Instead, the replica 38ft Mount's Bay lugger will be a step back in time to the 19th century.

Spirit of Mystery will follow in the footsteps of seven Cornishmen who set sail from Newlyn 153 years ago, looking for a better life, and possibly their fortune, in the Australian gold rush.

The seven men, who were all related by either blood or marriage, were shareholders in the Mystery.

Discussing their plans over drinks at the Star Inn, Newlyn, the crew talked of selling the Mystery to pay for the voyage, but Capt Richard Nicholls vowed instead to lead them to Australia in Mystery - and the adventure was born.

Father of three Pete said the detailed social history of the voyage fascinated him.

"Cornwall, like Ireland, has had a history of feast or famine," he said.

"During periods of hardship, the Cornish have been forced abroad and so there are quite big communities all around the world.

"The main income streams were fishing, mining and farming. In the 1850s we were having a difficult period.

"Someone had written back from Australia to Newlyn, saying the gold rush was worth a crack.

"That was a catalyst for seven guys having a few beers, trying to decide on what they should do. The letter offered a light at the end of the tunnel.

"I think the social history is very important. What pushed them from Cornwall, when six of the sailors had never been out of sight of land before? What drew them to Australia? Why didn't it work out? Two of them remained out there and in fact died out there, while the others came home pretty quickly. So, the aim of the project is to shine the spotlight on this amazing feat of seamanship."

The seven men dragged the Mystery up the beach, fitted the vessel with a zinc bottom, and on November 18, 1854, they set sail for Australia. They took 116 days to reach their destination.

But for Pete, the project symbolises a major shift away from competitive racing.

He made world headlines in the 1996/97 Vendee Globe round the world race, when he turned back in a Southern Ocean hurricane to rescue fellow competitor Raphael Dinelli. He received the French Legion d'Honneur for the rescue.

Most notably in 2000, Pete had to abandon his £4 million catamaran sailing vessel - Team Philips - designed to take him around the world in record time.

It was the biggest ocean-going yacht ever built and was the size of centre court at Wimbledon. However, during trials in March it ran into problems due to errors in the computer modelling of the composite hull, with a large section breaking off.

And he was forced to abandon the ship in December 2000 after massive waves produced cracks in the crew's central safety pod.

So, why the change of direction?

Pete explained: "I heard from Campbell McKenzie (one of the crew on the 1992 British Steel Challenge) and Diana Berry about four years ago. Diana, being related to six of the original Mystery crew, wanted to do something to celebrate the 150th anniversary of their voyage. Campbell, quite rightly suspecting that it would stir my interest, came down, introduced us and sowed a seed.

"Because of the circumstances of the time, I wasn't in a position to do anything. But I couldn't get it out from under my skin and eventually, I thought, the only way to get rid of this urge would be to go and do it.

"I have always wanted to build a wooden boat and it will be an amazing adventure."

Pete committed to the project in September 2006, and has spent the past six months designing and building the vessel, which is as close as possible to the original Mystery.

The stem and stern have been laid using a tough hardwood called ekki - so dense that it actually sinks. Fallen Cornish oak makes up the frames, with larch for the planking, ash for the tiller and sweeps, and cherry finishing off below.

There will be no modern electrical and navigational systems, with the crew using a sextant to find their way.

There will be a solar panel to provide power to update the website.

Pete added: "I am calling it the Spirit of Mystery because I don't want to replicate the original; I want to celebrate the spirit of what they did. I also don't want to copy them by eating salt pork and freezing my proverbials off in an old woolly jumper."

And this week marks a major milestone in the project, with the completion of the planking, keeping her well on course for the planned launch on June 21 this year, with the passage beginning in the last week of October.

Sailing the vessel with Pete will be brother-in-law Mark Maidment, brother Andy and youngest son Elliot, 14. This will keep to the original theme of the crew being related through either blood or marriage.

Designed by Chris Rees, there are four people working on the 16-tonne boat full time. But Pete is still in need of supplies - including two tonnes of lead to line the bilge and act as ballast.

Another big part of the project is Pete's support for charity Cornwall Playing for Success.

The charity is an out-of-hours service that raises children's literacy, numeracy and IT skills, using sport to bridge the gap.

Visiting places such as Old Trafford to learn practical educational skills, the children come back with higher self-esteem.

If you would like to support Pete with Spirit of Mystery, you can buy a commemorative medallion made from genuine Cornish tin, rescued from a Cornish shipwreck - the ss Cheerful.

The medallions will be used to line the bilge and will travel to Australia with the crew.

For more information, visit www.petegoss.com
 

article copyright THE CORNISHMAN

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