Derek Priestley

Alex Cory!! one for you to answer!

Well spotted!!

Hi Wayne, It's ABSOLOUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! that's what it is!! After that I can't help. My suggestion would be Vic Bellerson of Bourneville where they sailed them most & Vic goes back almost as far as I do!! Full marks to whoever owned & kept it in such original condition. What a find. Good luck with it. Best wishes Derek

Hi Graham, Tony Able "Scimmitar" with some of the stern chopped off would be my guess. There were several of them around in the 1980's when that number would be current. A chap called Geoff (Jeff) Hoer at Woodspring had one & raced it very successfully. Hope this helps. Best wishes Derek.

Hi Gareth, Very interesting read. I joined the Radio A fleet in 1979 and raced in the RA Nationals at Basildon (later Chelmsford) RYC . The boat I used was Kami Sama which had been owned & built by Dennis Lippet, and went through various hands and ended up at Fleetwood & placed 2nd in our one & only World A class Championship in 1975 raced by Alec Lamb of Fleetwood. Mike Harris won the event. In 1979 I was loaned the boat to use in the RA Nationals and off I went to Basildon with Kami Sama & my new wife Maureen (Auntie Maureen) . Kami Sama kept up to her traditions & I finished 2nd to a man from Woodspring John ??? racing a white (Bob Underwood built) Highlander! But the point of this ramble is that in that race was Norman Hatfield with Serica! Best wishes Derek.

Hi Gareth, I would like to hear the full story.

Hi Gareth, Wow! 2" difference, that's some discrepancy> Maybe needs some very careful re measurement! Derek

How will she be when she sails for the "pole" ??

Accidents happen & most vane sailors accept this with good grace & there are always lots of people happy to help repair. I'm sure that we'd all be happy to see a few vintage boats racing in the centenary A week (2023) and I for one wouldn't mind if the forward most part of the hull was not "elastomeric"!! Good luck with your build & hope we'll see you at classic & vintage Marbleheads next year. Derek

Hi Thierry, Glad to be of help. You'd be most welcome at Fleetwood any time but if you want to race in Vane A Week you need not travel so far, as due to its cancellation this year, A week is at Gosport in 2021. Best wishes with your boat Derek. p.s. how about some pics?

Hi Thierry, No it's just a wire fork which is pressed into the tube with the velcro at right angles so that the wire is across pushing against the mast, & the velcro goes up & down and sticks to the strip of velcro which is attached to the mast. It looks quite primitive but it is used by about 60% of the Vane A fleet here!! D

Hi Thierry. The spinnaker pole or Boom as we call it will be the same length as the J measurement on the boat. If the boat has deck manrk then measure between the mid mast mark to the mid mark at the front of the jib . The velcro is stuck vertically to the mast just above the gooseneck for about 2 " ( 40mm) The oposite type of velcro is fitted to the end of the boom between a wire fork so that as the boom is pushed to the mast it sticke. Voila!! Good luck Derek

Looks like the hull shape could derive from "Sunkiss" which I think went on to be "M-4-SIS" raced by Walter Jones from Birkenhead in the late 1960's it was a double ender later developed into "Vivacity" had a much deeper bow to carry a large spinnaker without nosediving.

Phil, Your idea looks good to me We'll try that at Fleetwood when we're allowed back. Thanks.

Hi Matt, Contact Martin Bandey of the Vintage Model Yacht Group VMYG who will almost certainly be able to help you. Good luck.

Think the una rigged boat came from Woodley MYC in the 1970's, where Norman Curtis & Alan Oxlade used to race.

Just read Roger Stollery's very comprehensive Obituary about Fred Shepherd who I was privilaged to know & race against in the 1960's & 70's. He was exactly as Roger described and he very kindly designed a Vane 10r (XLCR) for me in 1978 which was built by Jim Major & with it I, and Robert Walsh Snr won the 1979 Nationals at Leeds & Bradford. This was very special to us as it was our first National Championship win!! Thank you Fred.

As promised at the AGM, we received our first MYA newsletter at the weekend, and very good reading it is. Thanks to Paul Brooks for his first efforts. The success of this will be up to us the members to "send in your news", so please let us support Paul & make this work. Merry Christmas to all members. Derek Priestley.

How many DF95 can you get into your car????????!!!!! I have just loaded 15 in to my Rover 75 estate, including rig bags, a starter machine, and a small toolbox. I’m taking them to a race at the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation Portland on Thurs. Tried to post pics but it won't let me!

Any more info? I've just tried to google it & can't find anything. I'm just renovating an old IOM for club racing & this will do nicely.

Just watched the new promotional video. Great Job!! Thanks to all involved.

I prefer to race rather than talking about it!! BUT for years I've said "Hold your course" to Starbord shouts to re assure the stbd boat that I've seen them & that I know ther're there AND that I intend to avoid them!! Now, back to racing for me!!

They are indeed John Lewis designs & were a from a group of 10 "one design" boats privately funded for the MYSA Kensington. They were all built by Ken Jones of Birkenhead. ( Graham Elliott's Grandad) & as Brad G has said earlier they were used for a race between yachting journalists, held on the round pond as an exercise to promote our sport to a wider audience. Good luck with your restoration.

Pics would help!?

I have old 10r top swing & marblehead swing c rigs available if you want them.