Southern Man

Mike Taylor talks to Graham Nixon, outgoing Commodore of the Royal Southern Yacht Club as he discussed the club and an eventful sailing career

- Mike Taylor

Located on the picturesque banks of the River Hamble, a tributary of Southampton Water the elegant Royal Southern Yacht Club can trace its routes back to the 19th Century. Approached down a narrow winding cobbled street Hamble is ranked as second only to Cowes as being the celebrated Mecca for sailing, drawing visitors from around the globe. In addition to its WWII aircraft training heritage, the area can also boast as being the focus for the TV drama Howards’ Way. For my interview this month I talk to the Royal Southern Yacht Club’s Commodore, Graham Nixon.

“I was one of three sons so my parents were always desperate to find active things to keep us occupied,” recalls Graham. “One day during 1958 my father, who worked for Pilkington glass manufacturers in St Helens said the company had a sailing club, which was running a course on how to begin sailing. My mother, father, and elder brother all signed up but I was aged twelve and they told me I was too young; I was furious. That winter my father built an Enterprise dinghy and the following year I went on the course. It was the first time I’d stepped aboard a small boat and I just fell in love with it. I remember thinking that it was all about harnessing the wind and the water, it was really challenging and something I could enjoy for pleasure.”