During the post-World War II boom years of small-boat sailing, Yachting World promoted some 30 designs, most of which allowed for home construction in plywood.
The largest was the Yachting World Keelboat, later renamed the Yachting World Diamond.
'For years the editor dreamt of a planing keelboat,' the magazine later reported of the resulting Jack Holt design. The prototype, Zest, built by R&W Clark in East Cowes, 'was thoroughly tested in the hard winds and seas of the autumn and early winter of 1960 (and) surpassed the highest hopes of her. Two rigs were tested-masthead and a three quarter fractional rig - before a compromise was reached with a 7/8ths fractional.
Zest was exhibited at the London Boat Show the following January, after which it was reported that 'boats are being built by several yards as
well as by a number of amateurs'. Around the same time, Bristol Aeroplane Plastics Ltd began to mould GRP yachts and the first of these, Bristol I, helmed by Jack Knights, was overall winner in the Round the Island Race that July.
The following month, Knights recorded five wins in six races in a YW Keelboat class of seven yachts in Cowes Week.
In 1962, Bristol Aeroplane Plastics introduced a GRP cruising version of the boat, with a 'cabintop to accommodate two berths, and the usual other arrangements, and two more berths under the raised aft deck' which, it was thought, would be 'the ideal boat for the man who wants a family cruiser but without those deadly dull qualities which usually go with a boat so described.' But despite these promising early signs, the class never really took off in home waters.
It was a different story in Australia, however.
Within a month of Bristol I's victory, people were buying plans in order to build yachts for themselves, all in plywood.
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Yachting World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Yachting World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
SWAN 88 DREAMCATCHER
GLOBAL LEADERS AT THE SEMI-CUSTOM END OF THE PRODUCTION SCENE, NAUTOR SWAN INVITED US FOR THE FIRST SEA TRIALS OF ITS BIG NEW 88
