Yachts

C001: Josephine
C002: Cetewayo
C003: Frenesi of Clynder
C004: Undina
C005: Rebecca of Vineyard Haven
C006: Whirlaway
C007: Drumbeat
C008: Whooper
C009: Thendara
C010: Zoom
C011: Foglio
C012: Vanity V
C013: Talisker Mhor
C014: Pazienza
C015: Danegeld
C016: Mikado
C017: Elona
C018: Sensa
C019: Droleen II
C020: Corrie
C021: Lotus
C022: Mingary
C023: Dirk II
C024: Sceptre
C025: Thendara
C026: Outlaw
C027: Athena
C028: Bettine
C029: John Dory
C030: Swanilda
C031: Marigold
C032: Sally of Kames
C033: Monsoon
C034: Charm of Rhu
C035: Moonspray
C036: Firebrand
C037: Gluckauf
C038: Cereste
C039: Mitzi
C040: Roar for Joy
C041: Zahir
C042: Maria Hendrika
C043: Vivette
C044: Berenice
C045: Huff of Arklow
C046: Fairlight
C047: Iolaire
C048: Sibyl of Cumae
C049: Ilderim
C050: Dorothy
C051: Zaleda
C052: Dione
C053: Clarion of Wight
C054: Safir
C055: Shantih
C056: Eveline
C057: Shuttle
C058: Windflower
C059: Erica
C060: Cygnet of London
C061: St David's Light
C062: Leonie
C063: Tar Baby
C064: Caressa
C065: Tiger C
C066: Barbican
C067: A Day at the Races
C068: Kelpie
C069: Suzalah
C070: Rubicon
C071: Infanta
C072: Rampage
C073: Halcyon
C074: Thalassa
C075: Sinbad
C076: Lutine
C077: Twilight
C078: Alera
C079: Aeolus
C080: Nightfall
C081: Mossie Estelle

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Whirlaway

The 42ft RORC Class III masthead sloop Whirlaway of Percuil (now just Whirlaway) was launched in 1963, ready for the 1963 Fastnet, from Tucker Brown of Burnham-on-Crouch for R S Wilkins, wo simultaneously owned the famous off shore power-boat Tramontana. In the autumn of 1962 Wilkins had just sold Whirlwind, who he had raced successfully achieving fourteen flags out of eighteen starts in her first season alone. Like Whirlwind before her, Whirlaway was designed by Kim Holman and based on the lessons learned from her predecessor. Inevitably this meant longer, beamier and more comfortable.

Whirlaway was a contender for the victorious 1963 Admiral's Cub team but only made reserve boat, as she was considered a bit heavy and better suited to offshore conditions. She later went on to race competitively on the East Coast for several years and Yachting World lists her successes amongst those of such illustrious names as Bloodhound, Myth of Malham, Musketeer, Outlaw, Lutine, Noreyema III, Stormvogel and Clarion of Wight, to name but a few.

Once retired, Whirlaway was cruised out of the Helford River before a spell in the Mediterranean. She appears to have been well loved and cared for. She then became the much-travelled home of Frank Pearce, a marine engineer who used her as his base for over a decade. Whirlaway crossed the Atlantic frequently, sometimes single-handed by Frank, who was clearly very fond of her but he needed to move on.

In terms of a yacht, I was sure I knew exactly what I wanted but had been scouring the broker's pages for years without success. My ideal was based on the Nicholson 43 Tidechaser on which I had lived and raced for six months in the Caribbean and the east coast of the USA. In 1997 a chance coffee in Salcombe with Peter Gregson of Wooden Ships and, on the same day, the arrival of Whirlaway's details from Frank, had my wife and I driving to Poole in search of this seemingly perfect match for our dreams. We found Whirlaway in the dusk of a late summer evening, and without more than a quick look over, both my wonderful wife and I were inspired to give her an enthusiastic approval. I am truly blessed! It later transpired that Ingrid knew the boat from the Helford, where she had lived as a child.

Our strong ties with Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, the home of the Attrill's boatyard, is where I always intended to base my new project. Whirlaway was in need of some work and I had to be sure that the yard could handle her draft and weight. Bembridge, however, is not a deep harbour, and it was marginal whether we would be able to manoeuvre her in and out - fortunately a good spring tide served us well. All seemed to be going to plan, so, following a reassuring survey and some haggling, Whirlaway became ours.

It was no secret that Whirlaway needed a new deck, electronics, plumbing and the odd lick of paint. The teak and mahogany hull, copper fastened on oak and CRE, was in excellent shape as were the keel bolts and all other crucial structural parts. We had the original aluminium mast (with its cannon barrel spec, 1963 was early days for such things), and the beautiful spruce roller-furling boom, though the latter had long since been converted to slab reefing. The rig was sound, the standing rigging having just been renewed. She had a seemingly reliable Perkins 4.108 and tired but serviceable sails, some the originals from Gowens, but sadly her quadrilateral genoa had gone. The bright-work gleamed and her delightful lines ensured that we indulged her few shortcomings.

Whirlaway was afloat again looking gorgeous. We had done much more work than we had expected to but it all seemed a good idea at the time and we were only fifty percent over budget and three months late. Par for the course! It had been great fun, often requiring considerable ingenuity and much rushing around potential suppliers of obscure or long since discontinued fittings. They were all most helpful, if rather surprised by our determination to involve them.

Four winters later and Whirlaway has now been completely refitted; new tanks, engine, drive-train, galley, heads, auto-pilot, many new sails, a new inner forestay (enabling her to be cutter rigged), deck-head, stem-head (following an unfortunate incident with a cardinal mark), electric windlass, cabin heating, berths, hot water, upholstery.... you name it. We have run out of things to do. Well... perhaps it is time for a new main (and a light-weight 'blooper' would be nice).

We continue to enjoy working with the Attrill brothers and their very experienced team. The philanthropist in me copes with the financial anomalies, though we were stung by the rumour that Attrills had reverted to paying a Christmas bonus thanks to us! If we have had a hand in enabling them to retain traditionally skilled staff and employ the otherwise dieing shipwright's art, that is our bonus.

In return, we have had wonderful sailing with family and friends, including two summers cruising the South Coast, especially enjoying the nooks and crannies of Devon and Cornwall. Our young family is safe and comfortable on Whirlaway and I can sail her single-handed if I want to. Our progress may be more sedate than some but we are often 'in the groove' and dry, with all set, whilst our younger sisters are well reefed down and their crews soaked to the skin. I often wonder what they must be thinking as we glide by!

I have become used to being treated as some sort of eccentric who obviously has more money than sense because I own a wooden boat. What I know is that I have a lot of boat for the money. She continues to give me, and all who are involved with her, enormous pleasure and I am very proud of her and to be her custodian. But the icing on the cake is that, over the time that I have owned her, my investment in Whirlaway has substantially out performed any pension fund and all but the most esoteric of stock market holdings. If I strip out the normal running costs of any similar sized boat over the same period, I still have roughly what I have put in. I know where I would rather float my money!

Whirlaway is a founding member of the British Classic Yacht Club, and of this we are very proud. She is in excellent company and I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm with like-minded people. They all seem remarkably sane to me! I didn't buy her to race but, given the Corinthian spirit of the BCYC, we now look forward to doing so. Perhaps a new main isn't such a bad idea after all. Does anybody know a sail maker who remembers how to cut a blooper?