Visiting the Palace

Some thought the Sailboat and Windsurf show flat, others had their best show ever

Some thought the show this year a little flat, maybe a reaction of last years Olympic celebrations when our Medallists were here, there and everywhere and the sport was riding on a wave of golden enthusiasm. With many of the former Olympians off chasing new challenges - this year it seemed it was business as usual.

Not that no Olympic guys were around. Ben Ainslie was to be seen all over the show, on the Laser stand answering questions, on the RYA stage answering more questions, but mainly he was busy signing copies of his new book, and anything else that was was offered.

HHugh Styles and Adam May were busy at the show and told madforsailing of their hectic schedule for this year. May has just quit his job to go full time and the duo are off shortly to begin their training in Vilamoura where the Tornado Europeans are being held in May. Before the Europeans they will be taking part in the Princess Sofia in Palma and Hyeres. After the Europeans their focus will shift across the Atlantic to the Worlds in the fantastic setting of Martha's Vineyard.

High point of the show for May was the 'blow boat' competition on the Holt stand. 70 kits containing a small piece of balsa, some sail cloth, string and some kebab skewers were handed out and it was up to contestants to see how quickly they could blow their creations down a 4m long gutter filled with water. Entry fees raised were to be donated to the John Merricks Trust.

While most of the kids taking part were falling faint on the floor having achieved times of 5-7 seconds for their runs or had been disqualified when their topsail schooner rigged piece of balsa had fallen over, May stepped in with a simple design, with the skewers stabbed into the balsa and raked aft with a modest amount of sail attached between like a banner.

May sprinted alongside the pipe as his flyer made the distance in 2.9 seconds which he bettered in the finals with a run of just 2.42 seconds. Word on the street was that he had spent two hours sanding the bottom of his craft and had even cut into it a self-draining transom. So that's where all that lottery money goes...

For the major manufacturers it seems to have been a good show.

Martin Wadhams of LDC was in buoyant mood as they started to strip down the RS dinghy stand. "An amazing show, the best single day for business we have ever had at any show - not just one class but right across the range," he commented.

There was nothing 'brand new' on the RS stand this year unless you take account of the change of role for the RS800. This is now available in the 'S' version with changed rack details and a turret added to raise the mainsheet block to a more comfortable angle in the single trapeze variant.

It remains to be seen just how the market takes to this split in the fleet, separate racing will be available for the RS800S at Open Meetings.

As with the new 59er it seems the manufacturers are realising that there could be a market out there that still wants the dash but does not have the agility required of the all trapeze set-up - time will tell.

Laser's Dave Graham also reported a good show with special interest in the 4.7 rig Laser and even a couple of orders for the SB3 Sportsboat, despite it not being at the show. The boat that has been used to develop the concept has now been used to prepare the moulds for the first production boats which will hit the water in April. Waiting lists currently stretch into September.



A major focus of the show was the Ovington Boats stand where Frank Bethwaite, father of the modern skiff, was over from Australia to introduce his new 59er dinghy (above) being produced by Ovington. Despite being 83 years young, Frank was on duty at the stand from start to finish each day and coped with a constant stream of enquiries.

Towards the end of the second day Frank wandered over to the nearby Cherub stand where the class had been celebrating the 50th birthday of the class.

On the stand was an example of the latest in Cherub design thinking - Mango Jam by Gavin Sims - next to an early 1970s boat that carried an experimental cedar/balsa wooden mast rig that Frank had used in the development of the ground-breaking Tasar design.

Frank well remembered the introduction of the Cherub class after the second World War and the old Cherub revived memories of his daughter Nicola racing at Torquay in 1974, where she was runner-up in the Worlds and then her winning at Adelaide in 1976 with brother Julian crewing.

My enquiry if this boat was one of his designs was swiftly corrected: "I have never designed a boat. - I design aeroplanes that float" Frank had several lecture engagements to compltee before he jets off back down under via another lecture date en route in Canada. His parting shot when I asked if we would see any more additions to the 9er fleet? "Give me another year!"

The Hornet celebrations, National 12s, Cats and more......