It's Howard's Way... not Martin's way
Classic Boat|January 2021
Martin Black recalls a rare win, uncelebrated; and a chance at fame, unrequited
Martin Black
It's Howard's Way... not Martin's way

Throughout my yachting career, the adulation of the crowd has always eluded me – although the carping of critics has not. That sense of failure exhibited itself quite earlier on. It was a nice bright, breezy day on the Firth of Forth and I had persuaded my good friend Pebbles to try the heady delights of sailing a Loch Long. The weather was warm and the prospects were promising for a fine day out on the water.

It is fair to say that the briny was not Pebbles’ natural element. Show him a golf course, or better yet, a well provisioned dinner table and he will be up and running like a beagle who has caught the scent of a fox. The concept of mother nature throwing buckets of cold water at him for an entire afternoon did not seem to light his fire. Still, I pointed out, it would give him bragging rights when he next sat down with his fellow trenchermen.

I steadied his nerves with a few glasses of G&T, then we stepped from the club launch onto our trim little craft. I set Pebbles pumping out the rainwater while I rigged and hoisted the sails. Soon we were off, making for the harbour entrance. I saw that the other members of our fleet had just started a race and I decided to cross the start line and give chase. Our course took us close-hauled off to the first mark, a few miles away. I ordered Pebbles to sit on the side deck.

Esta historia es de la edición January 2021 de Classic Boat.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January 2021 de Classic Boat.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE CLASSIC BOATVer todo
Classic Boat

The Need For Speed

Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today

time-read
8 minutos  |
March 2021
ROW YOUR BOAT
Classic Boat

ROW YOUR BOAT

There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?

time-read
8 minutos  |
March 2021
Traditional Tool
Classic Boat

Traditional Tool

JOINER’S NAME STAMP

time-read
2 minutos  |
March 2021
Classic misuse of a word
Classic Boat

Classic misuse of a word

Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 2021
Classic Boat

SCUD MISSILE

Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez

time-read
10 minutos  |
March 2021
BOSUN'S BAG
Classic Boat

BOSUN'S BAG

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 2021
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Classic Boat

DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man

Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 2021
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Classic Boat

CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl

Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 2021
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
Classic Boat

AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls

A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 2021
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
Classic Boat

Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!

A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.

time-read
2 minutos  |
February 2021