A Guide to Cherub Designs

This list of International Rules Cherub designs is in the early stages of creation and contains scandalous ommissions. Note that sail numbers are not directly related to building date. 26xx is a UK registered boat, 27xx a NZ registered boat and 28xx, 29xx, 30xx Australian registered boats.

Note - the graphics showing designs should be helpful in gaining a feel for the shapes of the designs involved, but are definitely not warranted accurate.

Murray (Aus)
Australian design, fine bow with high chine rise, fairly narrow chines at transom, very low rocker. Iain Murray, who I believe was about 16 when he produced the design, later became well known both for Worlds winning 18 footers and from his involvement in the America's Cup. E.g. 2606.

Murray mod. Snow (NZ)
Fuller bow than standard Murray, more veed aft sections, but still pretty flat. Very low rocker. 2705 Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley was the 1980 World Champion.

Wop (Aus: Phil 'Bugs' Smith)

A particularly boxy looking design, low rocker, max. rise of floor at mid length but virtually flat transom. Very influential in Australia and NZ e.g. 2821. The original Wop finished 3rd in the 1980 Worlds. The flat floors sections aft were somewhat Bethwaite influenced and contrasted with the V sectioned Murrays.

After 1981 the Australians and New Zealanders stayed with the old beam restrictions whilst the U.K. had adopted narrower chine beam measurement. They tended to be more influenced by the Wop design than in the UK.

Foreign Affair (NZ : Phil McNeill)
The Foreign affair was "designed" by Phil McNeill. Its said to have been drawn from an A4 sized drawing of Wop. Won at least one worlds championship. Numerous design in Australia, 2913,2963

Matthews Mk 1 (Aus)
Approx. 1987 . e.g. 2898

Rebel (NZ)
NZ design

Tasman Express (Andrew Stone) (NZ)

A Rebel development. Very successful NZ design, performed well in 1988/9 Worlds in Australia, won 1990/91 Worlds in Auckland.

O'Mahoney Mk1 (Aus)
1990 on Production boat, numerous, Influenced by Tasman Express. 2981

Roper Mk5 (NZ)
"The last new Cherub built in NZ after all the Tasman Expresses was a Roper Mk 5 called "High Voltage" designed specifically for Geof Wilding who had Albino Slug at the Intergalactics in Perth. It was built of ply with pvc core foam vacuumed into the cockpit floor area - a novel development and very effective . The boat was discarded in favour of Albino Slug for the Intergalactics but as from Day 1 has proven faster than all Tasman Express types in a strong breeze, winning National champs in 1997/98 season very easily... built August 1992" 2750

In the early 1990s the International Association adopted a revised sailplan with slightly more sail area, more mainsail roach and a more even roach curve. A virtually unenforceable rule requiring "fair and even" curves on various sections was also deleted about this time. International rules boats now tend to have a suprisingly low radius turn in the chine line - almost a "corner!" - at the mid-length measurement point to transit between the finest possible bow and the narrowest possible waterline beam. With clever design this doesn't result in any distortion of the shape below the chines.

O'Mahoney Mk2 (Aus)
1993 on. Production boat, numerous. 2990

In 1996 the International Association adopted revised Hull rules which permitted self draining cockpits.

O'Mahoney Mk3 (Aus)
Mk 2 Development with lower freeboard, self draining cockpit and dished foredeck. 3065

1997 Asymmetric Spinnakers allowed by the International Association.

Matthews Mk2 (?) (Aus)
Production Design, Radical.

Moor (Aus)
Modified older boat of unknown design Rocker lowered considerably in bow area. 1998 Aus. Nats. Winner. 2977

Notice

The drawings on this page are for information only and are not warranted accurate. Copyright and reproduction rights, including building rights reside with the designer.