Time for another mystery boat competition

[Nigel]

I am pretty sure it is not a 16ft "graduates" but what is it?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Graduate-Sail ... 4165cbc308

Possibly a Beaufort?

[Rupert]

Isn't it an Albacore?

[roger]

thats what I thought but wasnt brave enough to make myself look stupid. I dont need any help in that department anyway

[Rupert]

I'm expecting to get shot down on such a simple answer...

[Pat]

It looks like an Alb but it doesn't....

That rear tank is not something I've seen on an Alb but they may have "refurbished" that in. It could be one from the seventies that's had the back tank added and the front tank altered to full height. And measured with the eBay tape measure of course

[Rupert]

Did Fairey's build GRP Albacores? Because it looks very like a Fairey GRP Firefly, with the big square tanks and colour scheme.

[Nigel]

Now reduced - only 12 ft long...........

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-Sailing-Di ... 4165fc7fe0

I think Rupert might get the prize on this one.

[chris]

I don't think the transom is an albacore and I was going to the thwart looks too far back too. But it has shrunk to 12' would that be a fire fly?

[jpa_wfsc]

One of the Rondar Fireflys produced for team racing? There was a set (7 or 9 ish) of them at Mountbatten Sailing Centre last September.

[Rupert]

Fairey's had a load built under contact with a laminating company back in the late 60's early 70's, but they were always heavy, and soaked up water like a sponge. These days it generally takes 4 people to lift one of them!

[Michael Brigg]

Oxford University used to have a fleet of 6 of these (Very heavy) Fairey fibreglass Fireflies based at Bossoms Boatyard on the River Thames, (on the "Port Meadow" stretch.
This one could even be one of those fireflies! It is outside a shed that looks like the OUYC facility at Port meadow used to look, although it could also be a scout hut or something similar...

I was the OUYC Bosun in 1977/8, and partly responsible for their maintenance, (and giving sailing lessons to freshers, well it was a way to meet undergraduettes! )

I can confirm that they are very heavy. The sheets were always green with algae, and the fibreglass had that rather dry powdery feel of Gelcoat in need of a polish, but they were well made and even though they were the poor relations of the club, they held together very well, unlike the main "fleet" based at Farmoor Reservoir. Lots of Larks that used to fall to bits all the time.


I recall one afternoon in a fresh Northeasterly, planing along the reach in one of them, watching rather amused as a Teddie's Rowing VIII wallowed in my wake. This was possibly a distant close encounter with Ed!