Boat Name: Buzzy III
Sail: US 97 (ex. KC 25)
Year Built: 1956
Designer: Sparkman & Stephens
Builder: JJ Taylor and Sons
Owner: Erik Tingleff Larsen
History: Designed and built for Bryan Newkirk of Toronto, Canada, and named after his grandson. She is double planked in costruction, mahogany over white cedar with oak frames. Her deck is 2 layers of okume plywood over yellow cedar deck beams and carlins. She has mahogany cockpit coamings. Buzzy III was an instant success when new and fairly dominated the 6 meter scene in Toronto in the later 50s, winning the Toronto Globe & Mail North American Championships in 1956 and 1957 and many other races. Mr. Newkirk donated Buzzy III to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in 1958 on the stipulation that proceeds from her sale would go to promote further 6 meter activity on Lake Ontario. Reg Dixon purchased and sailed her in the Toronto area until activity and interest in Toronto was on a steep decline, the class having been supplanted by the newer 5.5 meters. Vic Palmer brought Buzzy III to Maple Bay, BC in 1965 to become part of the largest active community of sixes in the World at that time. Vic sailed Buzzy III in many races in Victoria, Vancouver, Bellingham and Seattle. Dr. Wood Lyda brought the boat to Seattle in 1970 and commissioned S&S to draw modifications for Buzzy III to take advantage of some of the current advances in naval architecture, with particular influence from the 12 meter Intrepid. Her rudder was changed, a 'kicker' added, and her hull shape made more full in the stern area. Her counter stern was also removed to save weight and look more "modern". Buzzy III sailed in the first 6 Meter World Cup, held in Seattle in 1973. Several years later, Dr Lyda sold the boat to Kirk Palmer, Vic's son, who sailed her in the 1979 World Cup in Seattle. Buzzy III eventually made her way north to Comox, B.C. on Vancouver Island where she was out of the water for over 5 years. Through her performance of the previous 30 years it was obvious that the modifications made to Buzzy III in the early 70's were not altogether successful and also placed her in the limbo of not really being a Classic or Modern. When she first came into the shop at Bent Jespersen Boatbuilders, she was something of a wreck, but it was decided to make her whole again. The underwater modifications were removed and her original counter stern replaced, which added nearly 5 feet back to her original length of 37 feet. Buzzy III received a new deck, cockpit sole, 25 pairs of new frames, new ring frame/mast step arrangement, new rudder, and an Awlcraft 2000 paint job. In the early days, her distinct persimmon color (some say salmon pink) made her easily identifiable, but the current owner decided on the more conservative and traditional white. Maybe somday she'll be pink again.
The deck is now on and painted.
 
Buzzy III being launched on January 13th, 2000.
 
What a beautiful transom.
 
The new 'old'stern is back on!
 
.
This stern was added on in 1978.
 
Stern and bow view, as found in Comox, February 1999
 
Here are the remains of Buzzy's 'kicker', which was added in 1972. It's all gone now.
 
Here are 9 of the 19 pairs of frames which have been replaced.
 
New garboard planking, now double planked.
 
Here is the new scarfed in horn timber. The counter stern will add 5 feet to
Buzzy III's length, to the original 37 feet.
 
The new stern gets sanded down. Note the staggering of the new planks.
 
Buzzy III is double planked, with white cedar on the inside and mahogany on the outside.
Here you can see where a few planks will get replaced.
 
A new inner plank goes on.
 
New ring frames of laminated okume plywood, tied into the new mast step.
 
Wood strips are tacked on for the hull modification in 1972.
That's US81 Goose next door, receiving the same treatment.
 
Foam gets blown onto the strips, then faired down to the proper shape.
 
Fiberglass is layed over the finished foam. Note the newly shortened stern.
She was 32 feet long when this modification was completed.
 

Ready to go back in the water. The phot above shows the completed modification and is how Buzzy III appeared when she competed in the 1973 World Cup in Seattle.

 

Below is a home movie of Buzzy III being launched at J.J. Taylor & Sons in 1956 in Toronto.

 

 

 
Here are some photos of Buzzy III being built in the shop and at her
launch in Toronto in 1956.