Category: Techniques

A trip to Seaview to see the Sea View One Design racing dinghies

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Sea View One Design racing dinghies

Sea View One Design racing dinghies Sea View One Design racing dinghies Sea View One Design racing dinghies

Sea View One Design racing dinghies Sea View One Design racing dinghies Sea View One Design racing dinghies

Sea View One Design racing dinghies

Julie took these shots of Sea View One-Design dinghies at the village of Seaview on the Isle of Wight during a week’s holiday last week.

The boats are built by the local family firm of V A Warren & Son, and apparently there are about 200 now in existence, and as many as 198 sailed past the local Sea View Yacht Club for the class’s 75th aniversary. The class was founded in 1931.

I knew of their existence but hadn’t realised there were so very many of them – this is a seriously impressive local racing class.

The class has a website that’s currently in development and I look forward to reading more about these boats some time.

I should add that Seaview is famous for a few other things too, including the Mermaid keelboat class, and also as a launching pad for Operation Overlord – the invasion of France and the beginning of the big fightback to rid Europe of the blight of Nazism. Now that’s something well worth knowing about too.

sea view operation overlord memorial

Boat Building Academy summer 2010 student launch

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Youngest student on the course Alasdair Grant (18 years) launching his Beer Beach Boat

(L-R) Tim Price and Tom Trevessey and boat owner Lachlan McKenzie in the background - bringing 14’ ‘Tailwind’ Yachting World Day Boat to the harbour Foreground – Dominic Frankis in his 12’5” Mallard Dinghy, with James Downs in the background celebrating with champagne in his 14’ 3” Canadian Canoe Martin McMahon’s 16’5” Islay Skiff with student Jim Walsh and BBA Graduate and woman gig-builder Gail McGarva in waders

18 year-old Alasdair Grant launching his Beer beach boat; Tim Price, and Tom Trevessey and  Lachlan McKenzie bringing Yachting World Dayboat Tailwind to the harbour; Dominic Frankis sails his Mallard dinghy while James Downs in the background celebrates  in his Canadian canoe; Martin McMahon, Jim Walsh and BBA graduate and woman gig-builder Gail McGarva in waders with Martin’s Islay skiff

Back in early June June 2010 six full-sized boats built by students at the Boat Building Academy workshops were  launched at  Lyme Regis.

If that seems a long time ago,  I apologise – I should explain that as a one-man band and I’ve had rather a lot to keep me busy lately!

The full-sized boats were joined by as surprise additional contender – a remote-controlled model of a Nordic Folkboat built in student Tim Price’s spare time.

Among the boats launched were a 14ft Yachting World Day Boat, a 12ft 5in Mallard sailing dinghy, a 16ft 5in Beer beach boat and a 14ft skiff with a polyester and glass hull, and a wooden fit-out. The sun shone, as usual – I really don’t know how the BBA does it.

Among the students were a management consultant, a builder, a product designer, an architectural technologist, a snowboarding instructor and a handful of school and university leavers.

The selection photos above come from BBA staffer Emma Brice, who has promised more of the individual boats over the next weeks. Thanks Emma!

Alan Stancombe’s nearly there with his nicely made Cinderella

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Alan’s well on the way with his new canoe

Alan Stancombe’s nearing the end of his project to build a small open canoe to my stitch and glue Cinderella plans, and a fine job he is making of it. It’s enough to warm the cockles of a designer’s heart.

Plans for the Cinderella are available free  from the intheboatshed.net free boatbuilding plans page.