RobVice_GBR41

I’ve checked my Cedar Club and I think my dimensions are even wider than yours so perhaps my guess was wrong. My (roughly measured) max beam is 250mm and the transom closer to 130mm. also the tumble (deck flange rounding) is a larger radius on my hull than your photos suggest, so perhaps another clue that it’s not the same design. good luck finding a match.

Maximum beam and transom beam measurements would help to be sure..

Looks like a Paul Lucas cedar club circa 1990s? to me. I recall a carbon Kevlar version was available but I only had the glass fibre hull mould, so I’m not sure if the carbon Kevlar had that weave or not..

Ahh you’ve got me there Uncle Derek. can we hold the event on the top lake? I was undefeated up there in the 80s ! perhaps Chris and Pete have a different memory to me ..

@Jezza ahh yes that would be tricky.. It reminds me of sailing vane at Whitton where a ladder was used to span a similar bridge gap and that springy platform wasn’t much fun ! Having used the floating-block platform at Datchet that kind of solution, while not as great as the famous Fleetwood bridge end solution, could be possible.. Keeping public off it in a park would be a potential H&S nightmare, but a boy can dream..!

I can’t find the fin and bulb to photograph, but from memory the lead bulb was pinned to the fin with two stainless pins, probably 3mm. This would have been adjusted to float on the waterline with the pins. Before being filled and secured with resin, so the bulb was no longer to be removed from the fin! But today we usually drill a hole from the bottom of the bulb which aligns with a hole in the fin. A nut is resined into the fin so a long bolt can go into the bottom of the lead bulb, go into the fin and screw into the nut. This can be tricky to get everything to align so a jig is very useful, or buy one already fitted and adjust the internal make weights to float on the waterline. Practice make perfect or speak with the designer ! Hope this helps.

Here’s the mast base photos ..

The winch and servo live in the tray opposite the pot (missing from my yacht) the servo is shown out board and usually secured with small screws into the plywood. the winch (also missing!) lives beside the servo but you can see the winch drum still in place waiting faithfully for its Whirlwind. The winch line is kept as straight as possible and aligned to reduce risk of winch line jumping off the drum. on this model I used brass ‘u tube’ fittings to get the winch line through the deck. Today I would use a ball raced fitting at the aft end as that is the ‘loaded’ side of the system when the wind is blowing and that reduces strain on the winch.

@Stuart Watts here are images of the deck slide I fitted that allowed small amounts of mast ram as tube in the hull was slightly elongated to allow the 1/2” (yes the mast tube was larger back then!) mast to be shoved fore and aft by sliding the aluminium plate before securing it with the fin bolt and the wire loop was to keep the plate in-line. The mast step was simply the tube bottom with a locating pin to hold the mast foot still and true to the hull longitudinally. The tube is then resined into the hull and a make weight is glued just in front of it too.

I’m sure someone could 3D print it…

Sorry @Wayne Stobbs no “telling off” intended 😬 anyone who is showing an interest in boosting the Vane fleet will get my whole hearted support ! I’m sure that Walter Jones would also have supported your efforts and anyone else who took inspiration from his designs. all power to your elbow sir !

She’s not moved from this spot for a while but I’ll dust her off…

I’ve found my hull and I know I’ve got the magazines somewhere but they are remaining hidden in the loft for now. Once I locate them I’ll let you know.. The hull is rather bear as it was stripped of fittings etc but what pictures would interest you ?

The Jones gear was often copied (including by a much younger me as a school metal working project!) and I used them as Marblehead gears and Dad has got one the Dick Seagar (now there’s a blast from the past!) scaled up for his A class (Wokanido) and yes I’ve seen versions used on many a 36r just as Derek says.. To be honest it’s often a case of start with what youve got, yes maybe it’s a few grams heavier but if it’s cleaned and working efficiently and you get the angles right on the lake then it’ll beat a poorly set new lightweight gear. the emphasis on vane sailing is to be ‘right not light’ maybe at the very top level you need both but you will often see very old yachts take good points from the latest most expensive boats because the trim is everything on vane sailing. So start with the Jones gear and take joy in seeing the past members pride a joy sailing down the lake again. I absolutely love the idea that the 36r class could race again at Eastbourne, that idea Is enough for me to dust one of my old girls off!

A few photos of Dad’s clem 36r gear

If you can get your hands on October and November 1993 editions of model boats magazine you’ll get an article covering my construction of the Rhythm. I still have the boat up in the loft somewhere!

I’m not near my Whirlwinds right now but I can time mine when I’m next in the workshop. I did a comparison last time I was looking for one and there is a difference in speeds maybe I should also try it under a load as it’s possible the ‘fast’ one might not have the torque.. What glue did you use to reattach the pot?

I planked a 36r once and it was described as ‘plank on frame’ most of the frames were later removed to leave a smooth(ish!) hull afterwards some folks refer to frames as formers or sections. Sometimes the planks are thinner or the hull wants to be stronger so “double diagonal“ planks might be laid (Dad did a boat this way using balsa planks for a different 36r) I’m sure there are many different options that more skilled folks than me can describe. as for the weight, yes these older hulls were a challenge to get to weight, sometimes the heavy hulls were male plugs for female molds that then create glass fiber hulls can made from. as to your boat, I suggest that folks won’t be too worried if she’s a little over weight as I doubt you’ll be measuring her for racing. But if so then taking lead off the top of the keel would be easiest (but least desirable!) way to get under the limit. Taking weight out of the mast/deck/hull would be more desirable but harder/more expensive. good luck.

I suspect you already know that a 36r will be 36” long (modern ones will be 36 +1” bumper), 9” beam and 11” deep the whole hull had to fit in a box of those dimensions and max all up weight was 12 lbs. In the Lady Betty days pretty much everything was designed to be at its max limits, yes your boat looks like a 36r. My first boat was a Lady Betty that Dad made Bread and Butter style, alas she was stolen from CMYC club house about 50 years ago !

After delaying the festive house decorations I went to visit another London based yacht club for great day’s racing in decent full top suit breeze. The Hampton Court club offered a warm welcome and importantly a club house during a rainy morning (so much for the dry forecast!) 10 boats entered, 9 turned up and 1 retired early but still a good entry for a late season open race. The racing started at 10:30 as promised by RO Colin Trower who was also joining in the racing as the theme of the day was for a social yet competitive event. As the breeze was slightly south of the lake’s natural orientation a two lapped, dog leg course with two windward beats set offset ( think of a wonky zig zag) towards the south, the shift breeze gave good chance for overtaking and the long run down the lake allowed for different lines depending upon the shifts. For anyone who hasn’t visited this beautiful club, it has a rich history of free sailing and sits within the grounds of royal hunting grounds and where dear can still be seen roaming. It is a natural banked, roughly rectangular lake so unless you use the launching stage, wellies come in handy (Local members are happily offered their assistance). After lunch the wind shifted to better align with the lake and a more conventional course was set to benefit from a long ‘simple’ beat and run. As the daylight started to fade the breeze eased a little giving new challenges. So what about the results? Well they are soon to appear on the hcmyc.org website so I can’t be sure, but the winner was clear as I think she only failed to win once or twice during the 8 race day so well done to Julia Hancock with her Sword, followed by Colin Trower with his Sword and then I think it was my Sweet5. My thanks to everyone who made this an enjoyable days racing. I understand that conversations have been had by class captain and the 2025 A class calendar is soon to be released. So we can all decide on which events to put into our diaries for next year. I look forward to more visits to HCMYC after some more tweaks to my Sweet and future A class races.. Now where are those Christmas lights?

Happy to report that I got the Bubbles2 on the water briefly at the weekend. She looked happy enough in the top suit breeze, and her original radio gear all worked fine. Dad was delighted with the few photos I took. He’s got another boat that I’m working on now which was a one off design by Mark Dicks (Hustler) Dad is still proud of his planked boats and as said, “there’s no stealers in this one”!. As can be seen in the side by side photo alongside the Bubbles it’s a much narrower hull but no sign of a chine.. the rudder used a clever, easy removal system that Dad and I devised, it works a treat but does mean it’s easy to misplace a rudder at some point in 20+ years! Hustler’s rigs are using pre-bent masts which I think were starting to come in around 1995-6. The ‘92 Bubbles was using a straight mast.

Completely agree that water ingress in a Futaba T6k is a weakness. I’ve had three repaired by Ripmax after corrosion below the silver round menu buttons. And I agree it’s often after drips from the keel, So don’t keep that TX muff just for those rainy days..

Hi Simon. Im also looking for someone to service Whirlwinds. I now have four with various faults. Did you get any suggestions? I believe Rob Walsh has a collection of Whirlwinds too maybe he knows something.. If not I guess I’ll get my soldering iron out..

Anyone else considering racing at Hampton Court’s fabulous lake this weekend. Forecast looks good as it’s saying dry, double digit temperature and wind strength !

Good story Rohan ! I’ve got the deck off to ensure she’s suitably structural and watertight right now. I’m hoping to have her sailing at the Hampton Court charity race in January (or a Datchet/Guildford club day). Maybe see you there?