Feeling guilty!

[davidh]

Well... I was a little (but only a little) - in the thread on 'is it one pot or two pot' there has been some talk of Contenders...modern Contenders, then the devoti D-One, none of which are really normal topics on this site.

So - showing contrition... I found this whilst doing some research for the Merlin Book and thought it might bring a smile to a mid week afternoon in October. I reckon the year has to be 1971 - the boat is a Chippendale Proctor XII. It really flew in the lighter stuff but I could never afford the sails and gear to really enjoy the sailing. That's me on board sorting something out..... think I won the race as it was light even though the brand new Fireball (yes, 4199 as a new boat) had the better gear.

I think this is one picture that will now fade from the archive.....

D

[Rupert]

I'd not realized you were that old, David...

[Stephen Hawkins]

A fine looking boat, nonetheless. I was probably 5 years old at that time, by the way.

Hope that makes you feel better....Fnurk!

Steve H (1966)

[Michael Brigg]

Gosh, and I was just out of Shorts and long socks!

My brothers and I had just bought our first firefly. Dad lent us the cash to buy a wreck in the local boat park, and cleared some space in the garage.

Thats how you did it back then.

Mind you, we also had people like Mandy Rice Jones and Christine Keeler on the news as well. Knocks X-factor shenanighans and footballer's call girls into touch (IMHO )

Happy days

[Obscured by clouds]

71? I was sailing Dragons then at Abersoch and sometimes Squibs, or if I was really lucky going offshore in one of the Twisters my dad had rebuilt.
Dinghies had an alarming tendency to disappear overnight at the boatyard, sold on by dad, although the really old heavy snipe stuck around for a few years. Wish we'd kept it, I liked the old girl.

The following year I discovered surfing and sailing anything went by the way for 20 odd years

[roger]

Hmm 71 I was still in shorts though I think I was sailing my Mirror (a xmas plus birthday plus christmas plus birthday .....)

I reckon it was that year whilst lining up for the start, well sailing along the line, that I was accused of deliberatley sailing in front of the Fishbourne ferry and then sailing back again just to annoy the chap on the bridge. It was a windy day and i didnt hear him leave the slip. I protested my innocence etc and then suggested it would be safer if he sounded his horn just as he left but was told it would upset the residents.

I learnt a valuable lesson that day. Dont have the name of the boat emblazoned in huge letters down the side of the hull.

Happy days. and guess what, we were allowed to sail unattended whenever we wanted and even sailed round to Cowes for dinghy week without escort. ..(Better drowned than duffers.......)

[davidh]

Michael, (Briggs)

Oh my.... you've lifted the lid on a can of worms.

Not only am I old but I have an older brother...who just happened to be on a French exchange scheme.(a very big thing back then.....) When it was our turn to host the French boy, Mum and Dad took the extended family to London for the day. Coming past the Law Courts there was something of a throng of people - I remember it so well..... I thought it was a film star and asked Dad who it was..... only to get told curtly to keep walking. It was the one and only Mandy Rice Davies..... but I am afraid the year was 1963 and not 1971.
So, 1963 was profumo and the Great Train Robbery, 1971 was Vietnam, Rolls Royce going bust and Bangladesh.

"he would say that, wouldn't he"...............................

D

[Brookesy]

You have really made me notice how the years have moved by David, as '71 was the last of the long summers spent sailing in the Solent from my parents holiday caravan at Solent Breezes, I'm sure we must have raced each other in the ASWMC series before November came and I donned a uniform for a living and sailed in larger grey boats.

[Rupert]

I was 5 that year, and I think had just built my first boat, a 4" long balsa catamaran with a square sail made from a bit of old sheet. We used to sail tiny toy boats across Rushmere on Wimbledon Common. Oddly, it was the only pond clear of rushes in the whole area! I probebly still have the boat (called Apple, oddly enough - should have copyrighted it...) in a box somewhere.

[Michael Brigg]

I was 5 that year, and I think had just built my first boat, a 4" long balsa catamaran with a square sail made from a bit of old sheet. We used to sail tiny toy boats across Rushmere on Wimbledon Common. Oddly, it was the only pond clear of rushes in the whole area! I probebly still have the boat (called Apple, oddly enough - should have copyrighted it...) in a box somewhere.

...so now we know where your interest in Shoebox size boats and pond sailing comes from.

Clearly you were from the outset a CVRDA man through and through. The Box, (I'll bet) will be in a corner of the attic which you hope Kathryn doesnt know about

Since this years rally is to be on a pond, perhaps we shoe all revive our toy yachts for a special event (My box in the attic has several hulls and lots of broken masts and not a radio antenna amongst them.)

Memories of junior sailing for me was about paddling up to my thighs in the River Chess where it runs next to Troy Lake in Rickmansworth, catching Minnows and sticklebacks and being told we weren't to go close to the weir, (we did of course) while my parents had lunch in the clubhouse.

Now that would be an excellent place for a revival meeting.

1971 of course was a good time for sailing with Ted Heath in charge. The 3 day week led also to some extended week ends and lots of time for maintenance, but after the was gone Harold Wilson came along and slapped top rate VAT on Sailing. Small minded or what?

[Ed]

having problems keeping up with this thread....

urrr.......


my elder brothers knew Christine Keeler and partied with her amongst others - we lived in Bourne End then (2 up from UTSC)....

urrr....

One of my elder sister's best mate's husband used to be navigator for Ted Heath.....he never let any women on his boats - thought it was bad luck. Oh....and I photographed his kitchen for a magazine, but he wasn't in.

Does that get me into this thread?


Sailing wise, I would of been drifting around Skiathos with my dad in our first Jollyboat.

eib

[Rupert]

Lots of posts in a hurry, weren't there! Must have hit a rich vein of memories...

Where's Skiathos, Ed?

[Pat]

15th Feb 1971 was decimal day, the day of my gran's funeral, with the result that we spent almost all the holidays that year in Brightlingsea clearing out her house. I was finally allowed to hire one of the little sailing boats on the boating lake rather than the usual canoes or rowing boats and sailed badly for ages, mostly round the back of the island and well past the allowed time! Being an avid Swallows and Amazons reader was the only tuition!

[alan williams]

71 Year I left School went to Uni got engaged to a girl I had been going out with since 15 (lasted until I meet a real hot one at Brum). Went to Glastonbury/IOW rock Festival. Had a very hedonistic life style sometimes, staggered off to a lecture when I really had to. Crewed for a runner up in the World Hornet Champoinships Owned and destroyed two International Moths in a Year. Sailed horrible Fireflys at Uni then the Larks arrived which kept on falling apart. Built another Moth Chelsea Morning cost complete £53 so I didnot have to sail Uni boats. Brought a Triumph Bonneville thought I was Peter Fonda in Easy rider.
Generally had a hell of a good time. Shame lifes pretty crap at the present time but it will get better.
Cheers Al

[Rupert]

Shame lifes pretty crap at the present time but it will get better.
Cheers Al

Finn sailing isn't that bad, Alan!