins - are many times dearer than a decade ago and shift rapidly with the petro-dollar. New cloths and polyester mixes also provide similar strength with light weight - which complicates hull-to-ballast ratios that effect racing yardsticks.

To commit to a new construction program for a one-design yacht in 2001 demands a brave builder with a 'minimum risk' planning approach. Bank managers would not consent to the level of risk for a boat builder undertaking such a project. Producing a break-even number of boats is likely to be greater than the market will purchase. This is seen with much larger yachts and some very recent high-profile failures.

Lovers of the traditional style TS may declare their desire for a new version of what I call the 'Imagination 7' (or whatever) - but find it impossible to produce the cash.

In this tight market, it is not unusual for a builder to seek one-third up front for purchasing raw materials - little different than house builders.

How do current TS builders survive?

A builder who has continuously produced a class/design for over a decade is a rarity in the industry. They are an example of a business person who has offset the initial high set up costs (drawings, mould and factory) and who has sold enough of the brand to stay afloat through the lean credit squeeze periods that plague our nation.

Boat building is a classic example of the end market controlling the industry. The survivors have been smart enough to stick to building a proven boat for buyers who know what they want - and to develop a relationship with a class association or a committed band of believers who promote their boats by word of mouth and on the race course.

Several of these builders have sensibly modest marketing plans with small adverts in the yachting magazines, linked with web sites promoting the class. They are not in the business to get rich!

The Australian Yachting TS Review particularly noted the benefits of the 5 metre to 6.5 metre range - the style of trailable yacht I have chosen for my leisure and sports racing.

By no coincidence, this is a segment that still produces a range of new construction boats that continue to answer the needs of today's buyers.

So what is it that buyers want?

Whether it's a car or a boat, everyone loves the smell of a new one!

This editorial contribution discusses only the medium-sized market. By definition this excludes current production yachts such as the bigger Elliott, Thompson, Austral 8 and Ross 780.

Trailer yachts have different levels of support in different States.

The Castle is very popular in Victoria, being a locally produced yacht.

The GEM is popular in SA and ACT, with a few in Victoria and Queensland.

This is one of the opportunities for the medium TS classes - equipping for a serious race season is not too expensive. Race fittings are similar in size to skiff racing classes like the Sharpie.

The Mid sized classes…

Trailable yachts that are genuine live-aboard cruisers in regular current production are the GEM 550, Ross 650, Castle 550 and 650. The Elliott 5.9 is often selected as a race trainer, but makes no claims as a comfortable weekend cruiser.

The writer owns a Gem 550 trailable yacht, but has regular racing and cruising involvement with the other medium sized yachts.

The biggest single class (racing division) represented at Marlay Point this year was the GEM 550, with 7 entrants. Of those, five were from Canberra, one each from SA and Victoria.

The GEM 550's win (after years of near misses) in the 2001 Milang - Goolwa Freshwater Classic racing division is indicative of a split personality between racing and cruising. While I purchased my GEM in 1993 as a first TS and plans of cruising, I soon caught the competition bug - and the boat has been developed with both activities in mind.

Building Groups as an option …

The lack of current production in some of the popular mid-sized models - take the Farr 6000 for example - has created a premium price category in the medium sized market. A good Farr 6000 commands prices upwards of $25,000.

An attempt in South Australia for a group building scheme in the early 90's ended up with a proposed product that was still too expensive for many would be builders.

The need for standard levels of production and fittings to satisfy the mould owner demanded full quality - quite correctly - to maintain the single design class concept.

This indicated the shift in prices for the basic building materials - that even a group effort could not fully overcome.

A formula for decision making:

My experience with selecting a TS for my particular purposes resulted in a simple formula:

• Existing car capacity
• Ease of trailing and launching
• Family participation - now and future
• Cruising grounds likely
• Potential for some sports sailing
• Circle of friends with skills

With that list - and some honest answers, I relegated many of the current second hand trailer yachts for sale due to their old style heavy lay up construction and fittings and limited potential for development. I had long wanted a Sunmaid 20, but worried about the potential for buying problems and hidden damage. Buying a large 4-w-d 'troop carrier' to tow a boat on a double axle trailer was definitely not in my budget.

That also answered the ease of trailing and launching question.

With a then 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter, and a wife who had no love of extended sailing, the boat had to be fully secure and lock-down latchable in the event of bad weather. Positive buoyancy was critical.

Looking to the future, no one gets younger - and that means having a boat that demands minimal handling (on land and water), minimal storage, minimal upkeep.

But if you happen to have teenage kids - select a TS that the kids can sail. My son is now 14 and confidently skippers our boat 'It's a Gem' with myself sitting downstairs out of the way. He will soon be doing this, crewed with his dinghy mates.

Dreaming of the big getaway!

Trailer Sailer owners do a lot of dreaming - the long cruise away from home in the tropical zones or extended cruising on the lakes ... but 95% never get taken more than a few hundred kms from home. The majority of users have them in the water for a long weekend.

For 'time and motion' comparisons, the 5.5 metre TS comes out on top for this owner.

I sometimes yearn for a bigger boat - but then turn the question back on myself ... what would I do with it - for the majority of time?

I would have to extend my support network of friends with sailing skills. A visit to any sailing club will show you skippers desperately seeking extra crew when the wind goes above 10kts.

On our 5.5 metre TS you stay with the standard crew and put in a reef instead.

At Goolwa in June 2001, my son - 14, and I continued to race with the bigger cruising and sports boats when very heavy winds forced many others to withdraw.

We saw 8kts, on the plane, with reefed main and standard 'knife' jib - totally controllable and a great experience for father and son. We finished last - but finished - with wind speeds officially registered at +28kts at the club house.

The other boat coping well with the conditions with similar settings (2 up and 1 reef) was a Farr 6000 sailed by a couple, the legendary Ray and Beth Mylius in MacroJay - Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club's tireless organising volunteers for Sailing for the Disabled. They were busy - but surviving the gusts well.

For those over 45 years - probably the largest grouping in current sailing fraternity - the older the owner gets - the more 'friends' are required to help with rigging and crewing.

My observations and experience shows that most good crew move on to buy a boat of their own. It was how I started on the road to owning and skippering.

The extended cruise ... a T/S dream that few achieve

My experience shows that very few TS are used for extended cruising forays - usually just a night or two way in the 'shorts' style of modern getaway holidays.

The 'shorts' marketing phenomena reflects exactly what the smaller TS is about - a getaway opportunity that requires minimal set up and departure problems.

You will spend as much time on the road as you do on the water, so the package should be easy to tow and manoeuvre through traffic.

My direct experience of driving through Melbourne at Peak hour traffic at GP and Long Weekend time (heading for Gippsland Lakes) was proof of the ease of driving with our GEM 550.

A builder's opinion:

John Stockton of Central Boating Services at Port Adelaide is the builder of the GEM 550. Stockton first saw the GEM in its native UK, and works from the original moulds from designer Rob Humphreys (famous today for Whitbread 60's and other custom design superyachts) of Lymington Marina, UK.

Humphreys launched the GEM Micro in 1980 for the UK and French market - and still lists it as a career highlight on his web page today.

Stockton currently has boat number #41 in the mould at Port Adelaide - and of that number, 14 have been built in the past 2 years. By any national standards, that level of production is commendably high.

"Buyers want a boat that is easily trailed, launched and handled with a minimum of crew - and they want it all on the water for under $20,000," says John Stockton.

"Keeping the price down is a constant struggle, but when second-hand Gems are selling for up to $13,000 then it's not a great gap to buy a new one straight from the mould."

"One buyer flew over from Queensland to see his boat taking shape in the mould - and that's a reflection of the individuality of buyers."

"All buyers worry about the retail price, but they are happy to spend money to check on the factory and the yacht's progress. I'm always prepared to talk while I work, if an order is in the wind," said Stockton.

This is the result of the market place finding the product. Already popular in SA during the late 90's, one boat found its way to Lake Burley Griffin - and started winning races and supporters who went out on the boat for a weekend on the lake. There are now nine in Canberra with another being built.

The GEM size is deceptive, having a large open interior due to its modern balsa core construction - almost an open dish effect inside. It is nearly 8 feet wide and exactly 18 feet long - fulfilling the European Micro Class rule - 18 feet max. length and 8 feet max. beam.