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Joyous

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A classic sailing yacht with a large red and white spinnaker sails on a body of water under a partly cloudy sky, with trees and buildings visible in the distant background.

Joyous

Launch Date: 1962

JOYOUS was built by Arthur Orlando Darnell, in the yard of his home in Como, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, with help from his friends, from plans dated 1958 by her designer, Knud H Reimers of Stockholm, Sweden. She was launched in 1962 at the Royal Perth Yacht Club from which she still sails with the original sail number R8. Arthur sailed her in at least two ocean races to Cape Naturaliste in the state’s south, and survived some very rough conditions, proving that the class is not suited only to calmer waters. She was sold, in 1992, to her second owner, Bill Robertson. Arthur Darnell had discovered that fiberglass hulls were much easier to maintain and purchased another 30 m2, Madam Flame – renamed Lady in Red.

 Her length overall is 12.54 m and width is 2.16 m. The hull is Oregon (from the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains) above the water-line and jarrah below, with a painted dynel skin. The cabin sides, cockpit combing, king plank and deck edges are jarrah; and the deck is of planked Queensland beech. At some time, probably when the rig was changed to masthead (see below), the original rudder from the trailing edge of the keel was replaced with a spade rudder mounted further aft.

Four men stand on and around a moored Schärenkreuzer sailboat at a marina. One wears a navy jacket and white cap, another a red hoodie, and two wear white shirts and shorts. Other boats and a distant shoreline are visible.
A black and white photo of a Classic Sailing Yacht with a large, billowing sail on the water. Two people are on board, and a shoreline with trees and buildings is visible in the background.

As early photographs show, she had wooden mast and spars, and a fractional rig (about 3/4). That mast was lost in a sailing mishap and replaced with a shorter, aluminium mast and masthead rig. Under her second owner, the steel ribs were replaced, and in the process, the internal lining of light timber was stripped out and not replaced. The beech and jarrah decking has been replaced to the original design. In about 2003, when there was need for a complete new set of sails, the mast-head rig was scrapped in favor of a fractional rig (about 7/8), mast height slightly taller than the original specifications, and a longer boom. As a result, she is now probably closer to 35 m2 than 30, and a bit like the proverbial axe.

 Joyous still competes against the modern designs in Division A on Wednesdays, occasionally in Division 1 on Saturdays, and finishes in the back half of the fleet, looking as pretty as a picture.

Three men in light-coloured hats relax on a sailboat under sunny skies, with deep blue water surrounding them. Enjoying the timeless elegance of Classic Sailing Yachts, one man sits shirtless at the bow while the others steer near the stern.
A group of people sail a boat with white sails and a large blue spinnaker on choppy water, with other Square Metre Yachts in the background under a cloudy sky.
A black and white photo shows several people working together to hoist a Schärenkreuzer sailboat with a crane. One person stands on the boat’s deck, guiding the process, while others stand nearby, securing the Skerry Cruiser and crane.
A black-and-white photo shows two men preparing to launch or retrieve a Classic Sailing Yacht from a calm bay using a trailer. Several boats are moored in the water, and houses line the distant shore under a partly cloudy sky.
A group of people stands on a sandy shore near a Schärenkreuzer sailboat resting on a wooden support structure, with one person working on the boat and others observing. Additional Skerry Cruisers and water are visible in the background.

Articles from 1959

A yellowed newspaper page from 1959 features an article titled Backmarkers Cannot Win Bunbury Race and a results table showing how Square Metre Yachts finished in a Fremantle to Bunbury yacht club event.

Articles from 1959

A newspaper cutting dated 27 January 1963, with the headline Joyous Wins Ocean Race. The article describes Arthur Darnell’s victory in a Square Metre Yachts race at Rottnest with his yacht, Joyous.

Articles from 1962

A vintage newspaper cutting from 31 October 1962, headlines Joyous Nearly Ready For Racing, detailing the near completion of a new Square Metre Yacht named Joyous and its anticipated debut at an upcoming club event.
A vintage black-and-white newspaper photo of a single-masted Schärenkreuzer sailboat on the water, with trees in the distant background. The bottom of the image shows a partially visible article about this classic sailing yacht.
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