Jack Chippendale

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davidh
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Jack Chippendale

Post by davidh »

It is with real sadness that I can report that Jack Chippendale died at the weekend.

Jack's death is probably the final breaking of the link between the golden era of the sport (early 1950s - early 1970s) and the SMOD dominated sailing scene today. He played a huge role in the building up of the National 12 and Merlin Rocket fleets, but one his his less well know claims to fame was his construction of the prototypes of many popular classes. The Osprey, 505, Unit and Fireball are boat where jack's involvement was instrumental in getting boats from the drawing board and out onto the water.

Sadly, the sport of dinghy sailingh today has little time to celebrate the lives of those who worked so hard to enrich it and with the pressure on available page space coming for the events to do with this years regatta at Weymouth, it may well be that there will not be a formal obituary in the yachting media.

part of the problem was that although Jack's boats became famed for their glossy 'furniture finish' (ages before the Rowsell boats took up the challenge) most of the plaudits went to the designer - in the case of Jack's boats this was normally Ian Proctor. There was little love lost between the two men and for a number of years Proctor was actually barred from the workshop.

jack though was more than a boat builder, he was a real character, but also a man of great integrity. As I said, his passing means that the sport has lost not only a great innovator, but one of it's great characters.


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Max McCarthy
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by Max McCarthy »

I send my respect to his family and friends
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Rupert
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by Rupert »

His name will be remembered by those of us with an eye for great craftsmanship.
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Hotspur
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by Hotspur »

My MR is a Chippendale boat, so I read this with a heavy heart. I haven't sailed it yet, but I have already had much enjoyment out of inspecting the beautiful craftsmanship of this 48-year-old boat.
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Obscured by clouds
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by Obscured by clouds »

JC built Unit2/7 and I'm amazed that she has held together for what? 45 years?

Given the lightness of construction - a single layer of 1/4" mahogany laid diagonally, none of the longitudinal timbers more than 1" in section, frames and bulkheads around 1/8" ply I suspect she was never intended to last long.

A piece of furniture indeed.
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GAVinT
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by GAVinT »

When I got back into sailing about 12 years ago, the guy who ran the training centre that subsequently closed, at Ardleigh, had apart from a raggerdy Merlin in the dinghy park, also a Chippendale one for sale at Brightlingsea. In my ignorance, knew not a Furball from a Firefly back then, I asked if it was the same family that made all that valuable(now)exquisite furniture.
Trouble was the training boat Wayfairers seemed so wide-r, than the one I made from a kit of plans in the sixtees, so I bypassed that-as an instructor said he found it a handfull when he had a go, and if as a 50 year old how would one cope with an even wider craft.?
I saw it later and rather(a lot) regretted that decision, if in truth I like the Vintage ones, I first encountered in ST Mawes as a young sprogg, however...
Anyway thank you David H for that tribute, and being informed of a sad occassion(even if I still have a Proctor Merlin and Minisprint)
yes a bygone era, so if I may add my own condolences.
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Hotspur
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by Hotspur »

GAVinT wrote:When I got back into sailing about 12 years ago, the guy who ran the training centre that subsequently closed, at Ardleigh,
Has it closed? That's a shame. My first job was at that training centre, it's still the best job I've ever had.
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GAVinT
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by GAVinT »

Yes Hotspur, about 7/8 years ago.
It was very nice when the centre was there.
A few memories after I did my 2 courses and before the centre closed.
I think this was Stuart's Chippendale Merlin,
however 9 years on and before digital camera
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SoggyBadger
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Re: Jack Chippendale

Post by SoggyBadger »

Sad news :( I never owned one of his boats but I'm of an age where his name was already legendary when I started sailing.
Best wishes


SB
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