Photo: Supplied.
Wynnum Manly Yacht Club’s (WMYC) oldest club member, Richard (Ric) James, passed away on 7 November 2023 at the age of 95. Ric had been a member of WMYC since 1986, and continued sailing his boat Thanet well into his 90s.
Ric was a qualified naval achitect, and worked as a consulting naval architect in Queensland during his 45-year career.
Ric designed more than 150 vessels, including Quiksilver’s legendary MV Indies Trader (a diving and survey vessel), state government ships, the Stradbroke Island ferry, and many small tugs and barges operating in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the South Pacific. Ric also designed the ‘yellow submarine’ glass-bottom vessels used for reef sightseeing, and the renowned South Passage sail training schooner – often seen in the waters of Moreton Bay – which has gone on to train thousands of young sailors.
Ric designed and built his own boat, Thanet, over 30 years ago for coastal cruising and the shallows of Moreton Bay. Ric maintained Thanet’s secret weapon was her lifting keel, which always provided a little extra speed when going downwind.
