The Albert Strange Association’s meet this year was a little depleted in boat numbers, as two Albert Strange boats that had been expected weren’t able to make it on the day – one because it was wind-bound.
But the consolation was that after a generally variable summer the Strangers and their friends who were there enjoyed some classic August sunshine and peaceful weather.
I’d just like to say the Strangers made my pal Richard and I very welcome (we had a glorious sail over from North Kent for the event and greatly enjoyed the sail up to Rowhedge) and it was lovely to be able to celebrate the 90th birthdays of Jamie and Tessa Clay’s Firefly and Russell Read and Dick Wynne’s co-owned Charm on the rafted-up decks of Firefly and Galatea.
It was fascinating also to be able to take a long look at Fabian Bush’s cold-moulded sometimes-gaffer, sometimes Bermudan-rigged Hanser, a lean and fast lifting keel yacht that embodied some interesting ideas when it was built in the 1970s and has had quite a few new ones added (and I guess a few removed) since that time.
