Boat Name: Arunga, ex. Courage VIII, ex. Arunga VI

Sail: USA 118

Year Built: 1981

Designer: Pelle Pettersen

Builder: Batbyggarna

Owner: Robert Cadranell

History: Arunga VI was originally designed for a syndicate in Sydney, Australia to compete in the 1982 Australian-American Challenge. Her debut came at the abandoned 1981 World Cup in Switzerland. After taking part in the non-eventful races at Romanshorn, 'Courage' was shipped to Australia. In January of 1982 she lost in the finals of the Australian-American Challenge Cup to St. Francis VII and was then stored at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club at Pittwater. In August of that year it was shipped to Newport Beach under charter as a trial horse for Newport Harbor Yacht Club. In March of '83 she was chartered to St. Francis Yacht Club, re-named 'St. Francis VIII,' and modified by Warwick Tompkins. Modifications included a beefed-up mast step and headsail winches set in the deck wells. Under skipper Paul Cayard as 'US 118,' she won the US Nationals, scored second in the Cal Cup, and third in the World Cup. After being trucked to San Francisco, where she won the right to defend the Australian-American Challenge Cup for St. Francis and winning in four straight races, she was stored in Sausalito, California until 1984. After being trucked to Victoria, BC and undergoing an extensive refit, she was then shipped to Le Havre and trucked to Cannes, competing in April of 1985 in the World Cup and finishing twelfth to its sister ships 'Junior' and 'Filippa' who came first and third. There was one more win at the 1985 Seattle Cup, after which the boat went into dry dock in Victoria where it remained until 1998.

 

The former owner, Dietrich Gruenau, 2005 World Cup champion and owner of two other sixes, GER 49 Courage VI and GER 118 Courage IX, keeps a residence in the Okanagan area of British Columbia, and had the boat there from 1999 - 2007. Bob and Molly Cadranell purchased the boat in December 2007 and plan to have her sailing on Puget Sound for the 2008 season, then will take the boat to Newport, R.I. for the 2009 World Cup.

 

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