Holman & Pye Red Admiral 36

A lovely example of these thoroughbred performance Cruisers, built to sail the World with impressive mile-munching capabilities.

Thorney Flame is a Holman and Pye Red Admiral, very like an Oyster 37, molded by Halmatics in 1979 and finished by McGruers in Scotland. She was then owned by the British Gas Sailing Association and known as Ocean Flame until the current owners bought her in 1989 and renamed her Thorney Flame.

Thorney Flame is fully registered under the United Kingdom Certificate of Registry.

When the current owners bought Thorney Flame, they sought about bringing her up to speed over the next few months and some of those improvements are noted below:

• Stripped the Antifoul down to the pristine hull and applied 600 microns of solventless Epoxy and new antifoul
• New floorboards
• New upholstery
• Furlex Genoa Furler
• New sails
• Resealing many deck fittings

Over the last 34 years a huge amount of work has been carried out and new equipment fitted and old equipment refurbished. The vendor tells us more about this work here:

The rudder showed a little water ingress. It was removed and deskinned by Northney Yacht Repair Ltd. It was then dried and reskinned with added Aerospace quality glass.

New plastic TekTanks tank (replaced the SS) Nov 2016. (Bill)

The original Volvo Penta D2003 and Sail Drive had done about 4000 hours and was getting tired. So in 2017 a Volvo D1 – 30 and Sail Drive was fitted. The owners also fitted a Gori folding two blade Prop (much better than the Volvo) and also an Ambassador Stripper (Bill).

This engine has only got around 350 hours on the clock, is compact and wonderfully smooth.

Since then she has been extensively sailed as far as the Atlantic coast of France and at times shared with Partners. The owner is a retired Chartered Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineer and she has been maintained to a very high standard.

During the period up to those events the owners fitted:

• RayMarine radar
• Garmin dismountable plotter
• Furuno GPS
• Furuno Navtex
• Echo Pilot Log and Depth (in cockpit)
• Spare NASA Depth (in cabin)
• Anchor windless and Delta anchor
• Man Overboard system to port shroud
• Spotless Load Star dinghy
• New Cuddy 2021 (Bill)
• WinchRight cordless winch handle
• Inner Forestay and hanked Stay Sail (untouched) by Peter Sanders
• SEAGO Liferaft
• Peter Sanders Mainsail is in very good condition
• Almost new 100 % Genoa by Peter Sanders
• Original Spinnaker with pole and gear
• Main large Sestrel compass, professionally refurbished
• VHF radio
• Handheld VHF radio
• 8 Lewmar winches. Including the two very large 3 speed winches
• Yeoman Chart plotter
• Many chart portfolios and other charts
• Built in frig
• Cutlery and crockery
• Newly leathered wheel with Turks head

Paperwork we are holding includes:

Bill of Sale to the current owner (1989)

United Kingdom Certificate of Registry certificate (current)

Insurance survey from November 2013

Service and maintenance history we are holding includes:

Vendor has serviced the engine in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (impeller, oil, oil filter, fuel filter)

New Sterling battery charger (2022)

Engine service (2019)

New sprayhood (2019)

Engine and sail drive service (2017)

Rigging works, including: new backing plate, storm stay wire and lever (2017)

New Volvo Penta D-130-SD inboard engine (2016) fitted in 2017

New TekTank water tank (2016)

New Gori 2-blade folding propeller and Stripper rope cutter (2016)

WinchRite cordless winch handle (2015)

Standing rigging replaced around 10 years ago by Jerry the Rigger

Running rigging largely replaced over the years but spinnaker halyard and main halyard are believed to be original to the boat

New Mainsail & Genoa (2007)

In 2013, when the yacht was surveyed for insurance purposes and the surveyor was so impressed by this boat that he did a write-up on his website. We have this printed off in our office if you should want to read it. Excerpts are below:

“I have just had the pleasure of performing and insurance survey on a very nice 36’ fast sailing cruiser/racer. The vessel was a Holman & Pye designed Red Admiral, built in 1979 by Halmatic and fitted out by McGruers. Her lines were typical of Don Pye’s designs of the time: fast, handsome and embodying the best aspects of the IOR Rule to produce a fast cruiser… Thanks to the meticulous attention to detail and desire to keep the vessel in good order, the recommendations were few but significant. She was certainly one of the nicest boats that I have surveyed recently”

This yacht is in the water at Northney Marina and the owners are planning one final season with her and hope to sell the boat towards the end of this summer.

Please don’t hesitate to call us or email us with your questions and to arrange your viewing.