GOLDEN FLEECE
Model: S&S 41
Year: 1974
Design: #2122-C1
Builder: G. J. Neill - Durban, South Africa
Golden Fleece, an S&S 41, was built in Durban, South Africa in 1974 for Gordon Neil, then Commodore of the Royal Natal Yacht Club. She is of cold moulded construction comprising three layers of diagonal 6mm marine ply.
She represented South Africa in the 1975 Admiral's Cup at Cowes and won Rothman's Week in Cape Town the same year. Other ocean races in which she successfully competed include the 1974 Agulhas Race, 1974 Vasco Da Gama Race, 1994 Mauritius/Durban Race, 1997 Da Gama Durban East London Race, 2000 Cape Town to Rio Race and many more. Bertie Read, the well known South African ocean sailor raced on her on many occasions. She is almost identical to Ted Heath's Morning Cloud, now renamed Opposition.
GOLDEN FLEECE - Panerai Cowes 2018
Found in a marina in Durban in September 1999 in a pretty sorry state. She had not been used for two or three years and was in need of some serious TLC. The current owner Michael Wheeler fell in love with her classic Sparkman & Stephens lines and bought her (against the advice of the surveyor!) with the intention of sailing her back to the UK. We carried out some essential work on her in Durban and in November sailed her to Cape Town over about five days, a challenging and rather unpleasant trip to say the least on a very nasty part of the South African coast. But it was satisfying to have achieved it with my (then) 24 year old son Jason and a couple of South African guys. We saw lots of whales, some of which were too close for comfort, and had some really bad weather.
GOLDEN FLEECE - Levington Classics 2019
MOLLIETTE DEC 2009
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