Ranger - a book on a famous NZ Yacht

RANGER: The making of a New Zealand yachting legend

By Sandra Gorter & Aroha Tercel

In 1938, an Auckland crane operator launched a yacht that would immediately establish dominance over her racing competitors that would last for more than a quarter-century. The crane operator was Lou Tercel and the yacht was an A-class named Ranger.

 Ranger was not the first boat Lou Tercel had built in his Ponsonby backyard, but she was the best. During her reign Ranger inspired an era of construction and design experimentation that would lead New Zealand to the pinnacle of success in the yachting world. She is credited with inspiring many of New Zealand’s top sailors from Chris Bouzaid and the late Peter Blake to Chris Dickson and Russell Coutts.

Full of many previously unpublished photographs, Ranger chronicles 120 years of New Zealand history as seen through the eyes of the Tercel family, and explains how one man overcame social barriers and financial hardship to create a yacht that would leave an extraordinary legacy.

 Ranger: The making of a New Zealand yachting legend is the story of this amazing boat and its builder. With the help of his family Lou Tercel constructed several boats for his own use and for others, learning all he needed to know about yacht design from magazines and books. Despite facing two world wars, and the great Depression, his enthusiasm for the sport never wavered. His only other passion was a secret relationship that would last over 60 years.

 

Sandra Gorter (MA Hons, English) is a freelance writer, trained at the London School of Journalism, who has been writing about New Zealand’s fleet of historic yachts since 1995. Her work has appeared in a range of national and international periodicals and newspapers including Classic Boat UK, Wooden Boat, SailFast, New Zealand’s Boating World, Classic Yacht Quarterly and the New Zealand Herald. She and her husband John own the classic Logan yacht Iorangi, sailing and racing her whenever possible.

 

Aroha Tercel is married to Frank, nephew of Lou Tercel. She has had a lifetime of interest in New Zealand history, with particular focus on New Zealand yachting and, in later years, the Tercel family. Aroha worked as a draughtsman in the Lands and Survey Department and also in the Drawing Office of HMNZ Dockyard, Devonport. She was chosen to oversee many of the drawing details of the dockyard’s restoration of the 1888 Robert Logan yacht Akarana, which was presented by the New Zealand Government to the people of Australia in honour of the 1988 Australian Bicentenary.

Reviews

The making of a New Zealand Yachting Legend

An Icon, not just of New Zealand sailing history but an authoritative, enjoyable account of New Zealand social history from the early years of settlement. Told through the personal lives of the man and the family who helped bring this new country to international sailing prominence through the America’s Cup.

“What a splendid job they’ve made of it…”

“The book is a tribute of the research skills of co-authors Aroha Tercel and Sandra Gorter…” NZ Herald

“Read it you must… insight and authority… the people march out of the pages to you…”
Boating New Zealand

“A great read…” TradeABoat


New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd, Birkenhead, Auckland
$39.99
Available through Boat Books, RNZYS, Ponsonby Cruising Club and good book stores.

You can order SIGNED copies from Sandra Gorter at:

sgorter@ihug.co.nz

for $40.00 + p&p
$45.00 in NZ
or $40.00 + whatever the p&p is to the overseas destination.

Feedback from Readers:

Michel and Jane DeRidder on:

http://www.setsail.com/s_logs/deridder/dragon65.html

The scene brought to mind a new book we had both read in Whangaroa. The book is about Ranger, a 60-foot kauri yacht — the boat to beat in the A Class Auckland racing circuit for more than a quarter of a century from the time of its launching in 1938. At one point, Ranger was becalmed in large rolling swells for a full day off the entrance to this very harbour, an incident that persuaded the legendary Lou Tercel, its designer/builder/owner/skipper, to adapt and install a used Ford 100E petrol car engine in the tenth year of Ranger’s action-filled life. In its hey-dey many would-be "Ranger beaters" were designed and built and raced, which has had a long-lasting stimulating effect on the Kiwi racing scene. This not-to-be-missed book helps to explain to us what makes Kiwis the exceptional sailors that they are: their tackle-anything, do-it-yourself attitude, their many skills, their dedication, their mateship, their teamwork.

January 2007
Magic Dragon
Aroha
We are grateful to you and your co-author for a wonderfully readable & fascinating book you have given us.
Thank you from Jane & Michel (Shelly)

From Jane:
…As for Aroha's book: I am looking forward to getting into it further. It is beautifully published and designed, and the layout with photos of old plans and sidebars of additional ideas and people and boats is a great way to deal with the wealth of information. It even has a satisfying heft. I think it should be nominated for special awards and reviews both here in NZ and in the UK, Oz and elsewhere. Could you send us Tercel's email address please?
Shelly:
…was 3/4 of the way through, had very much enjoyed it, esp. descriptions of Lou and Kate, but was slowing down because all the racing stuff interested him less.

Garth and Lindsay Matterson, email 7 Sept 06

Congratulations on your book Aroha. We have both read Ranger and found it very interesting and readable, copies are readily available in Kerikeri and some of our friends also have a copy so I hope sales have been going well.

Peter Soljak, letter 9 September

I am writing to convey my warmest congratulations to you and Sandra on you wonderful book, RANGER. …such a story could only have been written by people with real understanding of the sea and boats. You and Sandra have produced a book that displays real craftsmanship, something that the old sailor would recognise and relate to.

Phil Warin, (daughter of Kath Warin)

Aunty Aroha,
Congratulations on an amazing book! I must say I am very disappointed I missed the launching of it. But since being home have read the book cover to cover. I have learnt so much about our family and what they have done over the years. What amazing guys, I am a bit sad I didn’t get to know them. Well done! It’s a book that will be with me for ever!
All my love Phil

Mojca Tercelj, Slovenia (email 5 October 2006)

My dear Aroha and Frank!
… I received your book - it is MARVELLOUS!!! Already read all !!!!!! It is very good structured, with very interesting contents and very aesthetic pictures and other graphic material! Aroha: you are just GREAT!!! And Frank is probably very, very proud of you, and also all your family!!!! … I shown the book (here in Slovenia) and all the people are very interested; I also published one article about your family in the local newspaper and some people called me immediately!!! Thank you for the book and the letter.

Mojca

If you want to contact Sandra, just email me and I'll pass it on