Encouraging vintage boats

General chat about boats
Rupert
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Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Rupert »

Thought I'd start a thread on Garry's comment about the vintage wing, as it isn't really a matter for the constitution.
My main thoughts on why we don't get many out for the vintage wing are 1) there are fewer of them out there, so we are bound to get smaller fleets, and 2) the people who do them up are less likely to be into racing, as wookwork probebly ranks higher on the skills than sailing, or they don't want to damage the boat that took so long to restore.
So, not much we can do about the 1st one, but if we can find the people and the boats, it would be great to have a weekend (non racing?) regatta especially for them, where hopefully we would gain a few into the full time ranks.
Put it on somewhere pretty, write it up for the PBO/classic boat type mags - it would be a great mini festival of post war (or maybe pre war too?) dinghy sailing. We would, of course, need bunting all over the place, and black and white grainy film of the boats sailing...
Question is, how does one find the people to let them know it is on? And where would be a great venue?
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by davidh »

Rupert,

now that I can answer. Top of the Hamble, run it from the famous 'elephant' boatyard.

Do it as part of Bursledon Regatta and get bags of media coverage

D
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neil
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by neil »

how about National Martime Museum in Cornwall. Might even encourage them to launch some exhibits.
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Garry R »

If we can't encourage folks to sail on a lake what chance would we have on the sea? Remember there is some fragility involved here. Long way to go for old boats to be kept off the water though of course you can be unlucky anywhere with the weather. A pretty Swallows and Amazons type of venue would be good though.
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Garry R »

Also seems to be the August bank Holiday weekend so kind of rules it out as it's the same time as our Nationals
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by jpa_wfsc »

Garry R wrote:If we can't encourage folks to sail on a lake what chance would we have on the sea? Remember there is some fragility involved here. Long way to go for old boats to be kept off the water though of course you can be unlucky anywhere with the weather. A pretty Swallows and Amazons type of venue would be good though.
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Rupert
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Rupert »

Going to the Lakes would be ideal, really, but would we get the southern boats we already know travelling? About 1/2 way (using an English ruler!!) for Garry, though!
Tagging onto an existing event might also be a way to go, but it would compromise the aims of the event if not very careful.
I suppose what we would need, if this is infact a good idea, is someone who owns a Vintage boat and sails somewhere pretty to say "come and play!" The rest of us would then have to work as hard as the team who put the 1st Roadford event on to make it a success, pushing the event to magazines, class associations and the net.
Getting the vintage Merlins and 12's involved would be a must, but it would be good to see local one designs like Michael's Blue Moon out too. Better get stripping!
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Ancient Geek »

Wroxham Week or Oulton Broad Regatta Week or Aldburgh or Deben all might be persuaded to add a vintage/classic handicap class to their weeks racing, somewhere traditional, Falmouth is foul (No pun meant.) all they want is your money not you. Do Bala or Windamere do a week?
You'll need to get 10 or more promises though!
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Rupert »

The idea would be to have no racing...
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Ed
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Ed »

Does 'no racing' really work?

Even for the vintage boats?

We used to always have a full day of 'cruising' at the CVRDA nats or at least a fun race, but that seems to have fallen out of favour a bit.

I like the idea, but somehow experience suggests that in the end the majority of people that can be bothered to travel....are the same bods who in the end prefer to 'race' rather than 'cruise'.

I think we should 'race', it is what the boats were designed for....but just have really easy-going fun racing...and not take it too seriously.....but isn't that what CVRDA races should be anyway?

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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Ancient Geek »

Spot on Ed, certainly if I did not race I would never go to sea at all!
Like many of my generation who suffered ar good schools sailimng was something I could do well and thus hold my own withe ball games players!
Racing even if it's low key is date you have to keep and ensures you keep sailing!
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by jonathan »

The first rule of sailing is "When two boats meet, they race". We all know that don't we? You can see it all the time as one boat supposedly cruising creeps nearer another both start tweeking and adjusting then manoeuvering to see who can get into the lead! Racing dinghies are for racing. We polish varnish and preen but in the end they were built for one purpose and frankly many for a short life. All of what we sail have had their lives extended and we should get a bit of a pat on the back for that though that should be taken away if they are not raced. I was once reprimanded for racing my 70 yr old N12 in a big mixed fleet on the sea in F4-F6. I disagreed and went out did what i could to keep her going in the conditions: capsized beached bailed and then retired happy that she made one lap. It was meant to be like that when built so couldn't see what has changed. Its a bit like pootling around in an old sports car at 20 mph - a waste of designers and builders time and effort. If a boat is going to sit on the drive waiting for benign days then it may as well be sent to a museum.

Sorry if I offend.
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by Ancient Geek »

Not at all you are absolutely right!
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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by ACB »

Here is a 1937 built boat. Not a racing dinghy but a 100% cruiser

I've owned her for 25 years and I don't think of her as "vintage", nor does she get treated at all carefully. You will notice the shape of the flag at the masthead...

Image

Taken a few years ago in an Old Gaffer's Association race.

The Old Gaffers' Association http://www.oldgaffersassociation.org/_sgg/f10000.htm was founded to offer racing for boats for which no racing was being organised - it does other things but racing is still very much the main thing - despite the fact that hardly any of the boats belonging to it were ever intended to race.

Incidentally the OGA does cater for the Swallows and Amazons type dinghy, up to and including the RNSA 14 (and offers races for them). They do a good annual open event - a race round Horsey Island in Walton Backwaters in June each year.
http://www.eastcoastclassics.co.uk/swam09.htm

Incidentally, since the OGA permits "traditionally constructed Bermuda rig boats built before 1960" there are interesting opportunities for vintage handicap banditry.... :lol:
Last edited by ACB on Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:08 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Encouraging vintage boats

Post by DavidC »

Cruising sailors never race - they just like to arrive first!! :D :D :D
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