Free: Prout Swift Catamaran needs a new home

[diana]

I have a Swift, no 5 (I think) in need of some restoration but with spars, rigging & sails in my garage, she's been there for 30 years. She was sailed on mainly on the south coast in the 1970s, Sandwich Bay Sailing & Waterskiing Club was her home club.
It's time she went to a new home and I will part with her willingly to someone who will restore her and use her again.

If you are interested please email me diselby3@aol.com

Thanks

Diana

[PeterV]

Well I've often wondered if there are any Swifts left and that it would be a nice CVRDA boat so I've contacted Diana and agreed to take this on. Look out for a cat at a future event, a d lots of questions beforehand!

[chris]

Good news!
(ps It'll go fast , no doubt, with PV on the stick.)

[Rupert]

Were Swifts the Shearwater little sister? If I'm thinking of the right boat, then they are only 14 + feet long, which is a nice size to look after! Good call Peter.

[PeterV]

Yes, Swift was the smaller Shearwater. 14'6" long and just under 6' wide. Designed in 1954 and this one is believed to be number 5. Used to rate 87 which was the same as a Hornet and 2 higher than a Fireball. The first ones had a very raked back mast, later the mast foot was brought aft to put the mast upright and later still (about 1974) they started to be built in fibreglass with alloy beams and a trampoline. Earlier boats were all wood with a wooden bridge deck. No 116 was on here some years ago but I haven't seen one since I left Leigh on Sea in 1976. There used to be about 30 in our sailing club, I don't think there's any left there now.

[jonathanmark]

In my early teens, (early 70`s) I remember a Swift catamaran, at Southport Marine Lake, it was called `Clappers`, and was the fasting boat on the lake at the time by some margin. It was sailed by an old guy called Eric Lumb, who was always out there looking cool. I remember looking at it in envy, as it screamed past me in my ancient mirror. He gave me a go once as a crew, blimey it seemed fast, anyone else remember `clappers`?

[davidh]

Peter,

I am so glad that you got this and will be saving it. In my earliest days of sailing I put in many a mile on a Swift and thought it was the best thing going (only to then migrate over into Fireballs as they were allowing the trapeze and spinnaker. It wasn't the only small cat though, for we also had a fleet of RiverCats - a small version of the Bill O'Brien Jumpahead - but an awful boat in a seaway.

I might well be coming to you for some pictures as this summer I'll be doing a major expose on the early expansion in the cat scene, how it made the jump from a very limited appeal to a far more mainstream attraction..

As I am sure you'll all know, the beam of the Swift was determined by the width between two pillars that guarded the entrance to the slipway at LoS SC......

D

[PeterV]

I didn't know the beam was fixed by those bollards, but I do know it only just fitted between them! They were on the prom between the sailing club and the dinghy park racks.

[diana]

I'm so glad that Peter is taking on my late husband's swift, who's name is Noname - on last insurance certificate. I only occasionally crewed for Bill, before we were married or indeed engaged, I did crew for others including, for a season, Steve Prout.

I have fond memories of European Championships when quite a few Dutch families came over to race, camping at many wet open meetings and all the high jinx that went on and the joy of being out on the wire sailing flat out- fortunately I never was catapulted round the forestay when I was out on the wire!

I hope I'll at least have the pleasure of being able to see her flying under sail again.

[PeterV]

So confirmed as No. 5 (carved into the transom), collected from the lovely Diana and now in my garage. Stand by for lots of questions on the restoration thread!