RACE BACKGROUND

The Warne Shield is a Club trophy with a interesting history. The Warne family of Singapore, who owned property in Mandurah, donated the original shield.
Their land was on the south side of the eastern end of the old bridge, where the Police Station and a retirement village are now situated.
The Warne Shield was originally awarded to the winner of the Mandurah Race and first won by Frivolity in 1927.
According to reports it was a bruising passage race and on the occasion of the 1936 race those racing decided to hold a meeting at Garden Island to decide whether or not to continue!
Eventually the race itself was abandoned when the Mandurah estuary silted over and the yachts could not get in.
The shield was part of a series and conducted in conjunction with Billy Runs. Two wins in succession by the same boat the shield would be retained permanently.
This was first achieved by Redwing eventually after a number of attempts in April 1936. Redwing was owned by a Mr Izard, although he never sailed her himself.
On this occasion she was sailed by Jack Potts. Mr Izard subsequently donated a replacement trophy, the ‘Redwing Shield’ held by the wining yacht for 12 months. Avalanche, Commodore Cooper’s boat was the first winner of this new shield in a race conducted at Garden Island during the Billy Run in January 1937.
Sadly the Redwing Shield seems to have disappeared over the years.
The Warne Shield, however, came back to the Club in 1976, was mounted on a larger shield and reinstated as a Club trophy.
It is now sailed for in the Fremantle to Rockingham Race, and the first boat to win it after that 40-year break was George.