Messages

i have at least one picture of Filet

From an article by Austin Farrar in the November 13th 1936 Yachting World magazine entitled "A Racer on Passage" - "Fiery Cross (N150) was built to represent my idea of a twelve-footer fit to race in the fairly stormy seas met with in the Solent and has turned out so tough as to have been likened to an Ocean Racer. Built by Lidstone at Dartmouth she came up to Cowes to be rigged and was finished off amid feverish activity during Poole week...."

Good to see Moonshine back again! She was built by Nick Horsfall and spent the first years of her life resident at Loch Tummel SC. As I recall she was built from a Crusader mold created by Hamish Calder that he tweaked slightly with his own thoughts on what would improve performance. Hamish never used the mold but passed it on to Nick from which Moonshine was borne. 

N3313 "Chapter & Verse" was originally owned by Mike Shallow who was Class Chairman 1992-94. With respect to the spinnaker; in 1992 "a group of enthusiasts from Royal Harwich YC decided that Burton Week 1992 would be a good time to see what the reaction was regarding such future developments" said Yachts and Yachting. There is a large colour picture of N3313 rigged with bowsprit and spinnaker in a Yachts and Yachting article on developments in the National Twelve from later in 1992. Nigel Waller developed the idea further with N3344 "Ella" and created a radical rig with two "jibs" - a conventional jib for upwind sailing and an assymetric spinnaker that was used downwind. The spinnaker was furled upwind and the jib furled when sailing downwind in order not to breach the rules. On this rig setup the mainsail area was reduced to a bare minimum with the mast mounted so far back in the hull that the crew moved round the front of the mast when tacking or gybing. An intriguing development!! I have photos if anyone is interested.

Excellent message Crusader 3244, couldnt agree more

A long weekend makes Burton week much more viable from my perspective and consequently something I will put in the calender and keep an eye on. What with a freshly rejuvenated Water Nymph in 2009 I will even have a working boat too!! Although the last time I sailed there (1988:o) there were seas as big as houses and the thought of sailing a 1960 vintage Mk 9 in them is very sobering - but then I could just stay in the bar!
Overall the new format gets a yes vote from me and may as a consequence get me back in attendance and more importantly sailing...which may ultimately lead to a new boat too.

Eau Sauvage was first owned by Hamish Calder. She was built by Gerry Ledger and home finished by the Calders. Eau Sauvage only sailed occasionally as she was acquired by Hamish to sail principally with girlfriend Severine Rees-Jones. Both Hamish and Severines primary focus were their individual 470 campaigns that saw them go to the Barcelona Olympics. When they did get together in Eau Sauvage they were devastatingly effective - when newly launched in 1988 Hamish and Severine sailed Eau Sauvage to 4th overall in Burton Week, placing 6th in the Burton Cup race and winning the Tuesday race (the Port of Plymouth Cup). They also won the 1988 Scottish Champion of Champions ahead of Chris Owen in a GP14 (Chris won the 1978 Burton Week placing second in the Burton Cup race!). Hamish and Severine very occasionally showed up at up at Open meetings with Eau Sauvage, usually succesfully, eg their win at the 1992 Guy Fawkes Open Meeting at Middle Nene SC. Hamish believed in functionality rather than beauty and whereas Eau Sauvages sister ship (Avalon N3282) was always beatifully maintained by brother Iain Eau Sauvage usually appeared in varios shades of matt white and grey dependant on when she had last been rubbed down; ie not painted!!

Avalon was indeed first owned by Iain Calder - although she was built by Gerry Ledger and home finished/fitted out by the Calders. She was sailed very succesfuly by Iain between 1988 and 1993 winning multiple Open Meetings across the country, including the Lairwell Trophy 5 times, the Scottish Championships in 1993 and placed well in Burton Week over this period. Iain also won the Northern Area championship in 1990 at Derwent Water where he scored four 1st's and two 4th's in the 6 race series over the may Bank holiday weekend. However the ANEYC Trophy was awarded to Ian Simpson of Tynemeouth SC as Iain was not eligible to qualify as an "outsider" to the region.
Here is a picture of Iain helming Avalon on the Firth of Forth at Kinghorn during the 1991 Scottish Championships.

Hopturtle, was one of the first Twelves built by Jack Holt and helmed by Beecher Moore, won the 1939 Burton Week points series and was second in the Burton Cup race. She is immortalised in Robin Steavensons memoirs "Marks to Starboard" when she was sailed in the 1955 Burton Week by two New Zealanders - Dave Marks and Frank Donghi who had borrowed Hopturtle from Johnnny Sigmund.  Dave and Frank sailed Hopturtle to victory in the Tuesday race by a 1 and 3/4 minute margin not bad for a 16 year old pre war boat competing against modern designs of the day!

Here is a pcture of Hopturtle sailing at Ranelagh during the war

Tim
When my father owned her Laughter had a full suit of Ratsey cotton sails in excellent condition. We used to iron them and keep them in the airing cupboard and they certainly looked fantastic when in use. I have a photograph of Laughetr with her cotton sails. i will scan it in due cousre and post it here.
Ed

Tim
Thanks for the update on Laughter. It is lovely to see her out sailing again!
By the looks of it though you are still using the sails I cobbled together for her inaugural relaunch in the early 1990's - being a 1960  vintage (yes really!) terylene mainsail hand-me-down from Water Nymph (N1833) and a very battered old Banks jib that was ex Inches to Spare (N3141)!! Those sails have some good miles in them!!
Cheers
Ed

Sally Anne was a stunningly beautiful Rowsell built Crusader, originally commissioned and owned by Gerry Brown. She was lent to Chris Haworth to sail at Burton Week in 1986; when he placed 4th overall and won the first race, and in 1987 when he placed 2nd overall winning the first and last races.
I bought Sally Anne in early 1989 and and enjoyed sailing her until 1994 when with the advent of impending rule changes and changing personal priorities (ie lots of overseas travel and arrival of small children!) I sold her to David Darling in the Midlands. I attended the 1989 to 1992 Burton Weeks with her and competed in the Scottish Travellers series over these years winning the Lairwell Trophy in 1992 after a memorably close season long battle with Richard Harvey in his Tigress. I have many fond memories of sailing Sally Anne - too many to describe here, but the windy 1992 Burton Week at Exmouth brings back memories of some amazing downwind legs in survival conditions and at Largo Bay SC in the 1992 Open Meeting where we had steep breaking seas and a steady Force 6 i remember overtaking the rescue boat as it was going at full speed to rescue an upturned competitor. I still recall the amazed looks on their faces as we flew past counting air time off the top of the waves. Coming ashore at high tide on the steep shingle beach was entertaining but made safe by the waiting crowd of volunteers all standing waist deep in the sea!
I believe that Sally Anne migrated to Tynemouth SC where I am very sad to learn she has met a premature end after being wrecked on the rocks there. A real shame.

After languishing in garden and garage since the mid 90's Waternymph is now with Brian Herring where she will undergo a complete restoration, refit and modernisation and will be back sailing again in 2009! Can't wait!

The picture on the cover of "When Dinghies Delight" is of Robin sailing Witchcraft (N1153) on the Tyne Estuary

Here is a photograph of Whimp sailing at Ranelagh SC (I think) in the early 60's. She is a White Wind design by W.D. Citron.