Hello everyone - My first post to this forum.
I'm member of Bough Beech SC down in sunny Kent, and I believe we may well be seeing some of you later this year. Currently I sail a B14 (not quite a classic yet - give it a couple more decades!) and a National 12 (31 years old this month - so definitely within cvrda territory) which I usually sail with my daughter.
However - the reason for this post is regarding my father's Wildfire (which is almost as old as I am). For those who don't know the Wildfire, it's a Proctor design, 16'9" long with lines reminiscent of the Kestrel. It's prime identifying feature is it's hollow, ballasted daggerboard which makes it a keel boat, but one that can sail of pretty well any normal slipway and trail etc - so a dinghy at heart, I think. The ballast goes into the daggerboard in the form of bags of lead shot - really low-tech, but works fantastically efficiently.
We have two sailing at Bough Beech. Both have gone for modernised, fully battened rigs (taken from the ISO) and both get used pretty regularly down on the coast where they have proved to be absolutely first class seaboats and fast with it.
I've been slowly gathering contact details of other Wildfire owners around the country and I would be interested to know of any others who might be out there. Dad's boat is number 84, which implies that Ashford Marine produced somthing like 100 of them - maybe more and so far I have details of about half a dozen owners and know of a couple more. Any others out there?? It'd be good to arrange an event at some time ...
Any info most welcome - Anyone interested in buying one, I know of one for sale in the North of England.
all the best
Brian Whitmey
N3111 - W84 - B688
Wildfires
Re: Wildfires
Hi Brian,
Welcome to the cvrda!
There was an ex sailing school Wildfire for sale at Noss Mayo in Deven a couple of years ago. I'll ask my Father what happened to it. It is a very clever design, but it seems a very difficult market, the gap between a dinghy and a boat like a Flying 15. Mark Giles' recent attempt seems to have disappeared without trace.
It would be good to see them out in June.
Welcome to the cvrda!
There was an ex sailing school Wildfire for sale at Noss Mayo in Deven a couple of years ago. I'll ask my Father what happened to it. It is a very clever design, but it seems a very difficult market, the gap between a dinghy and a boat like a Flying 15. Mark Giles' recent attempt seems to have disappeared without trace.
It would be good to see them out in June.
Rupert
Re: Wildfires
Hi Brian,
out of curiosity, when racing, can you decide how much lead shot to use on a particular day? e.g light airs = not much, to all of it for very windy.
Nigel
out of curiosity, when racing, can you decide how much lead shot to use on a particular day? e.g light airs = not much, to all of it for very windy.
Nigel
Re: Wildfires
Brian,
The Wildfire was a 'joint venture' between proctor and George O'day (the YW dayboat man I seem to recall).
At the time it was one of two quite similar boats, the other being being Peter Milnes Vulcan. If you put that into te site search engine you'll com e up with lots of news as this was the subject of a detailed forum string about a year past.
We had both at Netley which gave me the chance to try them. Although a pleasing boat to sail (as was the Peregrine, the keeled Osprey) they didn't excite the sailing very much and soon faded - though I've heard that the Wildfire was much bigger out in the US.
Now, in what is almost the 'sportsboat' era, would they get a more sympathetic reception?
D
The Wildfire was a 'joint venture' between proctor and George O'day (the YW dayboat man I seem to recall).
At the time it was one of two quite similar boats, the other being being Peter Milnes Vulcan. If you put that into te site search engine you'll com e up with lots of news as this was the subject of a detailed forum string about a year past.
We had both at Netley which gave me the chance to try them. Although a pleasing boat to sail (as was the Peregrine, the keeled Osprey) they didn't excite the sailing very much and soon faded - though I've heard that the Wildfire was much bigger out in the US.
Now, in what is almost the 'sportsboat' era, would they get a more sympathetic reception?
D
David H
Re: Wildfires
Thanks for this guys. Interesting stuff.
I'm not trying to re-establish the class or anything - just interested in getting current owners together.
Yes you can vary the amount of ballast you take out - although I feel that for racing this just wouldn't be gentlemanly. The system is ultra low-tech; the ballast bags come in pairs joined by a longish bit of line. the keel has a kind of web dividing it in the middle and you put one bag in the front, one in the back - then you can grab the string to remove them. Mind you, you do need to be organised about putting the ballast in and taking it out. The individual bags are quite manageable, but try pulling out the one at the bottom and you'll know all about it. If you sail with less than a full load, you simply have a bit/lot of space at the top of the keel. If you get it wrong and capsize with a light load then the ballast can fall to the top of the keel which does make the boat a little difficult to get back up again - I suppose you just have to judge the risk.
I can see why they may not have gaught on as a design for 'normal' club racing use - but as a long distance, semi open water fast cruising boat, I reckon they beat the Wayfarer any day.
I'm not trying to re-establish the class or anything - just interested in getting current owners together.
Yes you can vary the amount of ballast you take out - although I feel that for racing this just wouldn't be gentlemanly. The system is ultra low-tech; the ballast bags come in pairs joined by a longish bit of line. the keel has a kind of web dividing it in the middle and you put one bag in the front, one in the back - then you can grab the string to remove them. Mind you, you do need to be organised about putting the ballast in and taking it out. The individual bags are quite manageable, but try pulling out the one at the bottom and you'll know all about it. If you sail with less than a full load, you simply have a bit/lot of space at the top of the keel. If you get it wrong and capsize with a light load then the ballast can fall to the top of the keel which does make the boat a little difficult to get back up again - I suppose you just have to judge the risk.
I can see why they may not have gaught on as a design for 'normal' club racing use - but as a long distance, semi open water fast cruising boat, I reckon they beat the Wayfarer any day.
Re: Wildfires
Brian,
I think you've hot the nail on the head there..... the 'W' factor. The trouble was, the Wayfarer was so good at doing lots of things that though the Wildfire may have had the edge in 'open water sailing', overall the other Proctor design was the better boat. Of course, in IP's home turf there was also the Fairey Falcon, another 'good' boat - and if you wanted to cruise - and cruise fast, then there was the Mirror 16.
It would be good to see the Wildfife out afloat though..... a pretty boat as I recall, 'well proportioned' some might say!
D
I think you've hot the nail on the head there..... the 'W' factor. The trouble was, the Wayfarer was so good at doing lots of things that though the Wildfire may have had the edge in 'open water sailing', overall the other Proctor design was the better boat. Of course, in IP's home turf there was also the Fairey Falcon, another 'good' boat - and if you wanted to cruise - and cruise fast, then there was the Mirror 16.
It would be good to see the Wildfife out afloat though..... a pretty boat as I recall, 'well proportioned' some might say!
D
David H