All posts by Steve

Sailing Trophies for the Australian Javelin Championships

The Javelin Nationals are being held in Perth this year. And it just so happens my daughter, who lives there, will be competing. She wanted her dad to make them some extra special trophies but I said, “No, you can just have the same trophies we supply to everyone else. No special favours”.

We shipped them off today. I reckon she’ll like them even if they are just our standard designs. Customised for the Javelin of course.

Javelin Sailing Trophies

We normally only make them in 3 sizes but here we made some larger ones, 350mm (14″) tall for first place, followed by our standard 300mm, 250mm and 200mm tall for 2nd to 4th.

Budget Sailing Trophies for Youth Regatta in Tropical Thailand

Although I’ve visited Thailand a few times I’ve never been to the resort area of Phuket. Some day soon maybe.

Katy is a sailing coach there but has difficulty attracting the students from the many international schools in the area. They have so many pastimes on offer from the school.

But the local and underprivileged kids are really taking to the opportunity provided by the Phuket Youth Sailing Club. All good stuff.

We made these cheap budget sailing trophies with a tropical theme.

Budget Sailing Trophies
Budget Sailing Trophies

Irish “Club of the Year” Perpetual Trophy

The Royal Yachting Association – Northern Ireland, RYANI, was after a perpetual sailing award for its “Club of the Year”. Centred on the Belfast dockyards, where the skyline is still dominated today by Harland and Wolff’s famous twin Gantry cranes, Samson and Goliath.

And with a map of Northern Ireland in the background.

RYANI Harland & Wolff Perpetual Sailing Award
RYANI Harland & Wolff Perpetual Sailing Award

I just heard back today from Ireland to say that the trophy is much admired.

I'm not sure if I ever wrote to you to thank you for the trophy.
It is much loved by all who have seen it here!

Bobsleigh Trophies

Never mind the name of our business we make all sorts of trophies. And now, for the first time we can add bobsleighs to the list.

Two Man Bobsleigh Trophies
Two Man Bobsleigh Trophies

These two man bobsleigh trophies were made for a charity event between a civilian team and the RAF. Organised from the UK, held in Austria, trophies from Australia.

Coconut Grove Sailing Club Regatta Sailing Trophies

Coconut Grove Burgee Sailing Trophy
Coconut Grove Burgee Sailing Trophy

What a great name for a sailing club. No sign of coconuts on their club burgee though.

These burgee trophies are hand crafted from natural timber colours with engraved flexi-brass boat and letters.

The club also ordered a range of Laser and Optimist trophies. We added small club burgees to all the trophies.

And I took the opportunity to take photos that show the 3D effect we are able to get with our trophies.

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My New WETA Trimaran

Weta Trimaran Sailing Trophy
Weta Trimaran Sailing Trophy

I’ve been sailing a Cobra Catamaran for many years but have decided in my mature years I need trainer wheels. So I’ve  just bought a Weta. Maybe not quite as fast as the Cobra but I should be able to sail it on my own in most winds.

I don’t yet have it in my hot sticky hands but I have made a trophy for the yacht brokers who I’m buying it off. Hope they like the trophy and I like the boat.

Anyone want to buy a pre-loved Cobra catamaran?

Weta Trimaran
Steve's New Weta Trimaran

Fireball World Champs

We made these in 4 different sizes by adding extra large 350mm (14″) tall trophies for the world champions.

The rest of the trophies are our standard sizes.

Fireball World Championship Trophies in Four Different Sizes
Fireball World Championship Trophies in Four Different Sizes

We marked the town of Mandurah on the map of Australia with a circle of timber.

Birth of an Anchor Sailing Trophy

Anchor Sailing Trophy
Anchor Sailing Trophy

Julie-Anne runs a local business making cakes for special occasions. It seems to be quite successful and keeping her busy.

A recent request was for a 80th birthday cake for a sailor. She had tried to make an anchor from icing sugar but it kept collapsing. So she contacted me for a wooden one.

This gave me an idea.

Nautical Library Pediment with Anchor and Burgee
Nautical Library Pediment with Anchor and Burgee

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July 2011 – RS Sailing Trophies

RS Tera Pro perpetual sailing trophy
RS Tera Pro perpetual sailing trophy
RS Tera Sport perpetual sailing trophy
RS Tera Sport perpetual sailing trophy

The RS class is not so big in Australia although it seems to be very popular in Europe. Which is where these fine little RS Tera Sailing Trophies went to.

We were able to differentiate between the Sport and Pro models. The sails are made from natural timber colours.

These were both perpetual trophies but we also made them some cheap keeper trophies. Continue reading

June 2011 – Windrush Catamaran Sailing Trophies

Windrush Catamaran Sailing Trophy
Windrush Catamaran Sailing Trophy

It’s a small world. The sailing Trophies business that is. Peter moved this year from West Australia to our club in Queensland. When I told him I had an order for trophies from Safety Bay he said, “That’s my old club. I used to sail a Windrush. Great little boats”.

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May 2011 – Marine Educational Award

Spotty Fish Marine Park Award
Spotty Fish Marine Park Award

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority approached me for a trophy to give to the local school that had done the most to protect our reef.

I put together on the computer a couple of mock-ups for them to choose from. The spotty fish and a shark flying out of the water with a palm tree in the background. Realism hasn’t really been my thing?
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April 2011 – Optimist Trophy for NSW State Champion

We’ve sent Optimist trophies around the world for many years now but it’s only recently that the class has started to become popular in Australia.

The New South Wales state titles were held in Sydney do I added the famous “coat hanger”, the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background.

The image on the left is the omputer mock-up I put together for approval by the customer. The one on the right is the actual trophy.

Optimist Sailing Trophy
Mock-up of Optimist Sailing Trophy with the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Optimist Sailing Trophy
Actual Optimist Sailing Trophy

 

April 2011 – Winter Sailing in New York

New York Floating Committee Hut
New York Floating Committee Hut

Living in the tropics I have a problem getting my head around going sailing when there is ice in the water. But it seems New Yorkers take it in their stride.

So the race officials don’t get cold on the water they have a floating hut with a stove that they can keep warm in. Pity the sailing dinghies don’t have internal heating too is my immediate reaction.

The club was after a genuine 3D  trophy and after much discussion this is what I put together.

Committee "Hut" Perpetual Award
Committee "Hut" Perpetual Award

They seemed to like it.

“We needed a new and unique looking perpetual trophy
for our fleet.

Steve delivered the goods – the likeness was spot-on
and we are grateful to have a memorable trophy that
will be the desire of competitors for years to come.”

Peter Beardsley
Larchmont Yacht Club
New York
April 2011

March 2011 – Georgetown University Sailing Award

I was approached by the head coach for the Georgetown University Varsity Sailing Team for a special memorial trophy.

Healy Hall Georgetown University Washington DC Perpetuel Trophy
Healy Hall Georgetown University

These were his requirements

  • Boat – FJ or 420. No spinnaker or trapeze – we don’t have them in college sailing.
    Background – Healy Building at Georgetown – it’s our iconic structure on campus.  I’ve attached a photo.  Most important thing is the clock tower in the center.
  • Other items
    Georgetown Burgee or “G” logo or “Bulldog” logo somewhere on the trophy.
  • Plaque in center to read
    “John Jackson Memorial Team Race Regatta”

This is what I came up with.


Georgetown University Flying Junior Perpetual Sailing Award
Georgetown University Flying Junior Perpetual Sailing Award

Even the clock on the tower shows the specified time, 12 minutes past one.

March 2011 – SB3 Trophies Australia

The SB3 sports boat is a new and growing class in Australia. We love new classes because they don’t yet have any sailing trophies! So we’ve made quite a few for this class over the last couple of years.

This year the Australian states of Tasmania and Victoria were holding their inaugural SB3 titles. So we made SB3 perpetual sailing trophies with state maps in the background and the logo of the Australian distributor as well as the class sail insignia.

March 2011 – Optimist Perpetual Trophy

We make a lot of Optimist trophies which travel to all corners of the globe. These went to the International Optimist Association of South Australia. We often add the state or country as a background but in this case we decided against it as the outline of SA is boring. The customer agreed and she lives there!

So we went with the club burgee. Much better. They also grabbed some keeper trophies.

February 2011 – Container Ship Retirement Awards

The Geest shipping line sails between Europe and the Caribbean. I’ve made a couple of models now that the company has presented to their employees on their retirement .

Geest Line Retirement Award
Geest Line Retirement Award

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Jan 2011 – O’pen BIC Trophies to West Australia

The O’pen BIC class is really starting to take off in Australia and we’ve made quite a few trophies for them.