The boat that carries the same essential DNA is a 36 ft 9 in wooden fin-keeler with a skeg-hung rudder, built more for speed than accommodation.
Design and Construction
The One Ton –1966 was traditionally built at the Clare Lallow boatyard in Cowes, with mahogany planking over larch frames and a counter stern closed by a small reverse transom. The hull is solid wood rather than cored, while the original deck was timber.
To keep racing weight down, the interior was lightly fitted out, mostly in 6mm ply. The result was a plain, utilitarian space rather than a fully developed cruising interior. With a displacement of 14,110 lb, a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 44 percent and a 26 ft 7 in waterline, this was a moderately loaded racer-cruiser of its period rather than a featherweight daysailer.
Despite decades of hard racing, Clarionet’s hull needed little work during restoration. That suggests the original construction had strength in reserve.
Rig and Handling
With a masthead sloop rig carrying just under 500 sq ft of sail, the One Ton was quick but demanding. Yachting World reported that the “terrible twins” name referred not only to the boats’ speed, but also to their frequent broaches on hard runs, a trait the designers themselves acknowledged.
The fin keel and skeg-hung rudder gave the boat maneuverability and the ability to stand up to the rig. However, the narrow transom and lively stern made downwind control a constant negotiation.
Later in life, Clarionet was fitted with wheel steering. It jammed shortly after the start of the 1979 Fastnet Race, forcing her to retire within 55 miles of the Rock. On that occasion, the steering system—not the hull—was the weak link.
Accommodation
The production interior was never the main point of the boat. Its 6mm ply fit-out kept weight low and provided a plain, functional cabin with the minimum needed for offshore racing. A beam of 9 ft 10 in within an overall length of 36 ft 9 in allowed for a conventional layout, but the original deck height was modest.
Just 18 months after the boat was built, Boyer asked Lallows to raise the deck by about 4 in amidships. The change created a turtle-back effect, reduced the forward cabin sides to a 2 in wedge and blocked in both forward portholes. It improved headroom at the expense of the boat’s looks and was later reversed during restoration.
Refits and Ownership
Clarionet’s history demonstrates the model’s longevity. Boyer sold her in 1971. Later owners sailed her to 9th of 52 in the first AZAB in 1975. From 1977, under George Playfair, she carried the wheel-steering system that failed during the 1979 Fastnet.
John Breakell bought Clarionet on the River Orwell in the mid-1980s and undertook an extensive refit that replaced the raised deck and returned her to winning form. She became EAORA overall champion three years running, class winner in the 1987 Fastnet and RORC points champion five times.
She was still winning at 35 years old, taking her class in the 2001 Fastnet. At Panerai British Classic Week, she won in 2013 and finished second in both 2014 and 2015.
Andrew Harvey’s later restoration returned Clarionet to her original specification. The work included:
- lowering the deck and fitting new beams with less camber forward;
- replacing the cabin sides;
- swapping self-tailing winches for plain bronze tops;
- recreating the experimental Collars “plank” boom;
- stepping a new wooden mast;
- fitting a Classic Cream narrow-panelled mainsail and mitre-cut foresails from Bainbridge;
- replacing the modern heads with a refurbished Blake; and
- painting out a transom veneer to match the original finish.
The Verdict
The S&S One Ton –1966 is a historically significant wooden racer whose speed and structural stamina have been demonstrated across six decades. She suits an owner who values provenance and a race-winning pedigree more than interior comfort—and who can maintain a traditionally planked hull.
Her broach-prone downwind manners and the steering failure on one sister are real caveats. Even so, the essential boat is sound.
Pros
- Pioneering fin-keel performance lineage, with One Ton Cup and Fastnet class wins
- Traditional mahogany-over-larch hull with demonstrated racing longevity
- Can be restored to original specification using known correct components
Cons
- Lightly fitted 6mm ply interior limits cruising livability
- Lively downwind handling, with a tendency to broach
- Wheel-steering failure on a sister boat during the Fastnet
