Paul Whiting – Designer of the Whiting 29
Paul Whiting, born in 1952, was part of the new generation of “self-taught” Kiwi designers. He began designing at age 16 his first boat, the very successful Reactor 25 (70 units sold). His first light displacement hull was the Stinger, a 1974 half-tonner, precursor of the successful Whiting 29.
Paul Whiting (1952-1980)
His most famous boat is the Magic Bus, born in late 1975. It was to be a boat following the idea of the Farr 727 that won the Quarter Ton Cup the previous year, that is, with a light displacement and typical dinghy shapes. In 1976 Magic Bus won the Quarter Ton Cup in Corpus Christi, Texas.
He later designed Candù, eighth at the Half Ton Cup in Trieste, and Newspaper Taxi, a moving-drift half-tonner that was the star and winner of many offshore races.
Smackwater Jack (11.95 m) is the first boat he designed for the One Tonner world: built in 1977.
Smackwater Jack had a very wide stern which was ahead of its time (in contrast to the “V” sterns of the 1970s). A square, unsightly deckhouse was hastily added because, according to IOR regulations, it did not have sufficient height below deck.
Smackwater Jack is the boat on which the designer lost his life along with his wife Alison, John Sugden and Scott Coombes while crossing the Tasman Sea following the 1980 Sydney to Hobart race. The boat went missing and only in 2008, New Zealand newspapers write, would part of the cockpit be found along the island’s shores.
Video – History of the Whiting Reactor 25 and Loss of Smackwater Jack
Film produced, narrated and edited in 2005 by Simon Meiklejohn (1965-2022), then owner of the Reactor Siskin.
Part One
Design and building of the Reactor by Paul Whiting. Those interviewed are the late D’Arcy Whiting (1919-2009) father of Paul, Colin Brown (1920-2007), Penny Whiting, Felicity Walbran, Alan Warwick and Bill Endean.
Part Two
The loss of Smackwater Jack and all on board. Those interviewed are D’Arcy Whiting , Penny Whiting, Alan Warwick and Bill Endean.
Whiting 29 Yachts 