Ballastless daggerboard first NZ racing class

The Maori name ‘Patiki’, meaning ‘flat fish’, was given to New Zealand’s first unballasted daggerboard racing class, designed by Arch Logan around the turn of the century. The new design was originally commissioned by the Parnell Yacht Club and differed from other racing classes of the time in that it had flatter than usual floors and was shallow.

The low wooden hull with minimal overhangs was half covered and the rig carried well forward with a bowhead jib. The lack of arch spirit, on that day, was especially noticeable. Early Patiki had an 18’6″ LOA, but larger and much faster boats were produced later.

From these larger vessels, a robust fishing patiki was built specifically to compete with the mullet boat fleets of the time.

One of these, the Kia Ora, was built by Arch Logan in Auckland for Bob Murray, and was launched in 1902.

The fish market was based on who could get their catch first. As the ballasted mullet boats struggled to reach port, the patiki owners were already ashore, selling their fish for the best prices. The sailing performance was so successful that Bob Murray was able, in the first year of fishing, to buy three houses with the profits.

Kia Ora is the last patiki that exists.

She is built of kauri and measures 24’6″ LOA, 9′ beam, 1’3″ draft with rudder up (2′ otherwise). The draft increases to 7’6″ when the steel daggerboard is dropped through a pivot system. The 40′ mast is made from Oregon in a typical Logan design.

Originally a gaff rigger, Kia Ora had a Bermudian rig installed in 1935 along with a bowsprit. Alf believed that it was the first fishing boat in Auckland to have an engine installed. The current engine is a 6.5 hp Katsura diesel.

In optimal sailing conditions (flat seas and strong winds), the Kia Ora is known for planing, a feat usually reserved for survival conditions on ordinary yachts or large daggerboard ocean racing boats.

Eventually the patiki classes were kicked out of racing events because they were so fast no one could compete and there were not enough of their own class to be a popular division at most early yacht clubs.

The last heavy-duty patiki, with the exception of the Kia Ora, disappeared in 1958.