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Here is a very old pre-war photograph of Surprise being sailed at Ranelagh SC

Here is a late 1940's photograph of Jack Holt racing Laughter. I'm not sure of the venue.

Here is a fabulous shot printed in "Yachts and Yachting" magazine of Will and Mandy Henderson sailing Isabelle during the very stormy first race during Burton Week at Llandudno in 1990. Will won the Burton Cup three times (1983, 1987, 1990) and the Silver National three times (1987, 1990, 1994) in Isabelle together with countless Open meeting wins.

Here is Phyllida Rowley, winner of the Money Cup 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1978 sailing Jet (a Keith Callaghan Havoc design) at the Oxford SC meeting for the Ivor Williams Tropy in July 1975.

The first of Jack Holt's famous "500"series in which he won the first post war Burton Cup race and series in 1946 with Beecher Moore. They won many Open Meetings in her and were also 3rd in the 1947 Burton Cup race and second overall in the 1948 Burton Week series. The windy Thursday race of the 1948 Burton Week is immortalised in Chapter 4 of Robin Steavenson's 1955 book "When Dinghies Delight" as he describes in fascinating detail a close battle between himself (in N153) and Beecher Moore in Laughter; just beating Beecher for the race win. Well worth another read!
Laughter migrated north to Pencaitland in East Lothian in 1950(ish) where she spent most of her life before my father bought her in the early 1990's. He did much restoration work on her, including replacing the keel. The original wooden mast was restored and some period cotton sails also procured and I was lucky enough to sail Laughter for the first time in many many years in 1992 at Llangorse Lake in South Wales. My father took Laughter to Cookham Reach SC Vintage Meeting on October 2nd 1993 where she was re-united with Robin Steavenson who fascinated us by vividly recounting his 1948 race against Beecher Moore. 
Laughter found a new home later in the 90's as my fathers health declined and he was unable to sail her or maintain her as he would wish.
I will scan and post some pictures of the restoration of Laughter in due course.

My father and I found Pipette sitting on a pebble beach above the high water line near Rustington in Sussex whilst on annual vacation in the mid 70's. She was in pretty poor condition with split planks, no obvious rig and ominous signs of a transom modified to take an outboard. Her underwater section had been painted black and equivalent interior white. The remainder of the hull was blistered and faded varnish. She was sitting with other dilapidated craft that were obviously used (or had been used) as fishing boats, and she had clearly suffered from being dragged up and down the beach without a trolly during launching and beaching.
My father wrote a note offering to buy the boat and we taped it to the thwart in a plastic bag, but no one ever contacted us and when we returned the following year she had disappeared; presumed broken up; due to her obviously poor condition.

Here is a picture of my father and I sailing Waternymph at Llyn Aled SC in 1970. I am 8!

Im in Edinburgh but can transport N1833 anywhere

Hi All
I'd like to get N1833 back on the water. She has been inactive for too long. I would like a wider (or widen the) centreboard case to take a wooden foil. She also needs new side decks and other smaller bits of TLC. I dont have any time available myself so would appreciate recommedations (or offers!) from within the Class as to who would be the right person to return N1833 to her former glory. Not in a big hurry but would be nice to have the option of sailing her if I had some spare time.
Grateful for any pointers
ta
Ed

Owned by my father in the late 60's and early 70's and in which I crewed for him in many races and open meetings. Waternymph was rescued by me from sure death at Llangorse SC in South wales in the late 80"s where she was found abandoned lying in the grass with much rot apparent. Reborn at Tamesis Club following extensive work and enjoyed a couple of years sailing on the Thames at Tamesis and Ranelagh. Following my move to Scotland she enjoyed a few outings and cruises on the Forth and was raced at Strathclyde Loch SC in 1994 where I taught my wife to sail and where we placed 2nd in the Club Championship despite having to sail off a modern handicap! She has now been idle now since then. Currently sitting on the trailer in my garden awaiting some of my time and attention.....

Claim to fame -quote from Robin Steavenson's "Story of the National Twelves" -

"Perhaps the best performance on record of the IX is during the practice for the 1961 Burton Week when in a light steady wind the fleet was led by Geoffrey Coop's IX, Water Nymph and my Witch Hunter for the first round. Then John Oakeley in his X, Ad Lib, came through on the beat, but on the run home Witch-Hunter came up from 10 seconds astern to finish about a minute ahead,...Geoffrey's Water Nymph was a close third".