VMYG Meeting Clapham March 2006

Apologies for this fleeting and necessarily partial view of our first meeting of the 2006 season. A bitingly cold day but very well attended; many thanks to everyone who came and made this a most interesting meeting with many boats not previously seen (A 36R scow by Draper from the 70's with a beautifully made aluminum vane was sailed by Russell Potts).

We have a busy season ahead with 2 new venues one at Dovercourt and the other at Beale Park. Do come and enjoy your self....and tell/bring a friend!

Elevation sheer view of John Gale's new John Lewis 36R. I understand that John hopes to race this boat nationally this year and who knows, maybe in the US vintage Group competition next year in the US.

A man (believed to be an ex Secretary) seen using his turningpole..a somehow familiar image!

A Southwold lugger to the club's Joker design shows its considerable power and speed on a reach

Manfully beating up the pond with original sails, rigging and paintwork, a diminutive Gamages sloop with characteristic hatch detail and wire bowsies, shows how it should be done. Bought new in 1930 for a young
man in Potters Bar.

The Chairman's Alexander Heather Dew pulls gently away.

A nice 'shop' sloop hull whose mast fittings clearly indicate a high peaked gaff probably by Gamages; unusually she carries a brass plate as the terminal to her counter. An attractive classic shape, we look forward
to seeing her sail after her restoration.

Trevor Smith's recently restored sloop. The view is that she is a 1/2 10R to a Daniels design and not necessarily Bassett Lowke built. Newly nicely restored

A rather nice tin triang hull not unsuccessfully over painted but with a dubious rig.

Vane, beautifully made in aluminium with large clear knobs for those close hauled settings and a very discreet dial. (Feather to the left, counter balance to the right).

Russell Potts writes; "The vane was made in 1945 or '46 by Harold Kethman, then a member of the Long Island MYC for a one design project called Delta, which he tried to sell to MYRAA without success. It is all aluminium and weighs, complete with feather, two and a quarter ounces. He gave it to me when I met him in 1993."