Victorian racing cutter Leila receives a vicar’s blessing and the local community enjoys a party

  

The local vicar blest the splendid Victorian gentleman’s racing cutter Leila this past weekend, and hard-working Leila Sailing Trust crew responsible for restoring her showed visitors round the boat in Southwold Harbour this weekend.

I should say that the work has been carried out by Trust volunteers and local yard Harbour Marine Services, with funding support from the National Lottery.

Naturally, they also had a bit of a party at Southwold Sailing Club, not to mention a session in the old Harbour Inn. All in all it was a great outing, as you will have guessed, and it was great to run into Leila Sailing Trust stalward Rob Bull once again, as well as some local music pals.

I’ll put up some more photos of Southwold and roundabout shortly.

For more posts about Leila, click here.

 

Reprobate pirates celebrating at Southwold Sailing Club

Restored Victorian gentleman’s racing cutter Leila emerges into the light!

 

The Victorian gentleman’s racing cutter Leila currently undergoing restoration at Southwold Harbour is out of the shed after three hard years of repair work – and is within weeks of being launched.

Congratulations fellas!

Read an earlier post Leila here, and the restoration weblog here.

Leila needs more financial help to get her rig sorted out, so if you can help them out with a few quid, I’m sure Rob Bull and his pals will be very grateful.

Photos from the Stirling & Son yard

Stirling & Son Victorian cutter Integrity counter

Stirling & Son Victorian cutter Integrity is that straight! John Gallagher fitting the mast step Stirling & Son Victorian cutter Integrity Stirling & Son Victorian cutter Integrity safety boots

Will Stirling’s had his camera out over at the Stirling & Son yard and has come up with these photos.

They starting with the cutter Integrity’s impressive counter stern – click here for more about this project.

I’m strongly reminded of an original Victorian cutter named Leila we saw some months ago. Leila is  currently being restored at Southwold; see a post about her here.

The others show John Gallagher fitting the mast step; Ted Luck eyeing up the sheer and Will’s son Alf adjusting a batten he feels perhaps could be a little fairer. I can’t imagine a better place for any of these boys to play.

Thanks Will – you take a nice shot!

Stirling & Son traditional yacht building and wooden boat repair is based at Tavistock, Devon. For more information see www.stirlingandson.co.uk.