Chippendale Boats Flying Fifteens – a super story on UKFFA !!
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Category Archives: Classic and Silver
The History of “Roberta”, the 92nd FF Ever Built – and it was for King Farouk of Egypt!!
Great Fleet Progress at Aldeburgh …..!!
As the Aldeburgh Flying 15 fleet has now completed its first year of revival, I thought I would send round for information a brief report to highlight what has happened and plans for the coming year.
- A spree of end of season boat-buying has taken the fleet numbers from 3 at the end of 2016 to 13 at the end of 2017. And more interest is being expressed by other so we are hoping for further fleet growth during 2018
- The majority of boats being bought are early gold fleet boats – with sail numbers between 3400 – 3700: built by Ovington, Coryn or Dingwall, relatively cheap but with solid hulls and decks and plenty of life left in them
- We also lost a boat – sunk and written off – number 2552 Ffaux Pas. A 30 year old buoyancy bag burst following a major broach and swamping. No one was hurt but a salutary lesson for all.
- During the season we have been joined by a number of visitors – ex Aldeburgh classic 202 Silver Fox down from Scotland and boats 3181 and 1543 whose helms sail on the River Deben – the next river down the coast in Suffolk, where facilities don’t really work for dry sailing fifteens. We are hoping to coax these two boats into our fleet on a more permanent basis
- We had 8 fifteens compete at the Aldeburgh Classic regatta and the same number (but not all the same boats) at Aldeburgh Regatta week. The 15s had their own class start for the first time in many years at regatta week.
- The 15s have also become the mainstay of the fast handicap fleet at Aldeburgh for weekend racing
- The Aldeburgh Yacht Club has agreed to invest c£8,000 in a new winch to aid dry sailing of the 15s and other fleets, and also implement a potential solution to fix the dropoff at the bottom end of the slipway which makes fifteen recovery at low tide a real pain
- In 2018 we are not intending to host an open meeting but visitors are very welcome to attend the Aldeburgh Classic regatta (June 16-17) and Aldeburgh regatta week (19-25th August). We plan to hold our first open meeting at the earliest in 2019.
- I doubt many Aldeburgh boats will be tempted to travel much elsewhere in the near term, but over time a few may be seen on the circuit.
May I thank everyone for their support and good wishes over the last year.
Kind regards
Nick Barker
AYC F15 Fleet Convenor
Amazing 30 minute Video all about Flying Fifteens….!!
Thanks to Chris Bowen for sending this in. I can’t think how on earth I’d never seen this before.
It even includes how to get a Flying Fifteen on to a car roof rack!!
Click here to watch it
Phoenix Arrives at Aldeburgh !!!! ….. Eleven FF’s this year from a Standing Start …!!
By way of background, I sailed a Fifteen (3273) back in the 90s at Aldeburgh , when the fleet numbered up to 30 boats. Family life brought that era to an end, and I sailed a laser, crewed intermittently in RS400s, dragons etc and spent countless hours driving safety boats and coaching kids. Last autumn I finally got to the point of buying a boat and decided the only option I really fancied was a Fifteen, but the fleet had dwindled to 3 intermittently sailed boats. So I started (politely) hassling other sailors, and evidently there was latent demand, as 5 boats have been purchased, 3 boats have come out of long term storage, and there is also a boat restoration project underway.
The boats are mainly silver fleet, with the odd classic and some just above the silver cutoff. 3487 is the newest (1994). Hopefully before long we will be able to get some class racing going. It is all very low key – I don’t think the Aldeburgh fleet are going to be travelling seriously anytime soon, but would be delighted to welcome anyone who fancied making the trip to Aldeburgh.
There is currently no Fifteen Open meeting planned, but there are two events in the calendar which could interest other Fifteen sailors,
- a Classics Regatta weekend on 10-11th June – see http://www.aldeburghyc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Classic-Boat-Poster.pdf. ( Ignore the advertised cutoff of 1985 – the organisers have stretched the entry criteria for 15s to ‘any boat not in its first flush of youth’ to include the mid 90s boat at Aldeburgh). At last years event Bobby Salmond brought FF202 Silver Fox – a boat with a great Aldeburgh history – and won the keelboat class.
- Aldeburgh Regatta Week (20–25th August) where we should have a class start in the morning and handicap racing in the afternoon.
Racing at Aldeburgh is on a tidal river, camping is available plus plenty of accommodation locally and attractions for non sailors in the town. Aldeburgh Yacht Club website is http://www.aldeburghyc.org.uk.
I’d be grateful for any publicity you could give these events as we’d be delighted to welcome visitors.
All the best
Nick Barker
07917 573600
Southern Travellers Series is Ready to Go …!!
2016 Southern Traveller Series – 1st event at Broxbourne SC on 14/15 May!!.
The Club has a very active fleet of Modern, Silver and Classic F15’s which ideally represents the focus of the Southern Traveller Series, which aims to encourage competitive racing for all ages of boats. Broxbourne is easily accessible from most of South Eastern / Southern UK with dual carriageway roads bringing you to within 3 miles of the Club.
If you want good competition and / or tips and advice on set-up, tuning, etc – or just an opportunity to meet and sail with like minded F15’ers – the STS is the series for you!
The other STS events in 2016 are at Llangorse (25/26 June), South Cerney (3/4 Sept) and Middle Nene (1/2 Oct)
See the UK Flying 15 website for details of NOR, and Club contact, etc.
Flying Fifteens at Falmouth Week…!!
Eight visiting boats joined two local boats in a great week of racing in Carrick Roads, Falmouth, UK that threw everything at the fleet from perfect sailing to torrential rain.
Congratulations to Doug and Gail Patterson (CVhew Valley Lake SC) who won this year after being 2nd three times in the past! A well deserved win.
As always the shore events were spectacular. They included the Red Arrows and a great fireworks display.
Nick Woodley of Royal Cornwall YC and ‘POFFA’ (Port of Falmouth Flying Fifteen Association) made us all very welcome and did a great job of making everyone feel at home.
Results are here:
(scroll down to Fleet ‘F’)
For some more photos visit the POFFA Facebook page: click here
Cheers
Mike Pearce
FF666 on the market !!
Had a really nice phone call the other night from one of our longstanding members John Wright who sails FF 666 Frodo, the boat has been in his hands for years and has been lovingly maintained and cared for all of those years.
He has also done some tasteful updating so has managed to balance the helm really nicely by moving the top rudder bearing forward in the deck, a really nice job from a keen professional woodworker. This makes the boat as light on the helm as many a modern fifteen – boat’s really fast too – embarrassing many a newer boat at South Windermere.
Anyway John is looking to pass the boat on to the right new owner, someone who will be prepared to give it the love and attention it deserves and sail it as well, the right person is, I understand, more important than the price so offers around £2000 might secure the boat. Interested contact the class secretary, on secretary@flying15.org.uk
Keith Jamieson
Cowes Classics Week
Entry Deadline
With 153 boats already entered to this year’s Charles Stanley Cowes Classics Week the event promises to be as great as ever. If you’ve entered already, we’ll look forward to seeing you there.
If you haven’t yet entered and wish to join us, we will continue to accept entries before midnight on Friday 3 July with no additional entry fee. Thereafter, and before 18 July, a late entry fee of £75 will apply. We need to know final numbers now as we are finalising orders for supplies for the event.
If you need any further tempting, it promises to be a spectacular week on the water with Panerai British Classic Week taking place at the same time and featuring the schooner Eleonora, the 19mR Mariquita, Coral of Cowes an 80’ gaff schooner and 94’ Sumurun (the famous Fifie sailed over from New York), all in Cowes for the summer celebrations of the RYS Bicentenary.
Enter online at http://www.cowesclassicsweek.org. If you have any problems in entering please contact Jill Stevenson, Regatta Secretary, on 01983 299 727.
Social Events
There are still social tickets available for purchase through the website. Before midnight on Friday 17 July all tickets are subject to a discount of 10%. Again, any problems with booking, contact Jill Stevenson.
The parties, suppers & dinners have always been an integral part of Charles Stanley Cowes Classics Week with a programme of events that take us to various Clubs in Cowes and to the Royal Victoria in Fishbourne.
Crew Clothing
Branded clothing with custom naming is available via the Event Website.
Cowes Classic Week – NOR is Available….!!
I’ve just been reading through the 2015 social program – better than ever !!
Cowes Classic Week Update….(All sounding rather good!)
Hand Built from Scratch in the Pacific….!!
Have you been occasionally following the FF owner building his own in the Pacific??
Southern Travellers Series 2015
SOUTHERN TRAVELLER SERIES
This Traveller Series was re-launched in 2013, and if you want good competition and / or tips and advice on set-up, tuning, etc, or just an opportunity to meet and sail with like minded Club Sailors racing in boats of all ages (Open / Silver / Classic) – this is the series for you!
May 16/17 Llangorse SC
June 6/7 Broxbourne SC
September 5/6 South Cerney SC
October 5/6 Middle Nene SC
Series Format:-
– Results taken from Host Club Open Meeting scores
– Entry at 2 events to qualify for series result
– Series Prizes for – Classic / Silver / Open – boat age / sail number categories
– There will be an evening meal and opportunity to meet the other competitors socially “at the bar” on Saturday.
For contact / event details see the Association’s Fixtures / Class Captains page.
Middle Nene is Taking Silvers !!
Middle Nene have announced they will now start taking Silver FFs.
See the announcement on UKFFA by clicking here
The Flying Fifteen Blog 