John Macfarlane

It’s glorious powerboat weather and ideal for an impromptu speed test of the Upfold 40 launch, Excel. The launch’s owner/driver has a grin from ear to ear; he’s been told to go hard – make it look good. With his new engine now run in, this is his first real opportunity to give it some welly.

One of the most famous New Zealand keelers is Ragtime, designed and built by the late John Spencer and launched in 1965 as Infidel. A long-time resident of West Coast America, Ragtime inspired a whole generation of downwind flyers for the famous TransPac race from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Having just completed a major restoration, it seemed appropriate to recap Infidel/Ragtime’s history, and this is her story.

Born in 1932 in Merseyside, England, Terrance (Terry) Cookson completed a shipwright apprenticeship in nearby Liverpool. After finishing his apprenticeship, Cookson joined the Merchant Navy as a shipwright, travelling to the Middle East, Asia, Indonesia, and Auckland.

Many in the marine indust...

One of the most successful one-design keelers in New Zealand has been the Farr 1020. Designed by Bruce Farr and his team in 1981 and built by Sea Nymph Boats, this is the Farr 1020 story.