I'm on Starboard!

The Story of the North Devon Yacht Club Compiled by Peggy Lines Note for the landlubber. Fundamental Rule: When on opposite tacks a port-tack yacht shall keep clear of a yacht on starboard. Published by The North Devon Yacht Club, Instow. Acknowledgements T h e contents of this b o o k are a m i x t u r e of strict fact from the M i n u t e b o o k s and a multitude of m e m o r i e s , s o m e of which m a y have a slightly rosy g l o w but all appear to be fundamentally true. Eighteen m o n t h s ago no one responded to a note in the C o m m o d o r e ' s Newsletter asking for p h o t o s and m e m o r i e s but, after considerable bullying and letter writing, the list of those w h o have helped is n o w too long to print. H o w e v e r , I feel a few n a m e s must be mentioned. Firstly, J i m m y J o h n s o n , w h o is responsible for a great deal of the information. He has p u t me right on n u m e r o u s occasions. His p h o t o g r a p h albums and those of Miss B e t t y Beckwith, Sir Maurice R e n s h a w and the J o h n s family have been invaluable. M r s . P. M. Slade ( w h o is responsible for the Bideford Archives) and Miss Beara have been a great help concerning Appledore, as have M r . Philip Bailey and M r . Huxtable. M r s . Shepherd, our postmistress and M r . Leonard J o h n s have also been a great help. M u s e u m s professional p h o t o g r a p h e r s and the N o r t h D e v o n Gazette have been generous in allowing their photos to be reproduced. Gillian L o w t h , Pamela G o t t and Phyllis B a b b have spent hours helping me find information, correcting o u r English and reading the proofs. No d o u b t the result is not w o r d perfect b u t it has been greatly i m p r o v e d by their efforts! To past m e m b e r s and their relatives, as far afield as Z i m b a b w e , N e w Zealand and Canada, I offer my heart-felt thanks for their p r o m p t response to my letters. To all present m e m b e r s m a y I j u s t say a general ' T h a n k y o u ' to you for y o u r help - it is y o u r b o o k . P E G G Y LINES Published by the North Devon Yacht Club 1986 © North Devon Yacht Club and Miss H . K . P . Lines All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the copyright holders. Typeset by Lens Typesetting, Bideford, Devon. Printed by Masland Printers Ltd., Tiverton, Devon. Foreword It is surprising how soon the history of a club can disappear and be lost forever. Our history at the North Devon Yacht Club had supposedly vanished until Miss Peggy Lines volunteered to research and compile a record of our eighty years. She has also found a tremendous number of anecdotes and many unique photographs which combine to give a most vivid picture of our past and ensure that our history is never forgotten. We all owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Miss Lines for the skill with which she has drawn our story together and for the delightful way that she has illustrated the book with her sketches and camera. TIM GALE COMMODORE North Devon Yacht Club. November 1986 Commodores 1903-06 1907 1908-30 1931-35 1936-45 1946-50 1951 - 5 6 1957-58 1959-63 1964 1965 1966-67 1968-70 1971-73 1974-84 1985 Rear Admiral Sir E. Chichester, Bart., CB., C.M.G. His Honour Judge Beresford A.L.Christie Col. C. Didham Col. F.W. Evatt J. Mulock Rear Admiral H. G. C. Franklin Lieut. Commander J. Russell, D.S.C., R.N. P. Faunthorpe D. Valentine P. Faunthorpe C. Gott P. Brannam P.Phillips Capt. C.J. A.Johnson, O.B.E., D.S.C., R.N. T. G. T. Gale, J . P . D i n g h y Park Inspection, Open Week 1986. The Commodore in traditional attire views his nephew. Contents Setting the Scene The T a w and Torridge Sailing Club The North Devon Sailing Club The Thirties Instow at War The North Devon Yacht Club A Period of Change 1955-62 Racing in the Sixties The Lease From Round House to Railway Station The Cruising Scene Pelicans and Cadets Safety A N e w Era - The Seventies and Eighties Epilogue Trophies Officers of the Club page 1 11 22 29 37 40 45 49 59 62 68 74 81 86 95 96 98 Appledore Regatta, early 20s. (Permission Appledore Maritime Museum). Setting the Scene If you wish to understand the magic of Instow which no picture can convey, come to the jetty beside the old Round House. Look across the estuary to Appledore; look to the south towards Bideford then look downstream to the north where the Taw joins the Torridge, flows past Crow Point and across the bar to the Atlantic. The patterns of light and shade on the water, sand and mud constantly change as the tides ebb and flow and as the clouds chase across the sky. At one moment the view upstream towards Bideford can be a scene of sparkling silver with shafts of sunlight piercing the clouds, while the view towards the bar is a riot of brilliant colour —the blues, greens, ochres and purples of glorious sailing weather. At sunset on stormy evenings the clouds are tinted with every shade of crimson and orange across the whole of this wide scene. The strength of such natural beauty defies man's efforts to destroy it. Maybe the tree-lined skyline of Appledore is now largely replaced by roofs; maybe the forest of masts and rigging of the working boats no longer obscure the houses on Appledore Quay; yet, as the sun sets over Appledore Point and only the outline remains it is easy to imagine that nothing has changed since those early days at the beginning of the century when a sailing club first occupied the Round House. This is, of course, an illusion. Eighty years ago the lives of the people were very different, but one thing remains unchanged; Appledore and Instow are as different as chalk from cheese. Sunset over Appledore 1986. 1 Appledore At Appledore the sea was its life-blood, a hard and ruthless taskmaster. It was a busy port and the river was dominated by sailing craft with tan sails and 'Bideford Black' hulls. The narrow cobbled quay was crowded with ketches and schooners which were laid up at Braunton Pill during the period of winter gales. Seamen and shipwrights were ferried from Appledore to the White House (then called the Ferry House) to work on the ships. Irsha Street, leading to West Appledore, where the 'pulling' lifeboat was stationed, has changed very little in outward appearance (except for the tell tale brightness of the paint work), but at the beginning of the century the houses backing on to the water housed the fishermen and boatbuilders. Most of the back yards had sheerlegs made out of old spars to lift boats in and out at high water. Hinks, Waters and Blackmores, who built the One-design boats for the Club, had their yards there. The busy hammering could be heard across the water just as the deeper notes of the giant covered yard of Appledore Shipbuilders are heard today. ships' hulls in Prince Edward Island, loading them with much needed timber and sending them home to the Appledore yards. William Yeo built Richmond Dry Dock in 1855 to complete the fitting-out of these and other ships. At the time it was said to be the biggest dock in the Bristol channel. By 1905, when this story begins, most of the yards were already building in steel, but Robert Cook and Son were still building in wood and they launched the Schooner Rose (dead-weight 97 tons) in that year. William Yeo's house, the Holt, still stands above the town, a reminder of his success and in great contrast to the houses and cottages crowded along the steep streets where the ship owners and seamen lived side by side. T h e Schooner 'Rose' launched 1905. Tools of the Shipwright's Trade William Yeo was the driving force behind the development of shipbuilding at Appledore. As a penniless young man, his father had seized the opportunity provided by the Napoleonic blockade of the Channel ports to make his fortune by building bare 2 (Reproduced by permission of Appledore Maritime Museum). Typical of the m a n y lugsail ferry boats. Here two boys are learning to sail while a train puffs by in the background. (Reproduced by permission of the National Maritime Museum). Schooners and Ketches which plied our coastal waters moored off Appledore. During one storm fifty such ships sheltered in Lundy roads. (Reproduced by permission of Knights Photographers). Instow Unlike Appledore, Instow's interests have always been divided between the land and the sea. For centuries the village above the church was the centre of the basically farming community, the fishermen living in the two outlying groups of cottages on the river, one at Lane End (literally the end of the lane from the church) and the other on the Quay. The Marine Hotel and the Round House were probably built in the middle of the 18th century when seaside holidays first came into vogue, although only the hardiest travellers can have made the four day coach journey from London to Exeter and the final stage through the tortuous Devon lanes. In 1851 residents who visited the Great Exhibition chose to travel by sea from Appledore to Bristol (a very rough passage by all accounts) and then took the train (5/- return) to London. Only five years later the Instow at the Beginning of the Century taken from the fields above the village with the railway station in the foreground, the jetty and the Round House beyond with the huge elm partially hiding the Marine Hotel. In the distance - the Light-house on Braunton Burrows. Bideford Extension Line of the railway was opened with a station at Instow, making it possible, in due course, to travel in comfort without changing carriages from Instow to London. From that time it 'was the Appledore residents who crossed the river to the steps below the station to take the train to London. At last Instow was on the map! This new found accessibility tempted developers to convert Instow into a Spa. It was advertised as a 'delightful watering place'! Convenient Chalybeate springs (rich in iron) were 'discovered' and large houses were built including those in Bath Terrace where a cottage was provided for the bath-house keeper. Mr. Parramore bought the old Hotel by the Round House, modernised it and proudly advertised both hot and cold baths. The 'Gentry' Arrive Perhaps happily for Instow this Spa idea never prospered, instead Instow's popularity as a sea-side resort increased and the village also found a new role. Those were the days when the British Empire was at its greatest; a fifth of the world map was coloured pink! Large numbers of young men were needed, not only as officers in the armed forces and the merchant fleet, but also for duties overseas in engineering, medicine, missions and administration. The physical demands on these people in the hot and dangerous conditions which they often experienced made early retirement on a small pension the rule. As a consequence these servants of the Empire sought areas where they could house themselves cheaply and yet keep up the style of living to which they had become accustomed. Thus Instow, with its large houses, Bideford and Westward Ho! became popular places for these retired but still active gentlemen and their families. The increase in population caused by the arrival of all these new inhabitants and visitors meant that Instow became almost self-supporting. There were two general stores, two butchers, a baker, a draper, a tailor, and a coal merchant. Milk was supplied by the farms. Smart dog-carts were used to deliver orders. Girls from the village worked in the big houses and men and boys were employed in their gardens. Nineteenth Century advertisement for the 'Parramore Hotel', later renamed the 'Marine Hotel'. Arriving for the Summer Additionally, each year families arrived by train, complete with tin trunks, nannies and, in some cases, servants to spend the whole summer in Instow. Most of them stayed in rented accommodation or 'in rooms', which meant that the visitors took over the principal rooms of houses where they were looked after and fed by the family who normally lived in the house, but who evacuated to the rear premises for the season. Men-folk who had businesses to attend to arrived by train for the weekends. The Marine Hotel (the new name for the Parramore) became so popular that the first of two extra wings was added. 5 During the summer the Appledore fishermen fished for peel on Spratt Ridge as they still do today, rowing out the long nets in a semi-circle and then hauling in the catch. At high tide they arrived on the Instow shore to vie with the Instow boatmen over the rights to act as ferrymen or to take picnic parties to Crow Point and Greysands. On more than one occasion the Fishwicks of Appledore and the Fishleys of Instow fell out over this matter. For all these people times were hard, every penny counted and this extra summer business was important. For the visitors there was time to enjoy the views the famous one of Appledore and, when the boatmen took them on the water, the view of Instow with neat lines of cornstooks and haystacks in the fields above the village. They would have seen far fewer houses, very few had been built on the back road. The large houses on the front, the White House, Strandfield (now the Commodore Hotel) and Instow House were barely visible, hidden by the tall trees in their large gardens. A tall hedge of tamarisk partly obscured Bath Terrace. The sea wall would have appeared much higher than it does now. Originally it ran, uncovered by the encroaching sand, to the cricket ground. It was Appledore Seaweed and Mussel Gatherers Gravel Barges high and dry at low tide. Cyclists 1905. Newly wed Mrs. Beckwith (Miss Janet Chichester) with her husband Edward Beckwith (an original member), and friend. These cycles were not freewheelers — note the foot-rests. 6 1. 'Daddy' Johns, Appledore boatman and greatgrandfather of Norman and Derek. (Nos. 9 & 10 Reproduced by permission of the National Maritime Museum). 2. 'Daddy' Johns takes passengers on board his boat. Unlike most others it had a flat bottom and a spritsail. It was painted black. 3. Bobby Smallridge, father of our postmistress Mrs. Shepherd. From 1895 he had the contract with the Post Office to ferry the mail between Instow station and Appledore. Twice a day, come wind or weather he crossed the river, in the early days by sail or rowing. 4. V i e w of Appledore. Marine Cottage in the fore-ground, only Mr. Yeo's house the Holt breaks through the trees covering the Appledore skyline. (Reproduced by permission of Mrs. Slade). Evelyn Hinchcliffe, who lived at Hillsleigh, with her nanny on Instow beach before the first World War. Chanter's Folly built by Mr Chanter, a ship owner of Bideford, so that he could see his ships as soon as they appeared beyond the Bar and prepare for their arrival. John Smith, village policeman at the turn of the century Great-grandfather of Norman Johns. Lady plays C r o q u e t at the N.D. Tennis and Croquet Club, Instow This was behind the 'Wayfarer' in Lane End. 8 considered quite a feat to climb the wall unaided. The Old Round House, built in the eighteenth century, stood unpainted beside the Marine Hotel. While elsewhere in the country the first decade of the twentieth century was a period of considerable social change, at Instow Victorian traditions held firm. In Paris the first of Picasso's paintings were already all the rage, in London the suffragettes were chaining themselves to the railings but in Instow Man was Master and the women accepted that their place was in the home. Social classes were strictly divided. The gentry were mostly retired members of the services or the professions, very few people with trade connections were accepted by them and they all employed servants. The gentry looked to sport to fill their time. By the turn of the century the North Devon Cricket Club and the North Devon Tennis and Croquet Club were already well established in Instow. There was golf at Westward Ho!, polo at Frcmington and the Stevenstone Foxhounds and the Instow Harriers for winter exercise and enjoyment. On the other hand, very few people owned their own boats; if they wished to go sailing most of them had to rely on the professional boatmen in their luggers, and the only racing was between these professionals at the Appledore Regatta. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that in 1905 a group of thirteen gentlemen and three ladies, who either lived in Instow or in the district, or spent the summer there, decided it was high time to start their own sailing club and emulate, in their own small way the Yacht Club at Cowes. T h e Staff of Instow Station at the end of the last century. Porters used to wheel luggage round Instow. Man on the line was a wheel-tapper. (Reproduced by permission of North Devon Athenaeum). 9 Lady Chichester and her sister Miss Fanny White. Lady Chichester continued to live at the White House (the Bungalow) for years — her collar and cuffs were always sparkling white. Miss White, lived at Pilton Cottage and was beloved by all. Mr. A.L. Christie, Estate, seen here on hi. President of the Club i Commodore for years. player. T h e First C o m m o d o r e Rear Admiral Sir Edward Chichester. In 1898 during the Spanish-American war, when Commodore Dewey was blockading the Spanish fleet in Manilla Bay, Captain Chichester (as he then was), under his own initiative placed his flagship Immortality and the three other ships of his squadron between the Americans and the German squadron under Admiral Deitrich who had secret orders to support the Spanish. By this brave action Britain showed her support for the U.S.A. and prevented escalation of the war. For his action he was promoted Rear-Admiral and awarded the C.M.G. On half pay at home at Instow he was natural choice for Commodore. However, he was recalled to duty as Admiral-in-charge of Gibraltar in 1906 where he died aged 56. Such was the respect for him that the U.S.A. sent a squadron of ships to escort his body to England. "There is no British naval officer better loved by the Americans than bluff old Captain Chichester " E . H . Beckwith W. Beresford Rev. C . A . C . Bowlker Miss Dering W.E. H o m e A . C . Luttrell J.S. Marriott Original Members Henry J. Mason F.C. Mulock — Oliver Major Piggott Rev. F.H. Trevaldwyn Col. Tomlin R . N . O . P . Boord Miss J. Preston-Whyte Hon. member Capt. Dark 10 The T a w and Torridge Sailing Club The Original One-Designs The founders of the Club commissioned Mr. Morgan Giles of Teignmouth to design a sturdy boat to withstand the strong winds from the Atlantic and the conditions in an estuary which dries out at low tide. Eventually after some modification by P.B. Waters a sixteen foot clinker-built boat was chosen with a long bowsprit, a sliding gunter rig, a boom protruding beyond the transom, and a jib which could be swung out on its own boom when running before the wind. These boats, to be known as the Taw and Torridge One-designs were to be built locally by one of the three Appledore firms, Messrs. Hinks, Waters and Blackmore, and were to cost no more than £24 complete with sails, iron centre board, oars, ballast and anchor and all ropes and fittings. Two of these One-designs were ordered by the group and others by individual members who paid 10/- for use of the drawings. By August 15th 1905 the Taw and Torridge Sailing Club had come into being and the first Commodore, Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Chichester, Burgee represents the junction of the two rivers — blue on white. Bart., was appointed. The rules were approved and the first race was held. Four boats took part and the log reports that E.H. Beckwith came first in the Hinks boat (No. 3) and W. Berisford second in the Waters boat (No. 1). The Club had no headquarters, meetings being held at the Marine Hotel and notices posted on a board on the Quay. The Taw and Torridge Sailing Club was entirely for sailors "to promote amateur sailing in safe boats of one design and to organise frequent races", as their first rule stipulated. Rather surprisingly, considering the date, the original rules make no mention of special terms of election for lady members. In this first year ladies and gentlemen had equal rights. The original T a w and Torridge One-designs. They all had enormous numbers and were nearly all called by birds' names. The Loom Trophy was given in their memory by Dr. A. W Valentine. 'Loone' is a name for a sea bird. Captain Dark, skipper of the Lundy boat, the Gannet, became Boatmaster. The boatmen who ferried members out to the One-designs moored in the Torridge were allowed to charge 1d. The early Sailing logs show that there was often a professional boatman acting as crew, his charge being 1/- per hour. In the first year there was a race for the boatmen in the One-designs, three to a boat. The first prize of £1.0.0 was won by the Baileys in No. 3 with Vaggers as crew. Captain Dark came second crewed by Jack Pidler and James while Charley Fishley was third with Bobby Smallridge and Dickie Johns. These names became well known to generations of members and Charley Fishley was still rowing members to their boats in the fifties. The Round House In the autumn of 1906, following a first full sailing season, Mr. Frederick Mulock, a local artist and one of the most enthusiastic sailors, put forward the suggestion that Club premises should be acquired and a scheme for taking a lease on the Round House was considered, its position on the Quay, next to the Marine Hotel being ideal. The membership at this time was only thirty-two and to make the scheme financially viable it was decided that Col. Stafford Harding an Instow resident, be asked to put forward a list of 'suitable' gentlemen who might be invited to become members of the Club. They were tempted by the letter opposite. It all sounds highly delightful and it is hardly surprising that twenty-four potential new members were quickly secured. The Round House was rented for a trial period of fifteen months, fully furnished, for £50.0.0 per annum and a full-time living-in stewardess was engaged for a wage of 5/- per week. As you can see in the letter, the sixteen original Members were offered the option of a purely sailing membership with a subscription of £1.1.0 but this did not include the right to the Round House amenities. Very short-sightedly, as it turned out, a number of these members accepted the offer. Thus two tiers of membership came into being - Full Members and 12 Sailing Members — and this was to cause a major split in due course. Ladies were not even mentioned in the letter but the rules show that from this time they were only offered Sailing Membership; the Clubhouse was for men only, a miniature version of the London clubs to which many of them belonged. Once installed in the Round House the members decided to secure a seven year lease with vacant possession from the Tapeley Estate. This Estate had originally been in the hands of the Giffords of Weare Gifford who built the Marine Hotel and the Round House on the site of the old Manor House of Instow. It is said that in the middle of the eighteenth century Commodore Cleveland sailed up the Torridge, saw Tapeley Park on the hill above Instow and fell in love with it. It is true that he purchased the house and property including the Round House from the Weare Gifford Estate. Thus, in 1906, the Committee of the Taw and Torridge Sailing Club saw the advantage to be gained by asking Mr. A.L. Christie, the descendant of the Clevelands, and owner of the Tapeley Estate, to become their President, and it was with his help that the lease of this rather dilapidated building was secured for £21.0.0 per annum. Special Prizes Particularly in the early days, when there were races every day during the high season, there were a good many races for prizes given at the last moment, for what would otherwise have been one of the Series races. Three old Carthusians gave a beautiful pair of glass decanters. Guinea de Crespygny gave a sherry decanter. There were often bottles of sherry offered at the last minute for the first home. On one occasion a bottle of champagne was attached to the last buoy but the crew had to climb the Club wall with it safe and sound before claiming the right to pop the cork. May 1906. Cutting from the Bideford Gazette:"We understand that the list of members (of the T. & T.S.C.) is increasing rapidly, and can only say great credit is due to those devotees of the sport of sailing whose enterprise has so successfully started this healthful and exciting pastime on our native waters." The Misses Jo and Fanny Chichester (Mrs. Campbell), taken before W.W.I., paddling at Instow. 13 The Marine Hotel and The Round House The Marine H o t e l and Round H o u s e soon after the Sailing Club had arrived. Capt. Dark, skipper of the Gannet in the fore-ground. (Reproduced by permission of Knights Photographers). Waiting for H i g h Water. Boatmen and others on the Jetty From left:- Jack Pidler and his dog, Shot; Walter Turner (Auxiliary Postman); Mrs. Kelly; George Kelly; Dickie Johns; Bobby Smallridge (ferried mail to Appledore); Dickie Braund (Water Bailiff; one of the Bucks Mills family but he lived at Lane End); Fred Johns (14 yrs old); Charlie Fishley. The right-hand pair are from Appledore -Jack Bailey (brother of Bill) and Tommy Fishwick (14 yrs old approx.). Reproduced by permission of Knights Photographers). In those days members never thought of doing anything for themselves. All the boat work was put out to professionals and the wooden One-designs needed constant repainting, keel refits and sail repairs. The sails were sent to the laundry with instructions to "wash in best quality soap, rinse in fresh water and hang in fresh air to dry". Captain Dark's contract was extended so that he took charge of the boats, their fitting out, housing at the end of the season, mid-season repairs and care on the water. He also started the races and fired the cannon for the Officer of the Day. The upkeep of the Round House was also expensive; wages of the full-time Stewardess, laundry bills, coal, oil for the lamps, a huge number of newspapers and periodicals for the Reading Room, considerable repairs, installation of town water, smoke-testing smelly drains, increasing the height of the chimneys by three feet; all had to be paid for either direct or by payment of interest to the Tapeley Estate. Income from the Bar and Card Room helped but the annual accounts show a close run situation. This first Committee had its work cut out to keep the Club going. The One-Designs During these first years the capabilities of the Onedesigns were well tested and they proved to be truly sturdy and able to set forth, well reefed, in near gale force winds. The emphasis with the One-designs was to test the skill of the helmsmen and crew; depending on 16 the strength of the wind the Officer of the Day would order the number of reefs to be taken in the mainsail, more could be taken but never less than the number ordered. It is true that there are often reports in the sailing logs of masts, bobstays and bowsprits being carried away but the One-designs rarely foundered. Mind you, the bailer was an extremely important piece of equipment and on a 'windy day the crew can never have had a moment to spare. Because the boats had heavy iron centreboards of about three-quarters of an inch thickness there was no fear of breaking anything if they touched bottom, even if it was rock: as a consequence and to gain maximum advantage by keeping out of the tide, it became the practice to sail into the shore until the keel hit bottom when the crew had to do some fast and heavy work on the centreboard winch while the skipper tacked the boat. Many of the older members carried scars through life from 'wounds inflicted by this potentially lethal bit of equipment! The One-designs carried a lot of weather helm and their long booms easily dipped into the water: they needed skilful handling. They were also extremely heavy and drew about 18" with the keel raised. When they went aground they did so with a vengeance and it was a case of getting out and pushing! Amongst the men the most successful sailors were Frederick Mulock, John Marriott and Rev. WhiteAtkins. However, the men were not alone in becoming expert; Miss Joany Preston-Whyte, Miss Dering, Miss Harding, Miss White-Atkins, Mrs. Sneider and Miss O'Brien were all sailors to be reckoned with. These enthusiastic young ladies were not deterred by their long skirts and they were frequent winners. Some races were single-handed, Miss Preston-Whyte managed these as well. The boats were very much slower than today's racing dinghies so that it was essential to take advantage of every feature of the river. These early members quickly learnt from the professional Boatmen all the tricks which are still used today. The sailing logs report many and fierce short-tacking battles to get round Appledore Point and on past the Lifeboat slip into the slack water of the Skern, and the braving of breakers along the (Greysands shore to get sufficiently up-tide to be able to shoot off into the full strength of the flood to round Inner or Outer Pulley. They also learned, when the wind was light and the tide on the ebb to creep back along the lighthouse shore keeping as close to the beach as they dared. Other causes of trouble were the trots of salmon boats whose thole pins were wont to catch the mainsheets of the One-designs' long protruding booms bringing the boat to an ignominious halt under the eyes of the experts on the shore. From the beginning most of the good stories arc associated with the Barnstaple race. The need to run it during strong spring tides means that inevitably it is an evening race and fraught with difficulties, the wind having a nasty habit of disappearing as the sun sets. In 1912 the race ended with all the boats aground anchored on the mud in the Taw, the crews having to struggle home on foot, not arriving at the Round House until near midnight. At the end of another Barnstaple race they ended up rowing all the way back up the Torridge in the dark against the ebb. No wonder the tradition of taking beer and sandwiches and flash-light on this race became established! Regattas The Club held a one-day Regatta each year and managed to fit four races, one after the other, into one tide. The races included one for 'Gig and Punt'. The boatmen, single-handed set off in dinghies (the punts) with a shovel for propulsion while a team manning the gig (a large, four oared rowing boat) did their best to capsize them. The course was in and out between the moored boats giving the advantage to the more manoeuvrable punts. The day was rounded off with a Regatta tea and prizegiving, complete with band, on the Clubhouse terrace. Needless to say it was organised by 'the ladies'! The Appledore Regatta was an annual event which was a gala day for the town. Crowds four deep lined the Quay to watch the races which, from 1906 included one for the Taw and Torridge One-designs. Rigid rules had been introduced for the One-designs concerning ballast. Of the obligatory 5 1 / 2 cwt., 1 cwt. was free to be shifted fore or aft but not to windward. The Reverend Trevaldwyn was unwise enough to remove some ballast when he raced a Club boat in the Appledore Regatta (assuming that Club rules would not apply away from home). He won the race but the second home protested and, after an enormous and acrimonious correspondence with the Committee in which he was supported by Frederick Mulock, he lost his case. Rules for Club-owned boats were deemed to apply at all times. The second home won the race even though he had hit a buoy (no-one protested because noone though he had won). The Reverend Trevaldwyn resigned in disgust. The boatmen had no such nonsense. In their races in the luggers trimming the ballast was all part of the skill and excess sand was secretly jettisoned on the run home. Sometimes crews were also jettisoned and were left to swim ashore and walk home! The Committee While the sailors were becoming expert on the water the Committee were also active. Beyond repairing and altering the Round House, buying furniture and making more room for the Bridge players they were also very busy sorting out the rules. Apart from rewriting these at the time the Round House was opened they passed at least twenty-five amendments and eleven bye-laws and introduced ten new rules between 1906 and 1914. They also introduced the postal vote and an extra August A.G.M. as so many members only visited Instow for the holiday season. Use of the Club boats was a vexed question: at least six amendments were made to this rule. An early one reads . . . "Club boats are not intended for and shall not be used for pleasure parties". (Presumably this meant picnic parties because cruising was allowed.) However, this amendment must have left some loop-hole, for a later one reads . . . "The Club boats shall be used for racing and cruising but absolutely nothing else". The Committee also found the three Original Life Members extremely trying. In the case of Mr. Boord they went to the lengths of taking Counsel's opinion over the matter of the £1.1.0 p. a. which they considered he should pay to become a Full Member, his £10.0.0 life subscription being deemed to cover sailing only. It took up a large part of Committee time for nearly a year and Mr. Boord lost. Of the three, only Mr. Marriott became a full Life Member without extra payment. They could hardly refuse since he had financed the purchase of the third Club boat and guaranteed the lease. The Black Ball To begin with membership had been by invitation but in 1909 the black-ball system of election was introduced, one black ball in three being sufficient to reject a candidate. This ensured that the membership, both full and sailing, remained entirely constituted of officers of H.M. forces, members of the professions and landed gentry. The Club was thick with Colonels and Naval Captains and other officers and there was a good sprinkling of members of the Church. Rev. Dene, vicar of Horwood, seemed to have time to ride down to the Club on his horse each day to play Bridge with A.L. Christie, Col. Harding and others. Many of these gentlemen had joined the Club principally to play Bridge and perhaps as a refuge from their ladies. They had no interest in sailing and gradually, as the membership grew, the sailors became the minority group. The 1906 rules had ordained that only Full Members could stand for the Committee and, although a few Full Members sailed the older retired officers and professional men became the majority on the Committee. Even the Sailing Sub-Committee, elected to look after races, Regattas and Club boats, was not wholly composed of sailors. These gentlemen had plenty of time to dot the i's and cross the t's of the Rules hook but they were out of sympathy with the younger sailing men, disapproved of the ladies and seemed determined to keep them all in their place. Colonel Stafford Harding M.B.E., J.P. of the Devonshire Regiment. Standing 6' 3" he was an imposing figure. A keen sportsman and yachtsman, excellent golfer and first class shot. A bon viveur and keen bridge player. Bouts of gout put a tetchiness to his temper. Trouble As a result the next few years were to see an extraordinary battle develop between the sailors and the Committee of this little Club with only eighty members. The lack of understanding first came to a head when, in 1910, there was a deficit in the accounts caused by bad management by the House Committee. It was unfortunate, to say the least that the Committee's suggested solution was either to sell one of the Club boats or charge for their use. Immediately the original sailing members were up in arms; after all, they had paid for the boats in the first year before the Clubhouse was opened! Relations were not improved when, at the Special General Meeting in the Rifle Hall (now the Parish Hall) called to vote on these proposals, a Captain Campbell decided to reduce the opposition by moving that the presence of the ladies was out of order. After withdrawing to consider the matter the Committee agreed and the ladies were forced to leave the meeting. Even without them the Committee's proposals were defeated but the affair was not over. The ladies and the redoubtable mother of one of them wrote letters to the Committee which deserve to be reproduced:Gentlemen, 23rd May, 1911 We arc advised that your decision debarring us from being present and voting at the Annual General Meeting held on 29th ult. is illegal and that the proceedings at the subsequent meeting are nul and void. We feel bound to ask that the erroneous decision shall be rectified and that a reply may be addressed to Miss J.F. Preston-Whyte, The Bungalow, Instow. Yours faithfully, Beatrice White Atkins, A.E. Schweider, Joanna F. Preston-Whyte This letter resulted in a slightly grudging letter of apology from the Committee and a bye-law was introduced spelling out the somewhat limited voting rights of the ladies. However the wound was not really healed as the following letter from Mrs. PrestonWhyte, written two months later, shows:19 Dear Colonel Harding, 3rd August, 1911 I am sorry that I do not now feel inclined to undertake the Tea for the Regatta this year. I have taken an interest in the Sailing Club because my daughter has belonged to it since its commencement and has always been keenly interested in the sailing, and it was because of this keen interest that I have wished to help. This year I have felt very much the unwarrantable and mystifiable manner in which the lady sailing members have been treated. Before allowing my daughter to attend the General Meeting, I made sure that she, as a Sailing Member, had every right to do so under the rules of the Club itself, the Taw and Torridge Sailing Club. I had asked advice and since the Meeting I have asked many lawyers and barristers their opinion and they have all agreed that Sailing Members had every right to attend and to vote. My daughter attended and persuaded Mrs. Schneider and others to attend with her, as Sailing Members, and you know how they were treated, in a most unprecedented manner considering they had every right to be there. I am extremely glad that in future this right is recognised and the ladies will run no risk of being turned out. Will you kindly let your Committee know why I do not care to undertake the Tea this year. Yours truly, C.E. Preston-Whyte The handwriting of both letters is that of Mrs. Preston-Whyte. At this time Miss Joany PrestonWhyte must have been at least 25 but she was obviously still very much under mother's thumb. It was shortly after this letter had been received that the Committee altered the bye-law they had just passed and restricted the ladies' rights still further. They also altered the first rule of the Club to include use of the Clubhouse, its new version being:". . . to provide a Clubhouse for social intercourse and to promote amateur sailing in safe boats of One-design." For a sailing club the order seems odd and the truth was that in the eyes of the Committee the sailing had become a second priority. They considered the sailors an expensive nuisance and rather than opening up more of the Clubhouse for their use the Committee increased the area set aside for the Bridge players. The charges levied per player and their weekly accounts at the Bar seemed to be of more value to the Club. 20 From this time a ding-dong battled started with the sailors steadily losing ground. Those sailors who owned their own boats attempted to get the rules changed so that they could have sole control over all sailing matters, the Sailing Committee having failed in their duty to organise sailing events. After a struggle they did have some success, the Committee agreeing to a bye-law authorising a Racing Committee of boat owners to run all races and Regattas but almost immediately the Committee passed another bye-law prohibiting members from giving orders to the Club Boatman except through a member of the main Committee - an impossible position for the Officer of the Day as the Boatman fired the guns! They then contravened their own bye-law by organising the Regatta without reference to the Racing Committee and they passed yet another bye-law limiting the use of Club boats so that only Full Members could take their families out in them. Once more, in 1913, after some more squabbles the Committee proposed to prop up Club finances by either selling two Club boats or charging for their use. This time the charges were approved: the sailors, now in a minority position with the large postal vote supporting the Committee, could not win. They refused to pay the charges and the Club boats were disqualified from all races. To show their disgust the sailors boycotted the Regatta. John Marriott, the Life Member who had done so much to help found the Club, was one of the most incensed at the Committee's behaviour and he wrote an angry and bitter letter to the Honorary Secretary who pompously returned it without acknowledgement, an action later condoned by the Committee. It was this letter which finally determined the Committee to institute a policy aimed at getting rid of these troublesome sailors for good. They therefore called a Special General Meeting to :1. Rescind the bye-law allowing a Racing Committee. 2. Introduce a rule taking away all the remaining rights of the lady members. 3. Introduce a rule giving the Committee extraordinary powers to expel members who contravened the rules or bye-laws (i.e. were not sufficiently deferential to the Committee). The sailors were outraged at these proposals, as they were meant to be. John Marriott and Edward Beckwith wrote a letter "to all members who support the sailing activities of the Club" pointing out the significance of The Committee's proposals which if properly applied, they said, would mean that the Committee themselves would be expelled for contravening their own byelaws. They express astonishment that a Committee in which only two out of twelve of its members take an active part in sailing should cling so tenaciously to the control of the sport. Finally, they express the view that as the sailing men would be quite able to provide for their own requirements it would be far better if the Committee, instead of whittling away the rights of the sailing members would haul down the flag of the T. and T.S.C. and carry on the Club solely for their own purposes. Shortly alter this the Rev. White Atkins circulated a letter to all members written on behalf of the sailors who had formed themselves into a group called the Instow Sailing Association, setting out the history of the events leading to the present situation and expressing the same views as Mr. Marriott. The final paragraph reads:"The reasonable requests of sailing men having been curtly refused they will not be renewed, and other steps will be taken for the carrying on of the sport. But it rests with you (the Members) to decide for yourselves whether the T. and T. S. C. shall continue to describe itself as a Sailing club when it has practically no sailing members or shall retain the boats to the purchase of which they did not contribute." Within twenty-four hours the Committee had circulated a complete refutation of all the accusations. Their letter starts:"As much as the Committee dislike having to notice a circular signed by the Rev. White Atkins they feel it their duty to do so" and ends two pages later "The object of the Committee in bringing forward the proposed resolutions is to secure the harmony and welfare of the Club thereby they hope to encourage the sailing more generally among the members some of whom would gladly join in the sport but have been deterred by a small clique of experienced sailors w h o loudly shout that they are the sailing members and appear to claim that the Club exists for them alone." Whatever the truth may have been the Committee's pompous letter did the trick. They went to the special General Meeting with 41 proxies in their favour, sufficient to pass their resolutions. Their hopes were fulfilled; all the ladies and most of the gentlemen sailors resigned. During this period the Honorary Secretary was Col. Stafford Harding, described as being of "impatient temperament"; he must have had a hard time of it bombarded by scores of angry letters from both sides. The whole district was caught up in the issue, families were split and members of the church were on each side. Dr. Valentine, a member of the Committee, was in the embarrassing position of having patients in both camps! After the Meeting the Colonel received letters congratulating him on getting rid of all the troublemakers, others from summer holidaymakers expressing relief that the sailing would not be ruined by petty squabbles and one particularly telling one from the Rev. Bowlby congratulating him on "the success of the 'eliminating policy' which will appease Christie and restore the social welfare of the Club." The Colonel himself wrote "with very great pleasure" accepting the resignation of the Rev. White Atkins. 21 The North Devon Sailing Club Immediately following these events the ladies and the gentlemen who had resigned joined together, as they had threatened to do, to found a rival establishment, the North Devon Sailing Club. The purpose of this Club was described thus:"to encourage boat sailing, ladies being admitted on the same terms and with the same privileges as the gentlemen. " They set up their headquarters on a barge anchored in the river and called it "the Cormorant' and, to avoid confusion, painted all their boats yellow thus earning the name "Yellowbellies" from their rivals. They took a Cormorant as the motif on their burgee and erected their flagstaff at the end of the jetty, in full view of the Round House, with this burgee at its peak. Burgee - Cormorant on White Ground. The two Clubs immediately organised two completely separate series of races, the turnouts for the Taw and Torridge Sailing Club being pathetically small. The offer of a cup to be raced for jointly by the two Clubs was smartly turned down by the Rev. White Atkins, just as he turned down the invitation to the Regatta Tea which the old Committee had extended to the Officers of the N.D.S.C. The Taw and Torridge Sailing Club held onto the drawings and specifications of the One-designs refusing to allow members of the new Club to use them, even for a fee. The split seemed irrevocable. Instow Jetty in the Twenties. The North Devon Sailing Club flagstaff stands at the end of the jetty in full view of the rival Club. An original One-design is sailing on the river. Chanter's tower in the back-ground. Boatmen's 18 footers in the foreground. The First World War Perhaps it was a good thing that shortly after these local battles the real war intervened and all sailing came to a halt. All the One-designs were laid up and the Round House became a social club for the benefit of the bridge players. Throughout this period a valiant pair of ladies acted as joint Stewardesses for a barely living wage. The young men joined up; most of the boatmen joined the Navy or Merchant Navy and many of the ladies joined the local branch of the Red Cross as V.A.D.s to help care for the wounded at the convalescent home in Bath Terrace. One of these, Miss Violet Harding, Col. Harding's daughter was married to Commander CO Johnson in 1915 providing a bright moment in an otherwise grim four years. Their guard of honour consisted of her fellow V.A.D.s assisted by some of the invalid soldiers, their walking slicks at the slope. Although Instow and Appledore had been far from the sounds of war they, like all other villages, paid a heavy price as their war memorials record. The four years left their mark on most families. Wedding of Commander C.C.Johnson R.N. to Miss Violet Harding. The Twenties 1919 "Tug Falcon hired from Cardiff to tow One-designs to and from Ilfracombe Regatta." 1925 "During recent gales fifty ships put in to Lundy." 1928 Team race "The Blue team (losers) stood the Red team dinner at the Marine Hotel." 1928 Magnum Race. "Major Barry's crew nipped the Champagne bottle off the mark and got the gun on popping the cork." 1928 Lady Charles Kennedy Prize. "Winds freshened considerably after start. Nos. 3 and 1 went ashore on Braunton sands and No. 5 capsized and sank rounding Club. Crew were rescued by Lord Charles Kennedy in N o . 1, the new Club boat." (He also won the race as no other boat finished!) 1929 "A starting gun jumped the wall without harming anyone, however." Dr. A.W. Valentine used to make a practice of taking out a plumber who lived near the doctor's house on Appledore Quay. Old Mrs. de Crespygny, a lady with strict views on class, berated him and asked him why he did it. The reply was - "He's got lead poisoning, he makes good ballast!" Puffinage Lundy the 'Kingdom of Heaven' was owned by the Heaven family for over 100 years. In 1925 Mr. Martin Coles Harman bought it and issued Lundy coins and stamps (puffinage). All letters had to be stamped twice, once officially and once with a puffin. The Great Storm of 1923 "During the evening of 29th August, a very violent gale got up from the N . W . coinciding with a very high spring tide. Most boats sank at their moorings and escaped serious damage but 8, 9 and 11 from the N . D . S . C . and 3 and 4 from the T. and T.S.C. parted their moorings and were driven ashore, 8 and 3 being smashed to pieces and 9 very seriously damaged. The sea was so high that although two boats put out, rescue was impossible." 1922 - Withers Prize for a race between the t w o Clubs (from the log) Wind very strong and squally. All 14 boats took part. " . . . soon after rounding Spratt N o . 9 (Y) ran into N o . 1 (Y), did some damage and knocked one crew overboard: he was soon hauled in again. N o . 9 (W) shipped a lot of water, lost her bailer and retired. N o . O's jib carried away, Nos. 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10 were all disqualified following protests. Out of 14 boats only 4 completed the course without contretemps!" 1918-1926 Reconciliation With the end of the war both clubs resumed their separate sailing activities, the N.D.S.C. under a different burgee, which now showed the Rose of Torridge on a white ground. Because there were only fourteen boats altogether, neither Club on its own could field a good racing fleet, but the four year's respite had allowed tempers to cool and memories to fade so that when, in 1921, a joint race was suggested by Rev. Pennyman there was mutual agreement that his offer for a cup be accepted. From this time joint races became more frequent, the N . D . S . C . winning most of the prizes, which is not surprising considering that their helms included all the original sailing members. Letters in the Taw and Torridge Sailing Club file show that by 1924 the Committee was beginning to be hopeful of a reconciliation but that they were too proud to take the first step. The truth was that the sailing side of the Club had not recovered as the Committee of 1914 had hoped; even the House membership was falling and once again they were finding it hard to make ends meet. The members of the N.D.S.C. were also worried. Their older members had given up sailing and the lack of a shore base was proving a great disadvantage when it came to attracting new members. T h e Light-house. One-design 'takes' the lighthouse-shore. The light-house was pulled down in the fifties. 24 The T a w and Torridge and North D e v o n Sailing Club Finally, in 1926, twelve years after the parting of the Ways, a joint meeting was arranged as a result of which a letter was circulated to all members of both Clubs:"Guided by the universally expressed wish of residents and visitors we give as our opinion that an amalgamation of the two Clubs would be generally popular to many who although not actually participants in the sport of sailing, are prepared to give their support to the furtherance of a holiday pastime for which Instow is so eminently suited." This rather patronising paragraph apparently did the trick and the two Clubs were re-united under the name of the "Taw and Torridge and North Devon Sailing (Hub". They took the combined designs of their two burgees to form the Rose of Torridge on the blue Y of the two rivers - the design which is still in use today. All the gentlemen of the N.D.S.C. were offered full membership of the new club but the ladies had to be satisfied with sailing membership only and had no right of entry to the Club House other than the Sailing Room. Racing continued with renewed enthusiasm, the combined fleets providing much more exciting competition, and the organisation of all matters relating to sailing was wisely placed in the hands of a Committee of sailors, a sum being voted to them annually for the upkeep of the Club boats and employment of boatmen. The first three new Club boats were financed by a syndicate of three members who were paid back over the next few years. All together, over a period of years, eighteen boats were built either by Messrs. Waters or Messrs. Hinks, eight for the Club, the others for individual members. Although specifications of dimensions, ballast, rigging and sails were precise (all sails had to be purchased from Messrs. Cranfield and Carter) no rules existed concerning the timber to be used which meant that the cheaper boats made of lighter timber performed better in light winds. No. 1, owned in the first place by Col. Didham was one of these and the records confirm that he won when the winds were light. The sails were still made of Egyptian Cotton, of course, and were difficult to cope with in wet weather. They also presented the Club Boatman with a considerable problem as they had to be dried out alter racing. Miss Joany Preston-Whyte, Officer of the Day stands with stop-watch in hand while Sam Pidler waits to fire the gun. The N e w O n e - D e s i g n It was at the time of the reconciliation that the decision was taken to replace the original One-designs. Many of them were twenty years old, rather long in the tooth and out of date. Mr. Norman Dallimore, an East Coast designer, was therefore commissioned to design the replacement boat. The new Taw and Torridge One-design, to be known as the T.T.O.D., was slightly larger than its predecessor, 17ft. overall, with shorter bowsprit but still clinker built and setting 157 sq. ft. of sail on what was at that time the ultra-new Bermudan rig. 25 The first of these new boats were on the water by August 1928 racing against the original One-designs. The old boats were given a time allowance but even so rarely won and by 1930 they had nearly all disappeared from the racing scene, although many remained on the estuary as cruisers. The Dallimore One-Designs. The T. T.O.D. 's sail past the Club House in a lively breeze just after the start of a race. One of the many Herons which fish in the rivers, apparently unaware of the changes brought by man. Sailing at Appledore Perhaps encouraged by this activity at Instow, the professional fishermen formed Appledore Sailing Club on the other side of the river and in its heyday as many as eighteen boats would come to the line for an evening race. These boats were a restricted class, eighteen feet overall, they had clinker hulls and most were built as working boats. The sail area was limited to 22 sq. yds. (198 sq. ft.) which was considerably larger than the sail area of the One-designs. The sail was set on a single loose-footed standing lug and a smaller sail of only 180 sq. yds. was used for fresh winds. A much smaller one was used for taking picnic parties to the Burrows and for fishing. In fresh winds they were sailed by four men; the skipper who steered, a man on the mainsheet, which was belayed to a pin on each corner of the transom, a man to dip the gaff as the boat tacked and a man to shift the four half-hundredweight bags of sand ballast. Ted Lamey remembers from his school-days in the thirties:- "I sailed a one-lug fishing craft in the Appledore Club in the school holidays when rules were made to be broken by carrying sand ballast on a beat and quietly slitting the bags over the side on the run; when the Peakes used a grappling iron to board the Lamey's off Spratt Ridge; when Appledore Quay was strewn with sails after every race waiting for poor Joe Payne (Norman's father) to deal with the many protests by measurement. Those were the days! "We sailed occasionally against the Instow elite represented by Dr. Valentine, John Mulock and Colin Lowry who beat us easily in spite of our rule-twisting efforts." Appledore Sailing Club Race between the eighteen-foot lugsail on a Summer's evening. 27 The Slump While the sailing side of the Club was growing, revitalised by the new boats, things were not so happy at the Round House and the non-sailing membership was falling. In 1927 the Committee had reduced the subscriptions to try to encourage new members but the move failed to have any effect save to reduce revenue still further. Their difficulties were probably partly caused by the onset of the World Slump. By the end of the twenties the Treasurer's estimates for expenditure showed that the House accounts would be in serious deficit and funds required to undertake the repairs required by the lease would not be available. No offers of help were forthcoming from members and at one stage both Treasurer and Secretary threatened to resign. The Committee seemed to be unable to make any constructive decisions to improve matters and it was the Treasurer's view that the Club House should be closed at the earliest opportunity. No-one proposed to sell the boats. The ladies, under the leadership of Miss Peggy O'Brien, probably saved the day by organising a dance. They made a profit of £48, a huge sum in those days, Merchants Ships, of the Elder Dempster Line laid up in the Torridge for lack of work. and followed it up with a similar success in the following year. However, it was not until 1929 that the Committee finally recognised the ladies' efforts and decided that Lady Rosamund Christie be approached by Col. Didham (Vice-Commodore) "To ascertain Mr. Christie's view, as Commodore of the Club, as to whether he would have any objection to lady members using an upstairs room in the Club throughout the year and making use of the front entrances." As a result of Lady Rosamund's reply the Committee approved a proposal put forward by Mr. Miles and seconded by Lord Charles Kennedy that:- "The ladies have the use of the Sailing Room throughout the year for an increase in subscription of 10/6d and provided that ten new lady members be elected within the following five months." The Committee needed the money! During these years the appearance of the estuary was changed by the arrival of a large number of merchant ships owned by the Elder Dempster line which were laid up for lack of work on the Torridge between Instow and Bideford. At the height of the slump there were thirty-three ships and signs of this period are still visible in the form of the rows of posts which supported the duck-boarding leading to the ships. Happily by 1932 the worst of the slump was over and gradually during the next five years the ships were recommissioned, often under new ownership, and left the estuary. Ladies on the Committee Unfortunately the Minute books for the period 19321936 are missing but it is obvious that the fortunes of the Club started to improve. By 1936 the Club accounts show a credit balance at the Bank and what is more the ladies had finally arrived on the Committee, a maximum of three being allowed to serve. The first two were Miss Peggy O'Brien and Miss Joany PrestonWhyte, both to become Vice-Commodores in due course. 28 The Thirties The Taw and Torridge One-designs were probably at the height of their popularity at this time, the midsummer racing being well supported with members queuing to helm the Club boats and to act as crews. Capt. Jimmy Johnson's memories provide a good picture of the life at the Club during the ten years before World War II:normally stayed for many years, knew all the members, their quirks and favourite tipples. On entering the Club through the front door on the Quay there was, immediately on the left, the 'sailing' room. In this room lived everything to do with the nautical side of the Club, rules for the boats, the Trophy cabinet, racks for personal racing flags, notice boards for the boat draw, courses and so forth. Everyone taking part in a race had to fly a square flag at the top of the mast and each member who sailed chose their own design; perhaps an alphabetical flag like 'J' for Johnson or some more exotic or heraldic design depending on the owner's ability with a needle. In this room people were allowed to enter in sailing clothes and there were steps leading via a raised French window into the Club garden. Coconut matting covered the floor to absorb the sand and salt water. In the garden was a very small shed in which gentlemen could change. "Next on the left was the main Club room with leather arm chairs, a coal fire, tables for bridge and a bar The Clubhouse "Perhaps to understand the 'old' Club it is necessary to have a picture of it in one's mind. The Round House, It the back of Instow Quay differed in so many ways from the Club we have today. First and foremost it was a house and because it was a house it was possible to have a living-in steward who, with his wife, kept the Club House in pristine state, served behind the bar, provided afternoon teas and together with the Honorary Secretary, who had an office upstairs above the front door, ran the Club. Much depended on the selection of suitable couples. The Club Stewards Col. D i d h a m . A very active Vice-Commodore in the twenties and Commodore from 1931-35. He owned the One-design No. 1. The Didham Bowl was originally for an eight-mile race. Nowadays it is sailed for by the Mirrors. Before the days of the Annual Dinner Dance and Prize-giving, Cups and Trophies were always presented immediately after the event, the winner being expected to fill the cup with champagne and hand it round; some of those helmsmen who have carried away the bulk of a year's trophies must have found it an expensive business, especially if the Didham Bowl was amongst them. 29 in one corner. During the winter afternoons when bridge was being played it was very much men only. I can well remember Mr. Augustus Christie, who always wore a very high-crowned bowler hat, being driven in a large black limousine from Tapeley Park each day to play bridge with my grandfather, Colonel Stafford Harding, who by that time suffered from gout and arthritis and who was pushed to the Club with equal regularity in his bath chair by his man, Sam Pidler. On the right of the hall the door gave in to the Steward's quarters; strictly private. flags. The Officer of the Day (Race Officer) with telescope organised the racing and the Club Steward in blue serge suit and yachting cap (provided by the Club), presided over the guns. A ladder led from the Club down to the beach, where children could play and collect the spent cartridge cases. Children and dogs were not allowed in the garden which, with its protective wall on the north side and the Quay to the south, was a good and sheltered place from which to watch the sailing. Sailing "Compared with the hundreds of boats and yachts on moorings and in the dinghy park today, there were probably no more than 30 boats at the height of the summer moored off Instow and over half were the One-designs. "About one third of the One-design boats were actually owned by the Yacht Club and maintained by the Club boatman. Colourful Jack Pidler in black tarpaulin hat, followed by Griffiths from Appledore and then Freddy Johns were the three who held this office during the 30's. The members could hire a boat for the tide. Names were entered in a booking book and each week the Sailing Secretary would put the boat numbers of the boats available, plus the necessary blanks to make up the number of would-be sailors, into a bag and the boats would be drawn. Quite a lot of effort was put into trying to ensure that no one boat was better than another; masts and sails would be swopped around until all boats were capable of winning in the right hands; inevitably boats had their own characteristics and some were well known to be better in a blow while others were fair-weather boats. "The T T O D s were not fast in the modern sense and had to be sailed really well. Their performance was akin to a Portsmouth Yardstick of about 135 so races like the Bell Buoy and Barnstaple Race were real marathons, particularly the Barnstaple race. The boats were heavy, drew about 18 inches and when they went aground they did so with a vengeance and it was a case of getting out "Upstairs there were still two bedrooms overlooking the river, though later in the thirties one of these was turned into a ladies' room and for ladies bridge fours. There was also a bathroom and secretary's office. The bedrooms were a useful facility and could be rented by members who came down from London for the weekend or for longer periods. One regular roomer in the summer was Mr. Leigh Ibbs who was the manager for Dame Clara Butt. Mr. Ibbs was a plump, floridfaced man, not interested in sailing but a great supporter of the Cricket Club. He always wore a straw boater with Izingari ribbon, a blazer and white flannel trousers. The charge for a room was five shillings (25p) a night including a jolly good breakfast. The younger generation tended to prefer the rather more relaxed atmosphere of the Marine Hotel next door now replaced by the hideous block of flats called Marine Court. It was easy to go from the Club garden into the Marine Hotel garden and from there into the lounge bar where one could relax without being under the disapproving eye of one's elders. "The focus of sailing activity was the Club garden with its tall mast on which the courses were hoisted in 30 and pushing. Tomkins (E.E.) Mulock, brother of John Mulock, used to come to Instow especially for the Barnstaple Race and made a habit of winning it. His formula for success was to take two boys as crew, one to hop out and shove when he went aground and the other to work the jib and centreboard. John Russell and I crewed him over several years with success. Of course, the Barnstaple and Fremington races had to be sailed on spring tides, thus in the evening, and the sailors of the thirties faired no better than their predecessors, having to walk home when the wind died leaving boats abandoned on the shore. There was no rescue boat in those days. On one occasion in about 1932, when the mist had rolled in and the wind dropped, one boat crept up to the line unseen by the Officer of the Day. In the boat was Lord Charles Kennedy, who had one of the 1905 class of One-designs and who was usually last, but on this occasion his voice came out of the fog shouting "Why doesn't someone fire the bloody gun?" He was then spotted, all 6' 6" of him lying along the bowsprit of his boat and hanging on to Instow Quay by his finger nails with the toes of his size 12 boots (he always wore lace-up boots) hooked over the cockpit covering and the tip of his long grey beard in the water. The gun was fired and he won. It was a very popular win as he was a wonderfully kind man and seldom got in the first half of the fleet with his aged boat. Lord Charles Kennedy with Judy and Marmot Renshaw (Hall and Whitfield). Fashions of the Thirties. "Unlike present day dinghy sailing, you did not race small boats with the thought that you might end up swimming. The clothes worn afloat were an indication of this. In the early thirties gentlemen always wore a collar and tie, a trilby hat in light weather, and a tweed cap in a blow. Most ladies wore a good thick skirt, but a few of the more daring wore trousers. By the end of the thirties, bell-bottom trousers were in vogue for the ladies, Oxford Bags for the men and the younger set were dressed in the height of fashion. Some actually wore yachting caps, but in the case of men this was thought to be a bit of a pose. Colonel de Crespygny, Guinea's father was a very fine looking old gentleman with a handsome silvery moustache. He always appeared as if he was in the Squadron at Cowes, in yachting cap, stiff white collar, blazer and white flannel trousers, and when he went afloat in his motor boat 'Puffin', he was invariably accompanied by a bevy of beauties. "Don't get the idea that people didn't sail hard. They did. Very little quarter was asked, expected or given and woe betide anyone who got foul of either of those highly competitive sailing twins, Elsa Garvie and Billie Skipwith. "The members played hard as well as sailed hard and one of the highlights of the summer was the Yacht Club Dance. This took place in August and was held in the Rifle Hall, now Instow Parish Hall. A dance band was usually engaged from Exeter or Torquay and a cabaret was put on around midnight by some of the younger 31 T h e T w i n s Elsa Garvey and Billy Skipwith. John Mulock and his charming wife Win. Ivor Critchley and Judy Renshaw. Back row L to R: John Mulock; Mr Sweeting; Mr. Peters; Col. de Crespigny; Margot Renshaw; Phyllis Shaw; Guinea de Crespigny. Front row: Bill Valentine; Desmond Valentine; Witt Mulock; Judy Renshaw Dance at the Rifle Hall in 1937. Left hand gentleman with moustache is Dr. Pearson. He was designated an X-ray Martyr due to the injuries received to his left hand caused by exposure. Lady Renshaw is sitting below him, a daughter of Admiral Chichester. Chichester hides his face! The Cabaret. From left:- Rita Dawe, Margaret Tulloh, Judy Renshaw, Jean Pollock, Pam Miles. P.35 Strandfield (the Commodore Hotel) showing how well it was protected by trees. Bill Bailey — Appledore boatman with the contract with the Railway to ferry parcels across the river. P.34 1. Charlie Fishley. Instow boatmen. His forebears had been living in Lane End since the seventh century 2. T e d Raffle - as small as Charlie was large. His wife and daughter Phyllis kept rooms in Quay House. They lived in the old fisherman's cottage behind it. 3. Dickie Johns - grandfather of Norman and Derek was Club Boatman for some years in the thirties. 4. - Griffiths from Appledore - Club Boatman in the thirties. Note the old style telephone kiosk in the background. 5. Crew of the Lerina, the Lundy supply boat. Left Fred Dark the skipper; centre Dick Bray the engineer and right Jack Branch with two passengers. members who were both organisers and performers. While dancing and the buffet were in the hall, sitting out etc, took place in the gardens of Strandfield (now the Commodore Hotel), or if it rained the downstairs rooms of the house were thrown open. Though, in the dances that I attended, the weather seemed always perfect with high water about 1 o'clock in the morning and many went for a swim after the dance. What i n ? Well, its your guess! "Henry Williamson, author of Tarka the Otter, was frequently at the Club. His writings include a reference to hearing the Club guns away on Braunton Burrows. It is hard to equate the smart gentleman in white tie and tails at a Club Dance with the character in his autobiographical novel. "One of the principal differences between then and now was that all the boats were kept on moorings and the crews had to be ferried off in time to get the boats rigged and off the moorings before the 5 minute gun. This is why we have local habit, a half hour warning gun before the start of our races. It was fired in the vain hope of drawing people out of the Club and into the waiting boats. A lot of gamesmanship took place in this scramble. In the first place the Instow ferrymen, Ted Raffel, massive Charlie Fishley, Dickie Johns, Bobby Smallridge had to ward off the Appledore men such as Tommy Fishwick or Bill Bailey (with his broad brimmed scout hat and long hair reputedly to hide the fact that he had no ears). The Instow men reckoned that it was their perks to ferry the Club members off and at twopence a head and up to eight people to a boat, it was a good fare. The next problem was to make sure that you and your crew all got into the same boat and that you could get put on board first so as to have as much time as possible to get the boat ready. The ferryboats had to be rowed out to the boats and with eight passengers they were heavy and with little freeboard, consequently the practice was to row up against the tide keeping close inshore to escape the current and then across and downtide to each boat in turn. The ferrymen had it down to a fine art but there was always a mixture of excitement and relief when all the crews were on board the ferry boat. Then with strong hands spat on and oars grasped you were finally underway, free to admire the expertise with which tobacco juice was jetted over the side." What an idyllic life it sounds for the people with the money and what a hard one for the professional boatmen. Some Characters Judy Renshaw (now Mrs. Whitfield), one of the original Pelicans, who now lives in Zimbabwe remembers the thirties: - "What fun we had! The local residents thought the Club was a den of vice but of course it wasn't. We enjoyed our games and our gossip and drinks in the evening in a healthy atmosphere. Dances at the Rifle Hall on mid-summer nights were very popular events and romantic for walking out with our boyfriends. The boys always seemed to be chasing the girls who were in the minority in the sailing season." Judy was a keen sailor and good helm. She introduced Francis Chichester, her cousin, to sailing when he was staying with the family while he wrote "The lonely Sea and the Sky" after his near fatal air crash in Japan. "Francis was a vegetarian, shy, very short-sighted, with a strong very determined character", all of which Judy assures us made him very attractive to women. One day Lady Renshaw, who seems to have been proof against these attractions, had had enough of him and chased him out of the house with instructions to Judy and her sister Margot to teach him how to sail. To begin with Judy helmed but Francis quickly discovered that navigation on the water was similar to that for flying and from then on he took the tiller and that is how his sailing exploits all began. Picnic Party in the thirties. (Reproduced by permission of Knights Photographers). Judy also crewed for Lord Charles Kennedy. Apparently once aboard he always took off his boots and Judy couldn't take her eyes off his huge feet because his specially knitted socks had individual toes! In the thirties, John Mulock won many victories. Judy comments — "He took sailing very seriously: you wouldn't luff him for fun, or else!" Others report the same thing but say that he himself was up to every trick to gain advantage. For instance, everyone knew that he always rang Hartland to check the weather before the start of a race. On one occasion he used this as a bluff. Even though the wind was only force 3 he doublereefed. Everyone else followed suit, then, as the gun sounded out came his reefs and he was away before the rest had time to think. In the end the sailors got fed up with him and someone tied a bottomless bucket beneath his hull: he was not amused. Supper Party at Club. From left Joan Whipp (Mrs. McKie); Henry Williamson (author of Tarka the Otter') and Bay Wyndham . \ Instow at War It must seem astonishing to Members who were not born at that time that there is no mention in the Minutes of the impending calamity of World War II; no preparations, and racing as usual right through the summer of 1939. During August regular officers were recalled to their units. Ivor Critchley recalls how he had been crewing for Capt. C.C. Johnson and when he returned to the Club there was a telegram waiting "Return immediately." It was not however until the very last moment that most people realised that 'Peace in our time' was not to be. Then on September 3rd 1939 war was declared and once more sailing came to a halt. The young joined up, this time girls like Margaret Tulloh and Judy Renshaw mostly joining the Women's Forces. The shipyards quickly adapted to turn out MLs and lifeboats; the Lundy boat 'Lerina', equipped with two two-pounders, joined the Coastal Protection branch of the Royal Navy and later was one of a group of vessels used in laying a trial fuel pipe-line from Watermouth to South Wales. The experiment was a success and in due course led to the famous PLUTO line under the Channel; however, it had all been too much for the Lerina and she was put into retirement. Fred Johns who had been a member of her crew became skipper of the Belgium-built replacement and kept Lundy supplied throughout the war. Coastal Defences. Many and various defences appeared on White House beach. These were not for our own defence but for the express purpose of discovering how to destroy or cross similar devices on the Normandy beaches. "All pictures in this chapter are reproduced by permission of the Ministry of Defence." Richard Franklin, whose father was Rear-Admiral Franklin who later became Commodore of the Club, spent part of the war in the locality; he writes:"The war started quietly for Instow. It wasn't really until the threat of invasion became serious in 1940 that restrictions on boats in the estuary were imposed. Local fishing craft were requisitioned and the redoubtable 'THE' of Bideford became the chief examination vessel doing, with her consorts, many, many hours of duty at the Bar. "Admiral Sir Matthew Best arrived to take charge as Resident Naval Officer, Appledore, but after some months became ill. As was the way in those times, my father, Admiral Franklin, who was on leave locally from his work as Commodore of Convoys got to hear of this, rang the C-in-C at Plymouth and volunteered to fill the gap: he was to remain until the end of the war. "Naval activity gradually increased. Three Fairmile 'B' Motor Launches (MLs) arrived to patrol the coastal area, WRNS came to staff the little headquarters and Appledore men, over age for active service, joined the colours for local service in the estuary, patrolling the estuary in small craft; Mr. King, who then ran the Marine Hotel, was one of the first to find his motor boat pressed for this work. R.A.F. activity at Chivenor increased, flying patrols in Hampdens and Whitleys 37 over Western Approaches and later, in addition to continuous training task, coping with the first squadron of the new long-range Beaufort fighters (Beaufighters). Co-operation with the Appledore lifeboat and H.M. Coastguards, which continues to this day, was started to facilitate the rescue of ditched aircrew. The lifeboat performed many other services, including a gallant and dramatic rescue from a torpedoed ship on fire, when it was fired on by German aircraft. It was said that, in spite of all the young men being away - mostly at sea - the maroons were never fired without three full crews mustering. "Fishing continued in the Bay and in the estuary throughout the war. A ship was sunk out at sea with a cargo of spirits in barrels which was said to account for the elated condition in which some of the salmon net men returned to Appledore with their catches. Whether they really had buried some stranded casks in the sand dunes near the lighthouse no-one will tell. "As the war progressed it became obvious that counter-invasion and victory were dependent upon the development, inter alia, of amphibious power and it Water-proofed tank on a Tank Landing Craft. Club in the back-ground. was here that the Taw and Torridge estuary and the North Devon coast found their wartime role. Preparing for Victory "The coast in the area produced all the parameters of tide, wind, surf, gradients, cliffs, sand and rock, so that experiments with newly invented and designed equipment could be carried out in the conditions expected at the point of invasion — particularly as found in Northern France. A very curious collection of contraptions began to appear, the initial work concentrating on enabling vehicles to wade. DUKWs (there are still some at Instow 45 years on), PEEPs (amphibious JEEPs), tanks, lorries, bulldozers (then secret and new), models of all kinds came to Instow for trial and experiment. Distressed soldiers swimming ashore on a rising tide from drowned vehicles became commonplace and high comedy ensued when tanks became over-heated. Smoke generators, pipeline ends, devices to blow holes in defences, landing craft, obstacle clearance inventions, mine clearance devices - all crowded in. "John Mulock, by this time a Commander in the RNVR Special Branch was one of the innovators at the Combined Operations Experimental Establishment at Instow. The Mulock ramp for landing craft was adopted by both U.S. and Royal Navies and was invaluable for landing vehicles on the Normandy beaches. "Instow became the hub of these operations and room had to be found for all the people involved. Most of the houses on the front were requisitioned and the road closed to all except those with a pass. The area around the cricket ground became the working centre although the cricket pitch itself was never needed for anything other than its proper purpose. "Bowler-hatted boffins sometimes appeared. A group of them with accompanying top brass once were seen to take to their heels chased by their own "Catherine wheel" device called the "Panjandrum" propelled out of a landing craft by its own rockets. Only one side of the rockets had ignited! 38 "Casualties at Dieppe showed that a belt of armour was needed round personnel-carrying craft above the water line. The question was, would it then capsize? Solution, give it to Instow. Result, a Sub-Lieutenant RNVR (assistant bank manager) with twenty 'volunteer' soldiers, a local fisherman (to find the worst surf) and a naval constructor (seasick) bobbing about off the North Tail in a force 6 NW'ly, trying to capsize and luckily failing. "The U.S. General Mark Clark was amongst the many V.I.P.s to visit Instow to see the work and training which increasingly became a pre-invasion feature of the activity. He presented Admiral Franklin with a PEEP to save him time on his trips between Instow and Appledore. "So the busy scene buzzed. At the peak of the activity in the spring of 1944 over 4,000 uniformed personnel were stationed in and around Instow, many of them Americans. Thus Instow was very much at war and through it all the N . D . Y . C . in its commanding position on the Quay provided a splendid centre and grandstand. Anyone who thought he was anyone in Instow was there criticizing, suggesting, exchanging news; remarkably the beer never ran out." T h e Panjandrum - ready to scare the life out of the boffins. Water-proofed armoured vehicles being tested - brave men! Bombs on Instow Three bombs fell on Instow but these were jettisoned from a bomber running for home after a raid on Swansea. Luckily there was no loss of life but the house Evelyn Hinchcliff was renting from Phylis Shaw received a direct hit. It gave Mr. Molland enough of a fright to get his son Monty to empty their underground petrol store - Monty to empty their underground petrol store - Monty emptied it into the drain which spilled into the estuary, but he got his timing wrong and villagers in the cottages on the front experienced a surprising smell of petrol fumes in their privies! The tide had washed the petrol back up this very basic drainage system. What a good thing none of them smoked in the loo! Monty reports that no-one found him out and he finally persuaded the Health Inspector that it must have been those careless Americans. 39 The North Devon Yacht Club Compared to the sad case of the North Devon Tennis and Croquet Club, whose final Committee Minute records the decision that "the cattle and sheep should be allowed to graze the tennis courts for another year" the Sailing Club survived the war comparatively unscathed and leapt back to life with 240 members immediately the war was over. They did, however, decide to change their unwieldy title to the name by which they are known today The North Devon Yacht Club, and at long last the subscription went up from the £2.2.0 of l906 to £2.10.6 The only visible signs of the war were the pill-box on the end of the Jetty, the line of piles off the Quay and the presence of naval vessels and landing craft in the estuary The minutes record that it was impossible to print the rules because of a shortage of paper and that a total of only four meals could be served per day because of rationing. The notice which had been posted in the Club beseeching members to drink less because of shortage of supplies quickly disappeared and life went on as usual The One-designs seem to have survived being laid up for six years extremely well, especially considering that they had to be moved from the shelter of Molland's sheds to gardens and fields at short notice when the Americans commandeered the sheds. The membership was still strictly controlled by the black ball, but there were obviously plenty of "suitablecandidates, many of them still in the services, as the long list of new members proves. The Bridge players were still very much in evidencetheir card dues and their capacity for double brandies and gins played quite a part in keeping the Club afloat The difference from the early days was that many of this group were the sailors of former years and they combined their love of Bridge with an intense interest in racing. One-designs racing down the river in the fifties. An Agreement made between the North Devon Yacht Club, Instow, (hereinafter called the Club), and Messrs F. Johns & Sons, Instow, (hereinafter called the Boatmen), for a period of one year from the 16th. day of February 1959, whereby:(1). The Boatmen will maintain, and paint as required, the Club Boats to the satisfaction of the Club's Boatmaster(s). Maintenance being understood to include the drying of sails, the pumping out of boats, and the scrubbing of bottoms, while the boats are at the moorings. (2). The Boatmen will maintain the Club's moorings. (3). The Boatmen will commission the Club's boats at the beginning of the Sailing Season as required by the Club's representative and put them at their moorings. (4). The Boatmen will ensure the security of the Club's boats while at their moorings. (5). The Boatmen will bring in and lay up the Club's boats at the end of the Sailing Season as required. (6). Subject to the satisfactory performance of the above services the Club will pay the Boatmen, monthly in arrears, one twelfth of £25 (twenty five pounds) for each Club one design boat they are required to maintain, commission, and lay up. (As at date eight Club Boats). (7). Material will be provided by the Club, but if the Boatmen have to supply the materials the cost will be paid by the Club. (8). In addition to the monthly maintenance payment the Club will pay the Boatmen 16/- for transporting each boat from the Boat Store to the slipway and vice versa. In addition to the above the Boatmen agree to provide the following services to the Club and/or its Members for which payment will be made:(1). Ferrying Members and others to and from boats at their moorings as expeditiously as possible. (Individuals pay) (2). Maintenance and repairs to privately owned Members boats on request. (Owners pay) (3). Towing in boats at the request of the Officer of the Day as the Boatmen's other commitments permit. (Payment by the Club). (4). Fixing four marker buoys and supplying mark boats as required. (Payment by the Club). Members burgees, 1947. 'Freddie' Johns bails out a One-design. The new young sailors were lucky to have these ready made Officers of the Day, amongst them Miss Guinea de Crespygny Mr. Bourne and Mr. Sweeting, who willingly undertook this task and were enthusiastic followers of the racing, reporting it in every detail. In fact this practice of the older generation acting as O O D s Was continued by Peter Faunthorpe, Dr. Smalley, Arthur Boxall and others well into the sixties. It isn't Until 1964 that records are found in the Minutes of the need for the sailors themselves to volunteer for these duties. The Club still employed a full-time steward and his wife to serve drinks, do the cleaning, serve teas and generally look after the well-being of the members. There was still a bedroom for the use of visiting members. Fred Johns was employed as Club Boatman, the full contract reproduced here proving that members still expected everything to be done for them as late as 1959:- 41 Racing revived rapidly with mid-week racing whenever the tides permitted. Even in the first year forty-seven races were sailed. Twelve boats took part in the race for the O'Brien Salver which was won by the Commodore John Mulock and his wife in No. ' O ' appropriately called "Duck". The One-designs' specifications were still rigidly vetted and a great argument developed concerning the sail area of Dr. Nash's boat which, when sailed by his son Guy, a very good sailor, nearly always won. Predictably the others started to look for explanations other than good seamanship for the many wins he clocked up. They decided that his sails were too big even though they had been measured in Dr. Nash's presence. In the end after remeasurement they proved to be the right size but a lot of needless ill feeling resulted. The most successful sailors rarely seem to be popular! Matches against Dartmouth Naval College, R.M.C. Sandhurst and the School of Amphibious Warfare at Fremington became regular events, being added to the pre-war team races between Club members. In 1950 a team of the sailors took part in Porlock Weir Regatta. The report in the local newspaper makes good reading:"The sound beating received at the hands of Instow Club, sailing strange boats in strange waters has certainly served to eliminate any feeling of complacency which may have developed as a result of a long series of individual wins at tipchannel Regattas by Porlock Weir helmsmen. For very many years Appledore and Instow were regarded as the nursery of the sons of England's finest seamen, and Porlock Weir's defeat at the hands of these grandchildren served as a sharp lesson and reminder of the past." G u y Nash sailing No. 16 in a good breeze. Unfortunately the Club was not always so successful; the Cadets of the Royal Naval College had a nasty way of beating our most experienced helms on their own waters and in their own boats. Christopher Rittson-Thomas was a young member in the late forties; he remembers "Mrs. Skipwith and her daughter Wendy were great helpers on the water to inexperienced members. Richard Franklin and Peter Symonds, in the Navy, were good young helmsmen and the three Yates brothers, Harry Pat and Barry were 42 great fun, on and off the water. We used to race five days a week sometimes and usually went onto a party each night - 'Knap' and various other night club places - you took a bottle of spirits, I seem to remember. We were a group of 16-20 and parties often finished up dancing to records in someone's house. There were no drink and drive problems, there was hardly a car on the road, due to petrol rationing. It was all marvellous fun. "The steward, Hughes, (ex Welsh Guards) was a very live spark at the Club. Always ready to help in the cause of having a good time — quite an influence!" On the Social side, the ladies were still organising parties - chiefly cocktail parties. 1950 saw the first postwar Summer Dance in the Rifle Hall, the gardens of Strandfield still being used for sitting out and refreshments. It was organised by Miss de Crespygny and raised £150. This sum was sufficient to purchase the One design No. 14 from Mr. Smalley, who then bought a 12' dinghy, a Mayfly, and won the Dayrell handicap, a race introduced to cater for the growing number of members who owned different types of sailing dinghies. These competed under handicap against the One-designs and some close racing resulted. The exit of the One-designs was nearly achieved in September 1950 when there was a fall in pressure of over one inch of mercury in a few hours. The resulting storm caused four boats to drag their moorings and three sank two after collision with a tank landing craft (L.C.T.) being badly damaged. An S.O.S. produced a rescue team of 20 sailors who with the help of Fred and Norman Johns and the indefatigable Miss de Crespygny waded out on the mud and pulled the boats clear and rescued the gear. It was left to Fred and Norman to return at midnight to pull them onto the beach. All was well, the boats were repaired and in the following year racing was 'as usual'. 1955 was the year of the Club's Silver Jubilee which was celebrated with a Jubilee Ball in the Rifle Hall and a cocktail party and a barbecue at the Club. A Jubilee Regatta was organised and Edward Beckwith, son of the Original Member who had come first in the very first race in 1905, presented a flask to be raced for annually. Suitably it was won by a three generation crew of Johnson's: Jimmy, his father, Charles aged 76 and his son Michael aged 10. This was a fitting climax to the long span of One-design racing for which the Club had originally been founded but change was in the air and Peter Brannam and Philip Waters, first of the new sailors who were to change the whole style of the Club, sailed in this Regatta. Freddy Johns in the Ferry. He was Club Boatman in the fifties and then founded the Chandlery business. Phyllis Shaw presents the Shaw Lantern to Mrs. Skipwith. Admiral Franklin Commodore 1951 to 1956. Comments from the Sailing Logs Written by Miss Guinea Champion de Crespygny 1950 D i d h a m B o w l - strong to gale force winds - ". . . No. 10 by means of tidal wave or witchcraft passed No. 3 and won the race. Meanwhile three others took the beach and regaled members with a good selection of nautical and military language . . . " 1950 Club R a c e - " . . . After rounding Pool the latter retired for urgent unspecified reasons . . ." 1950 - "No racing, Wendy's Wedding" Wendy remembers:"My happiest memory is of my wedding on 15th August, 1955. I remember Guinea de Crespygney buying us a whole range of saucepans and then dancing down the High Street at Bideford with one on her head and clashing two lids together! On the day she just put "Wendy's wedding" across the page so that no-one could put their names down for a race. Admiral Franklin, the Commodore, was our chauffeur in his smart black car bedecked with white ribbons. We said "no morning suits" but he insisted on wearing one! He arrived at our house, rushed up the steps and called "Five minutes gun". My father who had been quite calm, was quite unnerved by this. Gordon then insisted that he couldn't have a bridesmaid in the front seat, because that was reserved for his top hat and he had to wear his yachting cap in his role as chauffeur. The wedding was at Instow Church and was full of Sailing Club members happy days!" 1953 Bell B u o y Race — ". . . This was the final day of the Test Match and two portable radios were seen being taken aboard." 1953 - Then we all jumped into cars and dashed round to Fremington to watch the fun." (Nowadays by the time Fremington is reached the fleet is spread out). 1955 "Terrific Storm. Mr. Smalleys boat No. 13 struck by lightening on sand. Mast split and 2 holes in starboard side." 1951 The Instow Oaks (or Mrs. Beale's spoon for Ladies) Force 5 - "The Fillies:- Mrs. Skipwith (grey), Miss Skipwith (bay), Miss Miller (chestnut), Miss Peters (light chestnut), Miss Franklin (dun), Mrs. F. Day (the old brown mare)." 1951 Saunders Consolation Cup - Force 5 - " . . . we did notice some boats trying to imitate flying saucers after rounding Pool. . ." (This must surely have been a gibe mark.) 1946 - Fremington Cup ". . . It was a gibe round the mark in fresh wind. N o . 0 (John Mulock) was round first and immediately close-hauled causing the rest of the fleet to give way. The boats mostly ran aground or collided." Miss de Crespigny A tough, golden-haired, hard drinking lady, great fun and extremely quarrelsome! She had been a good sailor in her youth and the Club was her life. She served on the Committee for years, and her father before her. She was secretary and sailing secretary and a regular O . O . D . In her old age she introduced canasta to the Club and became known amongst her friends as the 'Canasta Queen'. She described the racing tactics in great detail but believed in a bit of local colour as well. Miss Betty B e c k w i t h , grand-daughter of the first Commodore, Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Chichester, presenting Jimmy Johnson with the Beckwith Flask at the Silver Jubilee prize-giving. A Period of C h a n g e 1955-62 The period between 1955 and 1962 was an extremely busy one for the members of the Committee. They were faced with the beginnings of a prolonged struggle with the Tapeley Estate over the lease of the Round House and at the same time demands from the younger sailing members to replace the T T O D s . experiences, how he and Danny used to take their dog along too. On a fresh day so much spray came over the gunnel that he would float around the bottom of the boat in his basket! It was obviously time for a change. The first real attempt to make a change was in 1955 when a Sub-Committee was appointed to consider the relative merits of five other classes:- the Dolphin, the 18' Jollyboat, the 18' National, the Albacore and the Aldeburgh One-design. The outcome of the investigations was that a majority of the Committee decided that "the need was still for a general purpose racing and cruising boat and not for a racing machine". The decision was therefore made to continue with the T T O D s for as long as they could be properly maintained. Three members of the Committee had voted for the Dolphin but the other boats were considered to be either too expensive or insufficiently stable for general-purpose sailing. This didn't stop several members buying dinghies of a variety of different designs but except for introducing a few handicap events so that these boats could be raced against the T T O D s , the Committee's view of the matter was that if a group wished to start a new class it was up to them to organise their own racing — a reaction not unlike that of a much more recent Committee to the first sailboard members. Exit the T a w and Torridge One-Designs The late fifties and early sixties witnessed a worldwide explosion in boating popularity and North Devon was no exception. Suddenly boating was for the masses, not just a rich man's sport. The Club found itself stuck with one design of boat at a time when new designs were pouring forth from the drawing boards. The two versions of the One-designs may have given hundreds of members exciting sailing over fifty years, but they were slow and heavy to handle compared to the modern dinghies. Even the Dallimore design was nearly thirty years old and it was becoming extremely expensive to maintain. The young helms of the fifties remember clearly some of the disadvantages of the T T O D s . When Tim Gale was taken out as a very young cadet in the early fifties and was told to 'sit out' all of his 5 stone he found the inch of raised beading around the inside of the deck extremely painful. Wendy Skipwith (Mrs. Crane) and Roger Chope both remember the heavy weather helm of the T T O D s . To hold the old boats on a windward course it was the practice either to sit in the bottom of the boat on the lee side with the tiller across one's shoulders and feet pressed against the opposite gunnel or to put one's feet on the tiller and push hard. In either case the stout wooden tiller bowed under the stress as the boat plunged up to windward. There are several reports of the tiller breaking and the helms somehow managing to steer the boats home with an oar. (Vincent Russell won the Appledore Regatta after his tiller broke!) Roger also recounts from his early sailing The First Open Week It was not until 1958 when Commander John Russell was Commodore that Richard and Rose Franklin, Gervase Lang and John Firebrace persuaded the Committee to hold an Open Meeting for the specific intention of selecting a replacement for the T T O D s . A whole week of handicap racing was organised and designers, boat-builders and individuals were encouraged to enter. This was the Club's first Open Week. Twelve different classes took part, 25 boats in all 45 including one catamaran, the largest fleet seen at Instow since the Club began. The ladies, aided by the steward and his wife, organised social events throughout the week and the Meeting was considered to have been a great success both on and off the water. Several of the visitors showed interest in joining the Club, but the trouble was that with the existing black ball system they would have stood little chance of election. A group of members therefore wrote to the Committee "urging them to take a different approach to election of members with keenness to sail being given greater weight than some other values", (i.e. social background). This caused the Commodore to propose to the Committee that "the Club should in some degree be widened to admit more people keen on sailing". Perhaps this was a rather tentative suggestion but it did result in some of the new set being elected. It was as a result of Commander Russell's efforts that the system of posting the names of prospective new members and their proposers and seconders on the notice board was introduced. Effectively this less secretive approach reduced the power of the black ball and from that time there are few recorded cases of a candidate not being elected. Only one or two of these resulted from the black ball, most names having been withdrawn before the election date. Mind you, some of the more conservative members let their feelings be known. They thought it very strange, for instance, that Phyllis Babb a young school mistress, should want to join but they elected her all the same and then proceeded to put her through a severe cross-examination to make sure that she knew how to behave! Successful though the 1958 Open Meeting had been the Committee took no immediate action to replace the T T O D s . It was not until 1960, after a second Open Meeting that they were galvanised into action by the Treasurer's horrifyingly large estimate of £400 to maintain the Club boats and at long last the decision was taken to sell six of the eight TTODs. The Wayfarer was adopted as the official Club "boat of one design" and two were bought for the use of members. The Wayfarer Although originally designed for Watermouth in the end it was on the estuaries of the Taw and Torridge that the Wayfarer first came into her own. Bill Wrench-Buck who had thought that his sailing days were over when he arrived in North Devon, was in the Wayfarer project right from the beginning. The Woolaways who owned Watermouth Harbour at the time wished to start a Sailing Club and asked his advice. It was he who suggested that Ian Proctor and Messrs. Small Craft Limited should be consulted. Ian Procter was one of Britain's leading and most successful The first Open Week. From L to R:- Albacores 342 and 35; Poole Dolphin 18; T. T.O.D. 13; Wayfarer 100; Shearwater 389; Enterprise 769; W 12; G.P.14 ??; G.P. 14 2158; T.T.O.D.; Mayfly No.l; Yachting World Day Boat; W14; T.T.O.D. 12. Others entered included Osprey, Swordfish, Cherokee, Enterprise, Coot and one or two individual dinghies including one built by Philip Waters. designs of small boats in the 1950's and 60's. After his first visit to Watermouth he wrote:"When I saw Watermouth Bay for the first time a few weeks ago, I realiscd that it was the ideal place for a type of boat that many people have wanted for years, but which, up till then, had neither been designed nor built. "The design of this dinghy had been at the back of my mind for some time and Gordon Pollard, the Managing Director of Messrs. Small Craft Limited, who built a great number of sailing dinghies, assured me that, judging by the enquiries they received, such a boat would have a wide appeal. "One look at Watermouth clinched our resolve to go ahead as soon as possible, for it cries out for a truly versatile boat from which, or in which, all the amenities of this attractive spot can be enjoyed to the full. "To have a specialised racing dinghy in such a place would be to deny oneself half the pleasure of going afloat in lovely surroundings. Dinghy racing is a magnificent sport, but it demands total concentration and out-and-out racing dinghies are designed on the supposition that this concentration will be applied - there is no time to admire the view. Frankly, all that seems to matter when racing is the competition, and one scarcely notices whether one is sailing amidst beautiful scenery or behind the gasworks. Racing dinghies arc usually designed purely for performance; carefree sailing or just pottering is not in their programme. " N o doubt the 16 ft. dinghy I have designed for the Watermouth Yacht Club will be raced - I hope so and have given her a performance that will encourage this - but that will by no means be her sole aim in life. She has a much fuller existence in view. "I believe that not only are they starting a new Yacht Club at Watermouth, they are also starting a new class that will spread far and wide in this country - and abroad as well." What a success story the Wayfarer has been and what a wise choice the Committee made for their 'boat of one design'. She has proved her worth over nearly thirty years. The Wayfarer was one of the first dinghies to be available in kit form and many members took advantage of this to make their own, thus entered the do-it-yourself era. They even offered to maintain the Club boats! Moving with the times, the Wayfarer now has a fiberglass hull and a larger spinnaker. A new boat Wayfarers R a c i n g in the early sixties. All boats appear to be carrying a helm and two crew — an unusual sight these days. will cost in the region of £2,500 and her sail number will be in the eight thousands but the old boats have lasted well and it is possible to get started at a fraction of that price. Wayfarer 14, one of the original Club boats, is still on the estuary now owned by Ron Ley but still sailed in Open Week by Phil Babb who bought it from the Club. Some very expert helms have proved that the Wayfarer demands all their skill in racing but Bob Wright, one of these experts and originally a dedicated Albacore helm, says almost anyone can have fun sailing a Wayfarer, it is the ideal family boat. Today they are used in nearly every Sailing School in the United Kingdom, for sailing holidays off the Greek Islands and the more intrepid helmsmen have sailed them to the Scillies, round Britain and even to Iceland and Norway. In 1986 there are still twenty-six Wayfarers on the Club list but nowadays, except in cup races and Open events, few of them race. In their heyday in the sixties and seventies they raced alongside Redwings and then Ospreys and, after both these classes had disappeared fifteen were regularly coming to the line in mid-season. Between 1961 and 1980 Wayfarer Open meetings were almost annual events. Three Western Area Championships were held at the Club, 23 boats taking part in 1979. They were every bit as important to the Club as the Redwings and Ospreys each of which had less than a decade of popularity and in turn creamed off some of the most dedicated racers. No other boat of one design has ever been adopted: what replacement is there which could excel the Wayfarer as a general-purpose boat in the Taw and Torridge estuary? However necessary financially, it was a sad day when the Club decided to sell the last of their Wayfarers. Except for two Club-owned Mirrors, which are used for Cadet training during the summer holidays, there is little chance for a visiting family to hire a boat or for unskilled members to get started when a boat is beyond their means. N e d Fishwick. Appledore boatman working on his nets in 1950. Wayfarer I helmed by Peter Philips with Roger Isaac as crew. 48 Racing in the Sixties In typical manner, no sooner had the decision been taken to adopt the Wayfarer than a group of keen sailors decided to follow Peter Brannam's and Philip Waters' lead and invest in Redwings so that Redwings and Wayfarers arrived on the estuary at the same time. The Redwings Compared to the Wayfarer the 14' Redwing was definitely not a family boat. It was a pure racing dinghy, clinker built and somewhat over canvassed with a ludicrously tall mast and a massive steel centre plate. They were designed by Uffa Fox for Looe Sailing Club in Cornwall and were in fact already in the last years of popularity when they reached North Devon. Amongst other things they were almost as difficult to maintain as the TTODs, their varnished hulls requiring a great deal of attention. Roger Chope says, "It had a marvellously balanced upwind performance and its sharp forefoot and stem would enable it to bite up to windward in fine style. Downwind it could develop the most alarming pendulum roll, due to a combination of the massive iron centre plate and the huge mast, which usually ended in capsize. Later on the iron centre plate was replaced with a wooden one which improved the downwind performance enabling the boat to skid away under the mast when the weight was transferred aft but, of course, close hauled it became even less stable." Opinion was very mixed about the advantages gained by this change and it was possibly the main contributing factor towards the break-up of the Redwing fleet after seven years of some of the best and most competitive racing in the estuary. The Redwing had one great disadvantage for a club Without a dinghy park. Unlike the Wayfarer it was insufficiently robust to be moored on the estuary and so owners were faced with the problem of storage. To start with they used Peter Brannam's gardens but this involved crossing a busy road and pulling these comparatively heavy boats over the loose sand. Efforts were made to find other sites in Instow but in the end free parking was offered on Appledore Quay. This suited many of the Redwing owners very well as they lived on that side of the water. The Committee was forced to move quickly to hire a Club room in the Appledore Working Men's Club to prevent what might easily have become another spilt in membership, with the Appledore group forming their own Club. This isolation of the Redwings helped to draw them together into a close social group and over the years there were many good parties in the Appledore Room, with Annual Dinners at the Durrant House. From the racing point of view this isolation made life difficult for the Officer of the Day, who in the first place had to rely on transmitting the course to helms by field telephone and later on by telephone to a house on Appledore Quay. To illustrate how confusing this could be Philip Waters remembers that the instruction for a race to the Fairway Buoy was "all navigation marks to port going out and to starboard coming in". He arrived first at the Fairway Buoy and left it to port, the rest of the fleet took it to starboard and were considered to be right. How was Philip to know whether the Fairway Buoy was the last one on the way out or the first on the way home? What a good example for the need for a course board! C l u b Wayfarers sold At this time the Club still owned two Wayfarers but the fees that -were charged for their hire in no way covered the cost of upkeep - part of the problem being that they were only really used during July and August. Amongst considerable opposition at the A.G.M. the decision was finally made to sell them and Roger Isaac and Phil Babb became their owners. To revert to 1960, when the Wayfarer and Redwing first started to race, it was still easy for visitors or new members to get a sail, as crews were in considerable demand especially as ballast in heavy weather. There were also the Club owned Wayfarers (four by now) for hire by the day. 49 Class and Handicap Racing Races were held on every evening and week-end tide and in the first two years these were all handicap events, the fleet comprising the Club Wayfarers and some belonging to members, an about equal number of Redwings, an Osprey, Roger Day's home-built Enterprise, the six T T O D s which had been sold to members and several single-handers. Philip Waters remembers that it was a period of good racing because the handicaps were fairly tight. However by 1962 the Committee had decided on a policy of class racing, any fleet which could regularly race five or more boats being granted class status. The Redwings and Wayfarers achieved this minimum and some of the trophies were re-allocated to them. As their numbers increased competition in each Redwings racing in the 1967 National Championships held at Instow. No. R164 Peter Brannam; R59 Roger Chope; R171 Vernon Harris. of these two fleets became intense. As early as 1961 a Wayfarer Week was held and reported in detail in the Daily Telegraph. This was the first single-class open event that the Club had run and was the first of many held throughout the sixties for Wayfarers, Ospreys and Redwings. (Mrs. Brannam and Mrs. Smalley were thanked for organizing the teas - "a great contribution to the success of the week".) Once this policy of class racing had been implemented all the other sailors had to be content with being bundled together in a handicap fleet. However, some of the major trophies, including those for the Bell Buoy, Fairway Buoy and Barnstaple races, remained general handicap events. It was only on these occasions that the helms of the Albacores, Enterprises and Ospreys had the chance to show that they were the equals of those in the class fleets. The Late Sixties As the sixties progressed some of the good helms who sailed dinghies other than Wayfarer and Redwing became extremely frustrated by the lack of competition available to them caused by the Committee's insistence on class racing. David Cunliffe, the owner of an Osprey, was one of these but in 1965 he finally persuaded the Committee to allow him to run an Osprey Open Meeting at the Club for which the Woolworth Paddle Trophy was originally presented. The meeting was considered a great success, eleven Ospreys taking part. As usual the ladies pulled their weight and there is a note in the Minutes thanking Mrs. Smalley for the delightful flower arrangements in the Club. She was an acknowledged expert and in the following winter she gave a course of instruction to the ladies on flower arranging while the men discussed navigation. Following the Woolworth Paddle Open the Ospreys were granted class status and for a few years Wayfarers, Redwings and Ospreys each had their own series of races, the trophies again being re-allocated to give each fleet a share. The Woolworth paddle became an annual event as did the Tiller Trophy for the Redwings. 1966 also marked a turning point. The Steward complained that the gunfire hurt his ears and so the Club bought a Klaxon to replace the cannon for all except major races. 1967 saw the peak of the Redwing era when the Redwing National Championships, in which 21 boats took part, was held at Instow. The meeting took place over seven days and involved considerable preparations and organisation. The Mayor of Bideford organised a reception for the sailors in the Mayor's Parlour, there was a party in the Appledore Room and a grand prizegiving party at the Club. Members put themselves out to entertain the visitors throughout the week. Bill Wrench-Buck was appointed Officer in Charge of racing. He had a hard time of it as the weather was terrible, one race having to be cancelled because of near gale force winds. The following day conditions were so bad that eleven boats retired and the overall winner, W.H. Hockings from Looe, achieved his position largely because he managed to stay upright throughout the series. Unlike Roger Chope, Philip Waters and Arthur Littlejohns he didn't actually win a race. Roger remembers that the high spot for him was the moment when he crossed the line at the head of the fleet amidst cheering and applause from the crowd on Appledore Quay. Club crews who won prizes in the National Championship:- Back row L to R, Norman Harris; Philip Waters; Dennis Cox; Jim Woods. Front row L to R, Brian Rogers; Roger Chope; Vernon Harris. It was sad that shortly after this the Redwing fleet began to break up, torn by arguments over the respective merits of iron and wooden centre plates. Some of the keenest helms were tempted away to join the Ospreys, others bought Wayfarers and a few gave up dinghy racing altogether and started the nucleus of the cruiser fleet, mostly purchasing 22' Seals. All this left the most recent Redwing owners, who had bought this dinghy so that they could be sure of good class racing, abandoned and they in turn were more or less forced to 51 change classes. By 1970 it was all over: the Redwings had disappeared from the estuary. This is a tale often repeated; the leaders of a class, always on the lookout for a faster more exciting boat, move on and everyone interested in good racing is almost bound to follow suit! By 1970, chiefly due to Roger Day's enthusiasm, the Osprey Fleet had become the leader for the keenest racing members and in due course it became the second largest in the United Kingdom. For ten years there were regularly ten to fifteen Ospreys racing in the estuary. Even so the Wayfarer Fleet still had many adherents and was often the largest afloat. N o r m a n Payne with Cadets sails Tony Pratt's Wayfarer to a Crow Point picnic. S o m e Redwing Memories They were a brave group: Benny Evans, of Appledore origins, was a cheerful fearless helmsman. On blowy days he would rally the rest who were not so happy about turning out with his cry of 'Faint heart near won fair lady'. Benny's greatest rival was Philip Waters. On one occasion Philip capsized at Skern mark and when the boat righted itself the mark was in the boat! Vernon Harris, the Trinity House Pilot who bought R202 and became, after one season, the best helmsman in the fleet, spent his first season in a permanent state of capsize. He used to say that as he approached a capsize and was catapulted from the side deck he would try to hit the ' O ' in the 202 at the top of the sail. On a race to the Bar Buoy the mist suddenly came down when Philip Waters was just behind him. Philip, remembering that Vernon always carried a small compass, decided to follow him. Ages later the first land they sighted was Rocks Nose (beyond Westward Ho!). Vernon had absent-mindedly tied the compass just above the iron centreplate. That was the last time Philip followed the pilot! Philip turned out for the practice race for the benefit of the visitors at an Open Meeting. In the strong winds he was dismasted, the mast snapping at deck level and the mast, thwart and foredeck were ripped out. His crew, his father and he worked to mid-night and resumed at 6.00 a.m. to have the boat ready with scarfed mast for the 1p.m. start. It was worth the effort, they won their class and the Open Challenge Cup for the week - but what dedication! O n e of the best sights was John Baker with Bill Lamey (senior) as crew in R178 using his boat as a surfboard a la Bondi Beach over the breakers on the lighthouse side. Not all races were serious. The Redwing sailors enjoyed the occasional fun race of the kind reserved these days for Handicap II boats. One complicated course was dictated by instructions at each mark; the first of these being in bottles hurled into the water from the rescue boat. Imagine fifteen Redwings milling round trying to retrieve the bottles! On two occasions the Redwing fleet held meetings at Clovelly. Most of the fleet 'trailed' over but Roger Chope sailed, calling in at Bucks Mills to have tea with the Hon. Mrs. Rous who had presented a Cup for the event. On the first occasion the wind was ideal and two races were sailed, launching off the pebbles and sailing round buoys laid out to sea. The whole fleet then sailed back across the bay and up to Appledore in the evening light: what a sight it must have been. The second attempt to race at Clovelly was, sadly, destroyed by the weather. 52 Appledore and Instow Regatta 1960 Team Race between three skippers of the old Appledore Sailing Club and three from North Devon yacht Club all in Club boats. Norman Payne remembers:"The Appledore skippers were Ned Fishwick, John Hooper and one other. I was crewing, together with my wife, for John Hooper who was one of the Trinity House Pilots at that time. "Two things stand out in my mind about that day. The first was before the race. Ned had gone to Instow to collect the boat and was returning singled handed to Appledore to collect his crew. He came into the slip under full sail and I was waiting for the crunch when he shook her up into the wind, stopped just long enough for his crew to hop aboard, sheet in and away perhaps forty or more years on the ferry under sail made it all seem easy. "My skipper was a man of few words, the first leg took us round Big Rock off West Appledore and as a dutiful crew I told him there were rocks ahead as we were standing into the shore, no answer, we stood on. Just when I thought we would strike he said 'I live up there' pointing to the houses of Irsha Street. Finally, when I could have touched the rocks the magic words 'stand by' and we 'were on the new tack and heading clew. I have tried to emulate these moves ever since but I have never dared go so close a second time. "The rest of the race is a misty memory. I vaguely remember setting the jib goose-winged by swinging out the tack of the sail instead of the clear. The outcome was Ned first, John second and a win overall for the Appledore skippers." The Ospreys and Those who Sailed in Them The Osprey was a real thoroughbred racing dinghy, an exciting and demanding boat to sail requiring quick reactions on the part of the helm and a strong and agile crew. (These were the first dinghies on the estuary to make use of a trapeze). All credit then to the many enthusiasts who launched forth more in hope than experience to learn the hard way. Unlike the Redwing and Wayfarer, the Osprey was a 'sail on' boat and it was a matter of pride to have one's boat righted and racing again seconds after a capsize. The log for a Cup race reported:"Although David Cunliff capsized he maintained his lead and won the race." Howard Scarborough and Eric Blanchard were two who had never sailed before they bought their Ospreys. Howard remembers:"Our enthusiasm was not matched by our skill, we spent many races upside down. (No wet suit then.) In the early days frequently boats were holed and damaged due to racing in strong winds: panic assailed us as we approached a gybe mark, usually followed by havoc!" Howard is remembered for always seeming to be re-writing the rules to suit his own particular infringement or else drifting upside down as his mast lost further inches. Eric's sailing experiences started when his son, Chris, took him out in the Club Heron. After the boom had clobbered his head the comforting remark was "it's only wind Dad"! The next thing was that he was persuaded to buy an Osprey and was lucky enough to have an expert helmsman as crew. He remembers his first race:- "Bang! Off we go and right away a couple of more experienced helms seem to attack me: next second I'm on my side about to turn through a 90° capsize, hanging on for dear life to some sheets, my crew out of sight Ospreys Set their Spinnakers on the way down river. Osprey Memories continued from me but on the plate yelling 'stay where you are, I'll get you upright'. And sure enough, up we come and he gallantly sails her dry before handing back the tiller." Eric became known as the 'upside-down man'. One of Eric's better moments occurred when he took out a German friend, capsized, righted and sailed on. The only trouble was that the friend was left behind to swim ashore! Amongst the more successful, the Gale brothers in Beesknees believed in risking all and on many occasions put on gymnastic displays leaving their competitors hoping disaster would strike! When Jimmy Johnson bought Philip Waters' Osprey and joined the fleet he quickly proved that he was a better sailor than most and had a better knowledge of racing rules! "In the mid seventies he was the man to beat," says Geoff Dean. However, Jimmy had his moments of disaster. He remembers one occasion with a happy ending:"I capsized after rounding Inner Home and in the process my crew, Howard Mckenzie-Wilson lost both his sailing boots and spectacles. Remarkably enough, when the tide went out his yellow boots were seen through the O . O . D . ' s telescope on the sand bank by the buoy. Howard rowed out to recover the boots and, low and behold, his spectacles were alongside them!" Chris Bonner was an excellent helm with a first class crew, Jeremy Wright. Due to a misunderstanding during a frustrating race spectators on the old Yacht Club wall were privileged to observe differences of opinion being settled in the old fashioned manner, as between gentlemen of old, the boat being left to sail its own course! (Apparently not the only instance!) Jeremy had his more romantic moments and became engaged to his wife Anna between races at Marazion. On one occasion John Barnett, an expert helm in his own right, crewed for John Boyd. As the boat capsized big John catapulted through the air and tore through the jib (some say leaving his shadow behind, others don't believe the jib was big enough!). The helm was not amused! Patrick Housemann and Nick Rowe were tamed tor their smoking, capsizing recovering and still smoking as they continued on their way. In the early days of the fleet David Cunliff was the acknowledged expert. Even in old boats and without modern gear he still won races, in 1965 winning nine trophies in handicap racing. He was a very good sea sailor which is perhaps why he won the Shaw Lantern for the Bell Buoy race on five consecutive years between 1965-69. In 1966 strong winds necessitated the race being curtailed to the Fairway Buoy. Even so a vicious gust in the pool caused the sudden retirement of ten of the leading boats and only eight completed the course, David in the lead. At the time David left the area Jimmy Johnson, Roger Day and Philip Wright were also at the top but by 1970 Philip had sold his boat 'Still Dreaming' to Geoff Dean. Geoff modestly says, "It was a fast boat". Whatever the reason he quickly went into the lead. He tells how "Tim Gale was always asking me for the secret of my success" and he always answered "I got a lucky p u f f (Geoff is from the North so get the accent right!). When Geoff bought his next boat from Ken Robertson of Westerley Boats of course he had to call it "The Magic Dragon" after the song of that time "Puff the Magic Dragon". Ken Robertson was a frequent visitor to the Woolworth Paddle meeting and he regularly won the Paddle which had been made by one of his apprentices. David Cunliff won it in 1971 but by that time he was a visitor from Plymouth. It wasn't until 1975 that for the first time a N . D . Y . C . boat, "The Magic Dragon" won, beating Ken Robertson into second place. Geoff, Ken and Malcolm Woolcock from Mounts Bay were neck and neck throughout the whole weekend. In the final race on the spinnaker reach to the line all three boats were observed leaping clear of the water as they sped over the lumpy sea. Geoff won with only inches to spare. Geoff has created what appears to be one all-time record. With Mike Lamey as crew he won the O'Brien salver for ten years in succession. Even Tomkins Mulock didn't equal this total when he won the Barnstaple Cup with such regularity in the thirties. The Magician, Geoff Dean's latest Osprey, sailing in Open Week 1986. 55 The Ospreys Race Away from Home As the Osprey helms became more expert many of them travelled to away meetings where they competed in fleets of over 100 boats. On an early occasion six boats travelled to Poole for an Osprey weekend but their major success seems to have been the damage to the opposition. They regularly took part in the Osprey Nationals, first at Marazion, then Plymouth, Carnoustrie, Minnis Bay near Margate, and so on. David Cunliff had considerable success coming third overall as early as 1964 and fourth in the 1970 Nationals. Geoff Dean and eight or nine others travelled to the 1972 Nationals, at Plymouth, Geoff coming twentieth overall. In 1973 crewed by Mike Lamey he had a good chance of winning, being third out of 90 boats before the final race, but he had to have a good place in the last race in order to win. He remembers that "after a sleepless night, sick with nerves (or beer) we went out for the last race, sailed the wrong way, came in twelfth and finished sixth overall in the series". In 1974 at the Mumbles the 'Dragon' finished third overall out of a fleet of about 90 boats, the highest placing Geoff has achieved to date. Unlike practically all the rest of the fleet Geoff has not given up the Osprey. He rarely sails at Instow but still represents the Club at Nationals round the country, his present boat being named 'The Magician' to retain a link with the old 'Magic Dragon'. On several occasions there were team races against Topsham. The N . D . Y . C . helms found themselves contending with the sliding seats of the Topsham Hornets, a devilish invention when compared with a trapeze, "you never knew how much room to leave between boats". Probably the away meetings most enjoyed were the Jackin-a-Basket series held in September at Lymington each year. (The title came from the name of the beacon on the west side of the Fairway.) John Boyd remembers - "There was always a jolly good party on the Saturday evening and the wind always seemed to be strong on the Sunday so that hang-overs were quickly blown away". David Cunliff who now owns a racing yacht at Falmouth, writing from Wadebridge, says "I still have a soft spot for the N . D . Y . C . , especially remembering the old Club House. One day I shall return with a dinghy for Open Week. Looking back, my happiest sailing days were at the N . D . Y . C . " The Osprey sailors are in accord — those were the days. Howard Scarborough sums it up - "It was a taste of honey I shall always remember". David Cuncliffe sailing at an away meeting. A Touch of Encouragement After one or two seasons in which one helm had run off with nearly all the trophies, it was decided that, to encourage the many good sailors, each helm should win only one major trophy in a season. He might win the race but the trophy would go to the runner up. This worked well and kept up the enthusiasm throughout the season. Team Racing The sixties was an era of good team racing both by Instow helms amongst themselves and against teams from other clubs. The team races against Dartmouth Naval Cadets, Sandhurst and the School of Amphibious Warfare, which had been started in the fifties in the One-designs, were continued in Wayfarers and Redwings, the home team usually being ignominiously beaten by these young men sailing unfamiliar boats in foreign waters. O u r teams did not fare much better in the return matches at Dartmouth when they had to cope with the very much less stable Firefly. Winds always seemed to be fresh and the estuary of the Dart choppy so that capsizing was the order of the day, on one occasion only Ashton Smalley managing to stay upright. The next time Dartmouth issued an invitation the men opted out and sent a team of lady members (Phyl Babb amongst them) but they fared little better, again being met by strong conditions. The Redwings held regular team Races against Looe for the Tiller Trophy with some very close competition and in 1965 they won the Redwing team race at the National Championships at Falmouth. Social Life in the Sixties Compared with the previous decade the sixties saw a considerable change in the social life of the Club, brought about by the widening of the membership. Although the older set still clung tenaciously to their Bridge playing and did their best to monopolise the Bar, the new young members were gradually gaining control. They even dared to make Phyl Babb social secretary, a move which caused Col. Whitehead, Secretary at that time, to take her to task. All they had wanted was a leader to help organise more light-hearted events. The last of the Summer Dances in the Rifle Hall was held in 1960. From then on Club Dinner-Dances became winter affairs initially held at Bromleys in Barnstaple. Although white-tie-and-tails had given Way to black tie, some magnificent vintage gowns were given their yearly airing at these events. After the Dinner the bridge players retired upstairs for a rubber while the young danced below. Cocktail parties were still popular and tickets for these and other social events always included all the drinks you could consume in the first hour. For the larger summer parties a marquee was erected in the Club garden and, of course, the proximity of the beach made barbecues popular. On one occasion there was a Cowboy Evening complete with a baron of beef and all the trimmings. Everyone dressed appropriately. On another, 'Shipwreck' was the theme — members turning up dressed as they imagined they might have been at the moment of shipwreck. Although the Stewardess did a great deal of the cooking for these parties, she was always helped by a group of the ladies, Dora Smalley being one of the most active and organising. An innovation of the sixties was a fruit machine. Surprisingly the senior members approved. In fact, when in 1966 Peter Faunthorpe (one of the hard drinking set) gave up the bottle he made sure that the Club did not lose out by spending every bit as much in the machine! Peter appears to have thought it paid out too much, there were others who took the opposite view and wrote angrily in the Suggestions Book. Finally everyone agreed it was a noisy nuisance and by 1969 it had gone. B a r b e c u e on the beach under the Round House in the sixties. Barbecues were smart affairs in those days! Some Wayfarers Memories Sailing from Watermouth . . . Heather Oliver's (Woolaway) experiences explain why the Wayfarer was not really suitable for Watermouth. "The first time I sailed with Bill Wrench-Buck we went towards Ilfracombe, got into a whirl-pool and did a series of involuntary gibes!" "The Wayfarer stood up to tremendous seas but on many occasions we had great difficulty getting back into the narrow harbour. There was a tendency to sail too far and then the wind would get up and cause trouble. Once we sailed almost to Lynton before we found a sufficient lull to quickly drop the main, turn round and re-raise it for a hair-raising reach back. It was the most exhilarating sail ever, it puts anything experienced in the estuary in the shade!" O n e of Bill's great rivals was Peter Phillips who sailed Wayfarer I with great success. He had the name for never uttering a word. For him and his crew Roger Isaac a look and a nod was enough. Bill was the very opposite; he could be heard across the estuary. Heather says they argued like mad while racing. When T o m m y Tomlinson crewed for Bill he took the precaution of removing his deaf aid! Racing Extremes. . . Bob Wright remembers:- "The racing was hard (no quarter given) and sometimes amusing. In one race for the O'Brien Salver the first boat got clear round Middle Ridge in a racing tide but the second boat, leader of a frantic bunch, sliced an unwary catamaran in half and all the rest piled in. On another occasion conditions were very different and the fleet, returning from Barnstaple, sailed through the gut inside the marshes. It was wide enough for only one boat so those behind had the problem of how to go slower than those in front. A G o o d Club B o a t . . . Phyllis Babb describes the Wayfarer as a wonderful boat for incompetents. She also points out that there was never any trouble getting a place as crew. She got in 80 races in her first season, on many occasions acting as 'third' in strong weather. Newspaper Cutting 1967 . . . Start of a race at the Wayfarer National Championship at Lilliput Sailing Club . . . "Phyllis Babb in 'Montego' picked up her skirts and fled, pulling well clear almost immediately." Safe Haven . . . Pamela and Charles Gott have sailed a Wayfarer for 25 years. Their first introduction to it was when Mr. Main, owner of a high-class grocery in Barnstaple, offered to show them his. As he carefully removed the ripening cheeses in the room at the back of the shop his Wayfarer was revealed, safely tucked up for the winter! The wooden mast was in the roof of his bungalow. Each Autumn he removed a few tiles to put it there and again in the Spring to get it out! Toestrap Trouble . . . I n the 1973 Western open Championships Charles Gott provided spectators on Appledore Quay with an interesting moment when he lost his toe-hold and somersaulted backwards into the water! Jimmy Johnson recalls one occasion when Ashton Smalley asked him if he could show him how to make a Wayfarer plane. "I chose a day with a good force 5 westerly. With Mary and Ashton we planed merrily past the Yacht Club, then all three of us somersaulted into the water as the toe strap broke! The boat sailed on for a few moments before capsizing, I still had the mainsheet in one hand, the tiller extension in the other! The watchers on the shore wanted an encore!" Racing Away Four Wayfarers (helmed by Peter Phillips, Phyl Babb, Charles Gott and Roger Isaac), went to the National Championship at Plymouth in 1969. The racing was fun in unfamiliar waters and strong winds. On the last day the wind dropped dramatically, giving the N. Devon team - all dedicated tidal-tacticians — their brief moment of glory drifting along at the head of the large fleet, having appeared to most of their puzzled opponents a little time before to have been sailing in entirely the wrong direction. The Gotts managed to win the Milne Fitch, due, said Charles, entirely to the fact that they were probably the only couple to have both marriage lines and a buoyancy certificate. N o r m a n Payne, who had a Wayfarer at one time, says that his best memory of an away meeting was the occasion on which he took his National 12 to a National Meeting. To his horror he found himself one of 180 competitors. During the first race the wind increased considerably and at the gibe mark it was a case not so much of rounding the buoy efficiently as of finding enough space amongst the capsized boats to make his gibe! The Lease There had been battles before but in 1957 the first serious warning that the Club would lose the Round House was sounded. In 1933 unfortunate arguments with Mr. Augustus Christie had taken place before the renewal of the lease was arranged. N o w Mr. Christie was dead and the Club had to deal with Trustees who gave six months' notice of termination of the lease and only offered a three year renewal, making it clear that at the end of that time the Round House would be incorporated into the Marine Hotel. Miss Belshaw, a resolute lady and secretary to the Trustees of the Estate, indicated that while they might be willing to make space available for a sailing room they would expect members to make use of the Hotel for all social purposes. Fairly obviously this solution was unacceptable to the Committee. All aspects of Club life, other than the actual sailing would have been destroyed: it would have been necessary to re-write yet again that much altered first rule, this time leaving out altogether the phrase — "to provide a Club House for social intercourse". Financially it would also have been unacceptable. The Club could not have survived without the revenue from the Bar. It is even possible that, after a short time, the hotel management might have found the arrangement unacceptable if the sailors had monopolised the Bar with their one subject of conversation, as is their wont after racing. To gain time the Committee started negotiations with the Trustees to extend the renewal offer to five years and, in the meantime, called a Special General Meeting to consider the alternatives available. The Club might either rent other accommodation or purchase a property of their own, in which case several thousand pounds would have to be raised. One property known to be on the market for £4,500 was Instow House, owned by the architect Mr. Extracts f r o m the Suggestions B o o k 31.1.66 After Mr. Sandford had complained that the Card Room was inadequately heated, a new fire was provided. C o m m e n t : - " N o w I can really wear my bikini playing Bridge!" signed n o m de plume Copie". The C o m m o d o r e Charles Gott's response was "Members are advised that the playing of strip-poker in the Bridge Room is, amongst other things, a breach of the Licencing Acts". Seven members, mostly with illegible signatures, made the following entry:"May we suggest that the Committee considers installing a Space Invader's Machine". The C o m m o d o r e , J i m m y Johnson's reply:"1 Corinthians 13 v 1 1 . " N o t to be outdone the members' next entry is "Matthew 18 v 3 . " But the C o m m o d o r e had the last word:"Psalm 49 v 13"! ". . . Presumably none of the Committee have had the time or inclination to arrange a 'Derby Sweep' as has been done for many years past, E H E U F U G A C E S " signed Cecil J. P. Price (Cecil had seen an efficient Hon. Sec.) 1980 1970 Peter Faunthorpe Commodore from 1959 to 1963. Although Peter never sailed, he became an extremely good Officer of the Day and an expert at setting a good course. He was one of the old school who did not approve of the move to the railway but once the decision had been made he showed great interest in the work. 59 Orphoot. The Committee's suggested method of raising funds was to form the Club into a limited liability company and to borrow money from members by way of debentures. It was even suggested that Instow House might be purchased purely as an investment for the future, the idea being that it should be converted into two flats and the garden sold off as building plots so that funds would be available when the lease ran out. However, when members were asked to indicate how much they would be willing to lend, the total was only £1,250! It is interesting to note that there are now six flats in Instow House and two houses in the gardens - what an opportunity missed! In the end the Trustees offered to extend the lease to four years with six months' notice on either side and no licencing limitations. This latter point was of vital importance as the Trustees had been trying to stop the Club acting as an off-licence for its own members - a matter of considerable financial benefit to the Club. The Committee accepted the offer thankfully, even though the rent had been considerably increased, and for the time being shelved the problem they would have to face in 1962. As has been seen they had plenty to occupy their minds, including the replacement of the T T O D s and the increase in membership. The four years must have seemed to go by in a flash and no sooner had these other matters been settled than the lease once again reared its head. The Committee's first move was to obtain permission via a postal vote to raise funds from the Bank or elsewhere to purchase a property should one became available. This was easier said than done. There were very few such properties but enquiries were made to Miss Dodds, owner of Pilton Cottage (opposite the Marine Hotel). This house might have suited the Bridge players but in no way would it have been suitable from other points of view. There were by this time 330 members: more, rather than less space was needed. The Committee also realised that the station site had considerable potential, with land available to develop into a dinghy park, and the Commodore, Peter Faunthorpe wrote to the British Transport Corporation expressing interest in either renting or purchasing it should the local line be closed, but there was no response. As 1962 approached the Committee understandably became worried and set about seeking advice from Mr. W.M.B. Lang, a barrister, who was of the opinion that the legal position would probably favour the Club for some time to come. He advised the Committee to keep a close eye on applications submitted for approval of reconstruction of the Round House site. Mr. John Phillips, a solicitor and member of the Club considered that the Club should be ready with a defence of their position as sitting tenants. In 1961, therefore, when the Estate first sent in their notice of termination, a deputation visited Miss Belshaw to express the view that it was the Trustees' responsibility to find suitable alternative accommodation for the Club if they wished to evict the Club from the Round House and to point out that the Club would be prepared to contest the case. A nervous period ensued during which the Committee tried to give an impression of strength without in the least wishing to start a court case. Mr. Lang actually advised them to go to court, but in the end they were saved by Mr. George Christie himself who persuaded the Trustees to offer to renew the lease for a period of seven years on the same terms as previously but at a rent of £280 p.a. (an increase of £130). With what a sigh of relief the Committee must have accepted the offer! Seven years hence, with any luck there would be an entirely new Committee who would have to sort out the matter. Even the increase in rent did not worry them as membership was booming following the introduction of the new boats and the broadening of the election net. The Licence Overlapping with all these nerve-wracking negotiations were talks with the licencing Authorities and the Fire Department caused by the introduction of the 1961 Licencing Act. As usual in these cases the Fire Department considered the Club's precautions totally inadequate and demanded a long list of expensive alterations. However taking Roger Chope's advice to progress slowly with the alterations the Committee finally achieved a compromise! Many Clubs lost their licences at this time and the Committee did well to retain theirs. The Club then moved into another period of prosperity and comparative security with plenty of good racing for the sailors and often as many as thirty boats competing for the major trophies. There was still a fair amount of animosity shown by the older set towards the new lot. Not surprisingly these members of many years standing liked their Club as it was but, however they may have felt, the strict class barriers were down. All who remember those days tell stories of these old characters, some of them the sailors of the past, their phenomenal capacity for brandies and double gins; their love of Bridge and demand for total silence while they played; their friendships and their quarrels, some of which almost ended with pistols at dawn. The Steward knew that his job depended on knowing exactly what each of them drank: Mary Renshaw had the name for always being first in the queue at the Bar. These people did not pay cash; the Steward had to keep weekly accounts for them all. Maybe the young thought they were bores but the Club is short of such characters today. 61 From Round House to Railway Station For over sixty years the Round House had been the Club's headquarters. Its setting was ideal and out of season it was still a delightful social centre for the older Bridge-playing set. In other respects it was no longer suitable. The change from the One-designs to the light-weight dinghies meant that a dinghy park was vital: changingrooms at the Round House were totally inadequate and with the increase in membership the premises had become altogether too small for the summer months. It was therefore obvious that a further renewal of the lease of the Round House was not the long-term solution. Although the sailors considered that the railway site would be ideal, with plenty of room for dinghy and car parking and space for changing rooms, the Bridge players had different priorities. They wanted to retain a permanent steward and the Club atmosphere of the Round House and were therefore very keen to procure Odstock, a large house opposite the beach. Other sites were considered including Strandfield (the Commodore Hotel) and ground near the Cricket Club, but only Odstock was a serious contender. This house could have been a practical proposition if considerable sums had been spent on alterations, including the conversion of part of it into flats. However, it was doubtful whether the Planning Authorities would have agreed to a change of use involving conversion of the gardens into car and dinghy parks and the need to cross a busy road to reach the beach. The Committee did put in an offer for £10,750 but this was turned down and from that time all efforts were concentrated on securing the station site. By this time the lease of the Round House was running out and the Committee were lucky to obtain a three year extension to give them time to make other arrangements. It proved to be only just long enough. Except for writing again to British Rail in 1964, when they decided to close Instow Station to passenger traffic, no steps had been taken to start active negotiations until, in 1968, Joe Squires offered to take on the job - j u s t in time as it turned out because he discovered that the contractors were about to demolish the buildings. Joe did a wonderful job travelling between Instow and Bristol to negotiate with British Rail. He managed to convert a first, rather tentative offer to lease part of the site to the Club into a firm offer to sell the freehold, including buildings, to them for £4,500. The Railway Site at the time it was bought by the Club. The station building now houses the Changing Rooms. The Club-room was built on the raised loading bank. Negotiations While Joe's negotiations were developing the Committee were very busy obtaining planning permission for change of use of the site, negotiating with the Tapeley Estate for a lease of the foreshore and applying for a grant through the Devon County Council. Although the Committee had been assured earlier that a grant of 50 per cent would be available, their first application through the North Devon Playing Fields Association to the Department of Education and Science was refused because they were not high enough in the Priorities List. However, they were not deterred, re-appplicd and this time received an offer of £5,658 from the Ministry of Housing and Local Govenment providing that plans were approved. Even then there was still disagreement amongst Committee Members about whether to proceed. Joe Squires was understandably furious at these vacillations and was provoked into saying, "If the Club doesn't buy the site I certainly shall!" It was therefore decided to hold a Special General Meeting to discuss the purchase, which, because there was so much opposition, was described in the notice of the meeting as 'proposal to buy the site as an investment..' An indication of the strong feelings concerning this issue is found in the suggestions Book on 9th February, "Rumour has it that the Committee is making no provision for Steward's accommodation in the plans for the new Club House. It is hoped that an early statement by the Committee will prove her to be a 'lying jade'. After sixty-five years a resident Steward is a must for a Club of our standing and financial position and any suggestion to the contrary can only be regarded as a retograde step, the brain child of a 'Nissen Hut' and Privvy' mentality." signed Peter Faunthorpe between them had been chiefly responsible for the success of the negotiations. The site was actually purchased for the Yacht Club early in 1971 by the then trustees:-Peter Philips (Commodore), Roger Day (Vice Commodore), Philip Waters (Rear Commodore) and Geoff Metcalf (Honorary Secretary). This completed part one of the project but time was running out and the station site still had to be converted into a Yacht Club. Conversion To achieve the conversion a sub-committee was appointed consisting of Roger Day, Philip Waters and Stan Forrester. These three proved to be a well balanced team; Roger brought his business acumen to bear on the deliberations, Stan (a forester by profession) was selfdescribed as the 'do-it-myself handiman' and Philip was the practical craftsman. Little is recorded in the Minutes of the mammoth task they undertook; it is safer to rely on their memories:Roger Day sets the Scene:"The Club at this time had £5,000 invested in stocks which would form the nucleus of the building fund but the balance would have to be obtained through grants, loans and overdraft facilities. Before our sub-committee Peter Brannam, Commodore during the negotiations, and his daughter pull their Redwing across the road from their garden to the beach below the Round House. In the end, by a majority vote, the Meeting authorised the Committee to proceed with the purchase. This was Peter Brannam's last meeting as Commodore and he earned the name for being the man who landed the Club on the mud! He and Joe Squires was formed the Committee had commissioned Mr. Reg Gale, a local architect, to prepare a scheme that would provide an attractive new Club House with bar, Bridge room and accommodation for a resident Steward. These plans, although very attractive did not qualify for much in the way of grants and the project costs were beyond the resources of the Club. Our first task therefore was to investigate the type of structure that would carry the maximum grant and after the first few meetings we asked Harold Cartmell, also a member, to join the sub-committee as architect. "One of the chief limiting factors was that no grants would be payable to the Club in respect of items which were not directly concerned with the sport of sailing. No grant would be available, therefore, for Clubroom, bar or any living accommodation for a Steward. To contain costs we decided to use as much as possible of the original station buildings, to convert the ticket office into the ladies changing rooms, to use the station hall as the sailing room and to join the parcels office to the main waiting room to form the men's changing rooms and shower block. There was a raised loading platform on the site and we decided to use this as the basis of the Clubroom and at the end of this platform there would be a control tower for the race officer. Philip Waters had the bright idea that when we built the control tower we should incorporate toilets for a club house into the ground floor, thus when the Club came to purchase a Club House at its own expense the toilet facilities would be readily available." Harold Cartmell drew up the plans, overcoming numerous difficulties including such fundamental but vital matters as the 'Fall' of the drains. Mundane, you may say, but this latter problem nearly put paid to the whole project. When the plans were submitted for grant approval the Club House was not shown, only the control tower (with the toilets tucked beneath it). The slipway was also presenting a problem and opinion was divided whether it should be a floating variety or something laid on the mud. Considerable doubt was expressed in some quarters as to whether a solid slipway would stay on the surface of the mud or just sink. Mr. Freddy Johns (Norman's father) was consulted and he was of the firm opinion that a concrete slipway laid across the mud would be quite satisfactory and he quoted the fact that the stones from the old limekiln further up the river were still very much in evidence. Chris Bonner, on a trip to Cornwall, saw some old concrete sleepers being used in a farmyard as a roadway and he thought that these would do the job very well. Enquiries located a thousand of such sleepers and they were subsequently purchased for £750. The basic ideas for the Club had now all been completed and the building Committee sought tenders for the building and conversion work, the electrical work and the plumbing. T h e Sleepers piled all along the approach to the station - a daunting sight! When quotations for the work had been received the Ministry of Housing and Local Government offered a grant of £7,066, an increase over the previous offer of £1,408 - quite an achievement. This sum, together with the Club's existing investments left only a small shortfall in cash to be found. It was agreed that, to raise this sum, members should be asked either to make interest-free loans or to guarantee an additional bank overdraft. It is just as well that the shortfall was small because the response was abysmal! The amount raised was only just sufficient to cover the lowest cost: the subcommittee had to watch costs extremely carefully. The Slipway Work started on the slipway at the end of 1970. The lease of the Round House was due to expire at the end of February 1972, there was little more than a year left. Stan Forrester takes up the story:"Then the fun began as we contemplated the heaps of sleepers dumped higgledy-piggledy all along the drive. Saturday and Sunday morning working parties became routine for several weeks and usually a dozen or so members turned up. At first we simply man-handled sleepers using steel pipes as rollers. We quickly sought something better and borrowed a heavy steel trolley from the School of Amphibious Warfare at Instow. Later again, when we were hauling sleepers from the north end of the site, we got hold of a fork-lift truck which was a God-send although we fought shy of using it on the slipway itself. "Gradually we became adept at handling the heavy sleepers (probably 4 or 5 cwt each), swinging them on a central support, using a pipe as a roller, levering with crowbars or simply sledging them on the mud, but not before quite a few mishaps. Blackened nails and bruises indicated moments of carlessness or lack of control. My son Andrew had his foot in plaster after a sleeper had fallen on it. Aching backs were universal. At first two lengthwise sleepers were used to support the transverselaid running surface but as the mud got softer this was increased to four and finally five at the seaward end." Working Group. From left:- Roger Isaac, Roger Day, Tim Gale and Stan Forrester. 65 The Club House Roger Day again:"Meanwhile the building work converting the station building and constructing the control tower was going ahead and as it neared completion the Devon Maid cedar building, which was to become the Clubroom, was delivered. Its detractors referred to it as 'the Shed'! Volunteers worked very hard doing the finishing work on this building to keep costs down. "When all the bills were paid the total amounted to £1.00 less than the building Committee's original estimates! I'm sure there are those who feel that many things in the Club could have been better, but money was very tight and at least the Club has a valuable asset today." The new Club buildings were officially opened by Owen Aisher, President of the R.Y. A. at the time, at a party on 8th April, 1972, just two weeks after the lease of the Round House had expired. The Club as it is in 1986. Only the iron rail along the front reminds us of the state of the site in 1972. 66 An Irish Experience Harold Cartmell, one of our m o r e adventurous cruiser owners decided in 1979 to explore the south and west coast of Ireland in his motor-sailor Sea H a w k II, but to get to the west coast he decided on the Dublin Grand Canal. What ensued is recorded in a prizewinning log entry:"June 13th. On the Grand Canal (First Day) "Left Ringsend Basin at 0830 accompanied by two C L E . employees whose job it was to get us through the Dublin Locks — and what a job it was, too! The state of the canal was almost indescribable. Apart from the fact that the lock gates, sluices and gear all seemed to be falling apart, the canal was full of the most revolting rubbish. One particular hazard consisted of supermarket shopping trollies. Apparently the Dublin housewife has a playful habit of taking her goods home on a trolley and then pushing it into the canal to avoid the trouble of taking it back. Plastic bags, rope, old stockings and gent's combinations wrapped themselves around the propeller and horrible grating and grinding noises came from under the boat as we ploughed our way through the debris. Clearing the propeller necessitated work with a sharp knife half submerged in the open drain which called itself the Grand Canal. "Once clear of Dublin our two assistants left us and thereafter we were in the hands of the various lock keepers en route — many of whom could not be found. Fortunately we had provided ourselves with a good Lock windlass handle so were able to negotiate the locks without assistance when necessary. "Tied up at 2130 having, in an exhausting 13 hours day, covered 19 miles and negotiated 20 locks, including four double ones. All things considered we could have done worse but, nevertheless, went to bed in a somewhat depressed frame of mind. "June 14th. On the Grand Canal (Second Day) "A very much better day. Country very pretty and conditions on the canal improving all the time. Water very cold (but clean) when clearing propeller. Sun and showers. Cold winds of up to gale force made steering a little tricky in the narrow confines of the canal. "The second lock we encountered had an exceptionally stiff gate. With his back against the weighbar, Tony was exerting his considerable strength in an endeavour to move it when his feet shot from under him and he sat down heavily in the slippery patch which had caused his downfall. By a unanimous decision his trousers were removed and attached to a tow rope behind the boat before he came back on board. The site of this regrettable occurrence is recorded in the log as 'Cowpat Lock' "We passed the summit lock at about midday and, shortly afterwards, came to the junction with the Barrow Canal. This connects the Grand Canal to the River Barrow which is then navigable southwards to Waterford. Thinking of our experience in Dublin we wondered if this would not have been a better route. "By nightfall we were just above lock No. 29 at the Huband Aqueduct. The day's achievement was 43 miles and 15 locks, again in 13 hours. This was much better and the prospects of keeping to our schedule seemed to be much improved. "Explored Ballycowan Castle nearby and then, in order to save time next day, prepared the lock by filling it and opening the top gates. "June 15th. On the Grand Canal (Third Day) and on to the Shannon "Awoke to find that several barges, which had been afloat, were now on the bottom and that we, too, were nearly on the bottom. Further investigation showed that our misguided efforts on the previous evening had lowered two miles of canal by some two feet due to a hole which we had not noticed in the lower lock gate. Decided that any conversation on the subject with the local C L E . staff would be unprofitable so got through the lock as quickly as we could and put a few miles between us and the scene of our crime before stopping for breakfast. When chatting to another lock keeper later in the day he said that a tremendous quantity of water had come down during the night and he could not think why. We agreed with him that somebody must have done something stupid. He also told us that we had come through Dublin just in time. On the following day a stolen car had been driven into the canal blocking it completely and killing the two youths who were in it. "At 1400 arrived at Shannon Harbour. Leaving an hour later, we passed through the last canal lock and were at last on the River Shannon. "Behind us lay 81 miles of canal and 43 locks which we had traversed in two and a half days by sheer hard work. During this journey no other craft of any kind had been on the move — we had been the only 'customer'. So much for the O L E . claims that the Grand Canal still carries a lot of traffic. ( C L E . Irish Tourist Office). The Cruising Scene Since the early days 'cruising' has been one aspect of Club sailing but only a few members owned boats specifically designed for this purpose and these, such as Dr. Valentine's, were built in local yards. H o w different it is today! In 1986 there are 77 cruisers on the Club Boat List, representing 61 different classes ranging from a mere 18' to over 40'. This is one third of the total List; add the large number of dinghies which are never raced and it becomes clear that sailing for the love of it represents an extremely important element in the make-up of the membership. Many of these members are the dingy sailors of the past but some had hardly sailed before they bought their first cruisers. The diversity of their characters and of the boats they sail makes one thing quite clear: at Instow 'cruising' is a pastime which everyone can enjoy to the limits of their own and their boat's ability and where age is no barrier. Early Racing The earliest cruiser races were for the Tommy Fishwick Cup, not at the Club but at Appledore Regatta. John Lynch won this Cup on two occasions, in 1961 in his Silhouette and again in 1963 in his Felicity, but he became disheartened by the lack of interest shown by the Club and transferred to the Wayfarer which he still sails. It was in 1963 that the Committee first recognised the cruiser owners as a group by including races for them in Open Week. Frank Parkhouse was the winner of the series in his Felicity. From that time there was a gradual increase in the number of cruiser races included in the Racing Programme but the cruiser men have always been an independent set, they largely organise their own affairs and as is the case today, the Officer of the Day Seals racing in the Seventies was only involved where races started from the Club. Races in the Bay were organised by the sailors themselves. The cruiser sailors have never looked to the rescue boat for support; in fact, before the Club owned its own rescue boat they were often called in to act in that capacity for the dinghy fleets. The first boat to catch on as a round-the-buoy racing yacht for the estuary was the Seal and by the early seventies a small fleet had developed with keen racing between them. It is the only instance amongst the cruisers where class racing was a possibility but in fact they raced beside Silhouettes, Felicities and Andersons in a handicap fleet. To emphasise the difference between dinghy and cruiser racing Eric Blanchard recalls how in the early seventies he and Terry Derrigan abandoned their Ospreys and bought a Seal. They raced round Lundy on a glorious day, negotiated the, to them, unknown seaward side and then, with spinnakers set ran all the Eric Blanchard and Terry Derrigan return from digging for their mooring after the winter gales. way back to the Pulleys. This was an unknown experience for dinghy helmsmen who are lucky if they reach the Bell Buoy once in a season and even then are shepherded there and back. There was no fancy electronic equipment on board the early cruisers. Eric found that tacking close to Big Rock was much more exciting than in dinghies - so much more damage could be done! Ron Clark remembers 'motoring' back from Dale in his Seal in thick fog, by dead reckoning only and with the help of the depth sounder. All of a sudden a yellow bag appeared out of the mist with 'Johns' printed on it. Ron felt he must be on course and sure enough ten minutes later he heard the Bell Buoy. Most of the Seals and other early cruisers are still on the estuary but under new ownership. The original owners, inspired by annual trips to the Boat Shows, have changed to bigger, better equipped boats with the latest electronic equipment. No longer is there any excuse for hitting Big Rock, going aground or getting lost in the fog. They may all say that they go afloat to get away from the telephone but it is surprising how alive the air is with VHF waves when a group sail in company to Clovelly, Lundy or Wales. Some of the owners of the more sophisticated yachts regularly set out for, and sometimes reach, the Bay of Biscay to enjoy the French food and wine in the ports of Southern Brittany. John Boyd has twice entered the Round Britain Race in his Rival 36 and of course there are the adventurers amongst the members who believe in going to extremes - Sir Francis Chichester in his round-the-world trip in Gypsy Moth, Hugh KingFretts crossing the Atlantic under oars and the Clarksons who cruised round the world in their sloop Pile Cap. Sir Francis Chichester 69 Many of these sailors can only escape for an hour or two on the water but there are those with time to spare. Early on a summer's morning when the tide is flooding and the mist still hangs over the estuary these lucky ones will be already on their way, creeping out towards the Bar, to be rewarded as the sun strengthens and the mist disperses by a glorious day's sailing in the Bay. Only when the sun sets and the tide once more rises over the Bar will they be seen returning to their moorings to a pint and a yarn at the Club. It seems a long time since Norman Payne, who now owns a Dynamo crewed for the Appledore fishermen in a One-design, since Roger Day and Min sailed their Enterprise, and since Roger Isaac crewed for Peter Phillips in Wayfarer I; but the comforting thought is that they, with others, have led the way into a kind of sailing which they will be able to continue for years to come. They have no need of morning Bridge to pass the time and long may that remain so. Roger and Min Day return to the slipway A T w e l v e M o n t h Affair The summer days afloat in fair weather and foul come to an end all too soon but once the boats are out of the water and safely laid up at the Yacht Club, or up the river, there is all the scrubbing, painting, anti-fouling, repairing and fitting out to be done. There are evening classes to be attended to brush up on navigation or to get a higher certificate, and on Friday evenings the Club is full of conversation and the laughter of these Comrades as they discuss, advise, tell tall stories and make plans for the coming season. The Modern L o o k . Left: Jimmy Johnson's Pocher, 'Champagne', with unstaid mast. Right: David Lambert's Moodie 31, 'Ilikai', with cruising shute and narrow mainsail; both very different in outline from the first cruisers. 70 Hooked - the Sprat that became a Mackerel David Shepherd who now owns a Fulmar recounts:"It was June, and the girls would soon be home for the summer holiday. In an effort to avoid the boredom which had been evident on previous school holidays Ray suggested "Why don't we introduce them to sailing?" Never having given it any previous thought the idea was not received with any great enthusiasm, particularly as I was supposed to actively support this venture: "When we suggested the idea to our younger daughter Prances she seemed quite keen and so it was arranged we would both attend a one week course with Jimmy Johnson during the school holiday. "What a lot was crammed in to that week. Shore-based instruction was quickly followed by instruction afloat, including capsize drill, and ultimately going 'solo'. "We survived it all and on reflection agreed it had been great fun. "It appeared one's name could be put forward to join the Yacht Club, but what did one sail in? It seemed one could buy a Mirror Kit and build one's own dinghy. I wondered if I could manage that. "So the winter was spent on a cold garage floor, with the car outside, and gradually the boat grew. Was it really possible to tie the pieces of ply together with copper wire and still not sink? In those winter temperatures all sorts of things happened to the resin: Ray says she heard words she hadn't known before, particularly when the centreboard case was being fitted to the hull. But at last it was all finished. I tried to sail it like a motor boat until Jimmy said one day "I think you might find it easier if you sat more amid-ships". What a difference it made! "The one thing I remember particularly is the great friendship and support everyone showed when one was trying to get the act together. Particularly the night I went down to Bideford when trying to make Appledore. I thought I would have to walk home! "Funnily enough, in spite of all our efforts Frances never really took to sailing. It was I w h o got hooked." A Near Disaster It is not all smooth sailing! Robin Munday recalls his unforgettable experience on a 'Baggy Leap' race when the wind was force 3-4:"We had rounded Baggy Leap, and were close to the Bar buoy on the way home when we decided to set the spinnaker; I had been reluctant to do this as my crew was inexperienced. However, I sent him forward and was giving him instructions when a large wave decided to break over the stern causing the boat to broach. Whilst trying to correct this the rudder blade broke, the boat now capsized throwing me into the water As I started to swim clear I realized that it was righting itself so I caught hold of the side and was thrown across the cockpit as it came upright, meanwhile my crew had walked down the side and up again and had not even got his feet wet. "I now started the outboard engine and motored into the white 'water beside the channel, to try and collect the items of equipment that floated there. The engine stopped, and we capsized again. The sails were quickly lowered, and left in a heap on the deck, and we drifted further into the rough water, towards the beach. Roger Isaac was behind us and when he came into sight I fired a flare and the lifeboat was launched. By the time it had got to us I had managed to restart the engine and the danger had passed." R o y and Pat Bennett with some of their family on Roysway. Roy's father was apprenticed to Hinks Boat-builders who built some of the original One-designs. Pat was one of the 'Ladies Committee' in the seventies, chaired by Eileen Symons. 71 Crane Work Whatever the size or shape of their yachts nearly all the cruiser members rely on the two Peters (Cook and Short) and their crane. Each spring after the equinoctial gales each newly painted and varnished yacht is gently lowered into the water and towed to its moorings. The old Round House has a first class view of these proceedings, indeed she must occasionally feel uncomfortably close! She must also wonder at the incredible difference between the old wooden Onedesigns with their long booms and huge mainsails, and these modern fibre-glass hulls with cut off sterns, huge genoa jibs and narrow mainsails and with motors at the ready should the wind drop. She might also wonder at the sight of big men in tiny tenders rowing themselves out from the slipway to their yachts against wind and tide. N o r m a n Payne's D y n a m o 'Neano' which he is sailing single-handed. The T w o Peters (Cook and Short) who now own Instow Marine Services and have taken over the crane front Norman Johns. 72 'Foreign Exchange'. John Boyd's Rival 34 in which he completed the Round Britain Race crewed by Geoff Dean. Built by John, she is a real oceangoing yacht and one of the few heelers in the estuary. She has he own floating dock. N o r m a n Johns. In the fifties Norman helped his father look after the Club boats. Later he took over the Ferry and Chandlery, including the crane! Roger D a y and Min in their Westerly Fulmar 'LesJours' 73 Pelicans and Cadets An important feature of any Club is to have a nucleus of able and aspiring youngsters to keep a vigorous flow of new blood coming in as their elders drop out. The Committee first realised this after World War I when juvenile membership was introduced to allow children of members to crew in Club-owned boats. Many others learned to sail their parents' own boats or with the local boatmen in their luggers. Children (like dogs) were certainly not allowed on Club premises. Miss Joany Preston-Whyte was the first member to take active steps to train the young when, quite independently, she gathered a group together and taught them to sail in her boat 'The Pelican'. Three of those early Pelicans, as they were called, have combined their early memories and what follows is their account:"The Pelicans' was a sort of sub-teenage club formed in the late 1920's to channel our youthful energies into productive and character-forming ways. "The moving spirit was a tall, tough, rangy lady called Joany Preston-Whyte; a piratical character dressed always, even on Sundays, in navy blue skirt and jersey, a sailor's peaked cap and old plimsolls. Her face was long, lined and of the deepest mahogany. "The aim of the Club was to train us children to become competent small boat sailors, and the emblem of our final success was the right to wear round our middles, outside the obligatory blue jersey, a length of rope, neatly whipped by ourselves and tied in a reef knot. H o w proud we were of this distinction which also made us eligible to crew in the Yacht Club's One-design boats. This magic bit of rope had an added significance in that it came from Miss Preston-Whyte's own boat, which was one of those smashed to pieces on the concrete wall below the Station during the great summer storm of 1923. "One of the Instow boatmen, Jack Pidler, taught us the mysteries of sailing in an old lugsail called the Golden Hind; other lessons went on in the large loft of the building behind Pilton Cottage, while one of our extra mural activities was helping to rob the public on the annual Lifeboat Day. "When we look at the youthful faces in the photograph those days seemed to have been happy ones indeed, and the sun always shone." In 1930 t h e C o m m i t t e e a c k n o w l e d g e d J o a n y P r e s t o n - W h y t e ' s success b y a m a l g a m a t i n g the Pelicans The Original Pelicans 1926. Miss Joany PrestonWhyte and Jack Pidler with the group, Pat Parsons (Mrs. Brannam) bottom R; Evelyn Hinchdijfe with plait; Peter Longridge, Bridget Beckwith (Mrs. Peel) next to him on the middle row Cormorant drying its wings and the Juveniles but, in the latter part of the 1930's, she was totally incapacitated by arthritis, and no-one came forward to take her place. Youngsters who were not fortunate enough to have parents or friends to teach them had to rely once again on lessons from local boatmen who were authorised to give lectures at l/6d and to take them sailing in 'The Iris' for 1/- an hour. Major Withers presented the Pelican Shield in 1926 to encourage the Committee to make provisions to train the young but records of early winners are missing. In 1934 Col. Didham presented the Pelican Cup but there is little evidence of formal training. Mary Peters (Mrs. Sandford), the first winner of the Cup writing from Victoria, British Columbia, says:- "I remember the Pelicans very well. My name is on the Cup as winner in 1934 but it had nothing to do with any sailing skill on my part. Although theoretically we were not to be helped by the owner of the One-design we were sailing, we were! In practice it was a race between boat owners — I happened to get a good one!" This remained the pattern of things up to the war and even in the years immediately following the war little was done to encourage the young as a group, although keen youngsters were sometimes lucky enough to be A group of some of the 1984 Cadets. taken out by Club members. For instance, in the early fifties when he was very young Tim Gale was taken out by Rose Franklin on the Barnstaple Race. In 1958, still in the One-designs, Tim won the Pelican Cup crewed by his father George. Michael Harris came second crewed by Mary Peters. Obviously Mary had by then become a good sailor, so the process did work! The Cadets Arrive To go back a couple of years, in 1956 Major Freddy Justice, the Chairman of the Sailing Committee, reported that his Committee had in mind a scheme for instruction of boys and girls to keep sailing alive in the estuary. Consequently Admiral Franklin, then Commodore, wrote to members:"The object of early learning is to produce a boy or girl who by the age of 18 can sail and race a Club boat without anxiety to the Sailing Committee. The stages of training should be: 1. 2. 3. 4. Knowledge and use of boats under oars and sail. Study of the elements which affect such use. Handling of single sailed slow boats. Finally, the handling of yachts and knowledge of racing rules. Short cuts to this final stage are certain to lead to trouble in the same way as putting a youngster into the hunting field before he or she can ride." Only three parents actually responded to this grand scheme but things were on the move and in 1957 the word Juvenile was dropped and the much more acceptable title 'Cadet' adopted. The age was fixed at 14 to 18. At the same time Mrs. Skipwith and Mrs. Lomas gave their T T O D No. 1 to the Club either to be used for Cadets or sold to buy a more suitable boat. In the event the latter option was chosen and a lugsail boat was bought and named Pelican. Mrs. Skipwith's twin sister Miss Elsa Garvie offered to help with the training. This was progress in the right direction but it was not until 1960 that retired Consultant Ashton Smalley, a lifelong yachtsman, became Cadet Master and really got things going. The Herons Ashton Smalley had for several years been trying to 'modernise' the type of sailing dinghy being raced at Instow and at his own expense had introduced several post war, faster and more exciting designs. It was not surprising therefore that he should want to acquire some boats suitable and interesting for children and the Club was persuaded to buy two Herons, (a successful little 11' 6" gunter rigged dinghy designed in the 1950's by Jack Holt). Helped by Commander Moriarty and Mr. Fishwick from Appledore and using one of the Club boats, Ashton's own Wayfarer and the two Herons, the number of Cadet members quickly rose to forty in 1961. A third Heron belonging to Ashton Smalley was also made available. For the first time the Cadets were on their own for the Pelican Cup, which was run as a series of short races, the few competent helms changing boats and crews for each race. Fiona Keene (Mrs. de Fontblanc) whose children are now cadets remembers Ashton Smalley as a very kind but extremely fierce man who didn't suffer fools gladly. If you were only a minute late you lost your chance for a The 'Heron' used by Cadets in the sixties. Pamela Gott ready to go racing in her Topper. The First Mirror made in Instow leaves the Round House with the help of Boh Wright's sons. 76 sail. She broke the pump in his Wayfarer and as a result learnt a great many new words! Arthur Boxall was next on the scene. He was a retired civil engineer from the Indian Railways and a keen sailor who had done a lot to encourage sailing in India. He had built his own Wayfarer in Instow - with all the fittings made of teak - a beautiful job and quite the heaviest Wayfarer afloat! Under the joint directions of these two men Cadets were at last allowed to go off in boats by themselves without the restricting presence of an adult. This in time produced its own problems as the Club had no rescue boat. Arthur was an extremely nervous man. He kept the Club's three starting cannon ready loaded and Fred Johns, the Club boatman who owned the Appledore ferry, had strict instructions that if three bangs were heard he was to go to the rescue. The number of Cadets varied between 30 and 40 and the two As (Arthur and Ashton) could from time to time be seen tearing their hair out and bellowing into loudhailers from the beach to their unheeding charges on the water! The Mirror, such a jolly looking boat with its red sails, was instantly attractive and parents built or acquired them for their young so that by the end of the sixties there was the makings of a little fleet. At this time Arthur Boxall became seriously ill and Charles and Pamela Gott lent Ashton a hand, only to take over the whole show in 1970. In the thirteen years during which Pamela and Charles were in charge, the Mirror fleet grew in numbers and ability and literally hundreds of Cadets passed through their hands. Paul Mitchell, writing from Australia is particularly appreciative:"For about five years from 1970 I was a Cadet and spent much of my summer holidays learning to sail under the expert tutelage of Charles and Pamela Gott. After a few times on the water I became an addict and my interest was rewarded by lots of encouragement beyond the Cadet programme. The Gotts accepted me as third in their Wayfarer on numerous race days. During Open Week they recommended me to a visiting Firefly sailor in need of a crew. I sat in his boat all the week doing what I was told while he won all the races in his class. After several years I won the Johns Cup. " N o w I live in Adelaide, Australia, and the skills and experience I gained as a Cadet await their inevitable further use. I along with many others, remain forever in debt to Charles and Pamela for their patience and generosity and the excellence they gave to the Cadet programme." Charles Gott with Hugh Harper, a Cadet for several years. The Mirror Dinghy 1967 saw major developments in the Cadet scene. Cadets over 16 were allowed into the Clubhouse, the joining age was reduced to 12 and the Mirror dinghy was introduced. The Mirror, designed by Barry Bucknell the T.V. do-it-yourself star of the 1960's, really caught the public imagination. The stitch and glue method of construction looked so easy on television that Mirrors began to be built everywhere. The first in Instow was built by Bob Wright and John Hughes in the Sailing Room of the Yacht Club and with great difficulty taken out through the front door. The Club's Herons were sold and replaced by Mirrors and Ashton Smalley bought one for use by children which was later donated to the Club. Another built by Arthur Newton and his son was called Boobs because of the large number made in the course of construction. However, it is still sailing in the estuary today so it cannot have been too bad. 77 The Club is Recognised The move to the new Yacht Club further assisted in the growth of the Mirrors. For the first time the Club had an adequate and convenient dinghy park and also somewhere to give onshore instruction. In 1974 the Commodore, Captain Johnson, then an R.Y.A. Coach got the Club recognised throughout the United Kingdom, thus setting a recognisable standard. Steadily increasing numbers brought quite a burden in both organisation and control and required a number of helpers both in the safety boat (another Pelican) and in teaching. Towards the end of the 1970's Jimmy Johnson took on the shore instruction and later in 1983 relieved Charles and Pamela of the responsibility which they had borne with such cheerful good humour over the years. Under their care the Mirror fleet increased to some thirty boats with sometimes as many as twenty taking part in the Pelican races, now sailed as a five day series under adult rules and conditions and fiercely contested. It is not the preserve of the boys to win the races, there have been many excellent girl helms, amongst the best Jackie Turner and Susan Day, each winners of the Cup and each crewed by her younger sister. The enthusiasm for sailing first gained in the Cadets has in many cases been handed down through the generations. Eric Blanchard, his son Chris and his granddaughter Julie are all keen sailors. Kirkwood is the granddaughter of Col. Birdwood, an early member of the Committee whose son and daughter both learnt to sail in Instow. Patrick Gale has followed in his father's footsteps by winning the Pelican Cup in 1984. Angie Day, James Passmore, Tim Myatt and many others are the sons and daughters of keen dinghy sailors of the past. It is also Arthur Boxall who, with Ashton Smalley organised the Cadets in the sixties. James and Robert Passmore with well set sails in their Mirror 'Gretel'. 78 true to say that some parents have become enthusiasts because their children joined the Cadets. The standard of sailing at Instow compares favourably with anywhere in the United Kingdom and the Club has every right and reason to be proud of its Cadets and their sailing achievement. The young are now encouraged to use their Club and indeed during the summer it is given over to them exclusively on one evening a week. What a change (even well behaved dogs arc allowed in)! In 1986 sixteen Mirrors have taken part in the Pelican Cup series. They have sailed the course in force 5 winds and their standard of sailing has meant that there has been little for the two rescue boats and the Officer of the Day to worry about. This in itself is a considerable tribute to Jimmy Johnson, Pamela Gott and the team of helpers who now share the load of training the beginners. Picnic on C r o w Point on one of the few nice days in 1986. North Devon Sailing School For a number of years in the seventies before he became Commodore, Jimmy Johnson ran a sailing school at Instow. Alex Lowth was one of his pupils She responded to Jimmy's enthusiasm and remembers a wonderful week. After three days of intense tuition she and another pupil were sent off alone in Jimmy's Tracer — "what a thrill it was". Alex is just one of many whom Jimmy set on their way. She takes every opportunity to sail, sometimes at Instow. Two years ago she spent a week on the Malcolm Miller, seasick all the time but loving every minute of it including going aloft. The good report she received pays tribute to Jimmy's early training. Charles Lines writes:- "We had a lot of fun learning to sail with Jimmy: he laid the foundation for a sport from which I have gained immense pleasure, and still do. I remember chiefly his sheer enthusiasm." Cadet Race Course — 'Pool, Puttermouth to port' Keen young Cadet— "Please sir, we know where Pool and Puttermouth are but where's Port?" The present Commodore, Tint Gale, himself a past Pelican winner, presents the Pelican Cup to his son Patrick in 1985. Crew Robert Abernethy No Comment! 80 Safety In common with the change in attitude towards safety generally the Club's views have changed over the years. In the original rules, written in 1905, safety was covered by the requirement that:"Every member who shall not have proved to the satisfaction of the Club Officers that he is able to swim 100 yards shall wear a life jacket when taking part in Club races." Not only are there no records of such tests (can you seriously imagine that the lady helms were put through the trial?) but, if they were made, would the 100 yards have been with or against the tide? In an estuary over one quarter of a mile wide what good would 100 yards have been anyway? Early members report that life-jackets were hardly ever worn although Edward Beckwith did take the precaution of fitting his 8 year old daughter with one when she went out with him in 1914. Quite a few members couldn't swim, even those who could would have been seriously hampered by the tweed trousers and long skirts worn at that time. Although the Club boats certainly did live up to the description "safe boat of one design", surviving near gale force winds, if they filled with water, they sank. The only life-saving provision on board were cork seat cushions. The bailer, of course, was an important piece of equipment. It was an unwritten law that the competitors in a race went to each others' aid and on one occasion in the thirties when a boat sank off Crow Point, Lord Charles Kennedy rescued the crew and then went on to win the race, all the other boats either having gone aground or retired. The Committee's concern when a race round the Bell Buoy was first suggested in 1911 does show that they felt some responsibility for safety: unfortunately they seem to have been more concerned with the safety of their capital assets than with the lives of the members. Beyond ruling that the race should only take place if Capt. Dark agreed that the weather was suitable, they Captain Dark, skipper of the sloop the 'Gannet' which sailed for Lundy each Thursday. She was said to be the last sailing ship to fly the Royal Mail burgee on a regular basis. Capt. Dark was renowned for his long eye-sight and knowledge of the weather disclaimed all responsibility for loss of life. However they ordained that £30 should be deposited with the Honorary Secretary before a member raced to the Bell Buoy in a Club-owned boat. Before the days of the helicopter there was always the danger that, if a boat foundered on the Bar no other craft would be able to reach it. This did cause one fatal accident between the wars -when two members died — "the saddest day in the history of the Club". Life Jackets It wasn't until 1957 when a T . T . O . D . 'was swamped by a breaker on the Bar and sank that the Committee finally agreed to pay £25 for life-jackets (ex R. A.F. Mae Wests) and a rule was made that: "life-jackets must be worn in all Club boats in all official races." Luckily on this occasion, all three members of the crew survived but only as a result of Captain Crane's bravery. 81 Wendy Crane who was helming the T . T . O . D . recounts:"The Bell Buoy race, in which I made history by sinking, was really a disaster. Commander Norman told us it was a good day and a great many people told him they were very doubtful. I had won the Bell Buoy trophy in the two previous races and thought how wonderful it would be to win outright! My husband gave up his cricket and came to crew, rather unwillingly! Another naval officer was looking through his telescope from Appledore and said to his wife 'if anyone goes into that very strange piece of water they'll be in difficulties'. H o w right he was. He saw the wave which went over the stern while we were running before the wind and we sank before his very eyes! "James Justice and two other medical students saw us sink and turned round to help. One of them leapt into the water some way away from us, so then there were four swimmers. I tried to grab the helmsman's air cushion seat and got carried some distance form my husband, who was holding up Vi Churchill-Longman who could not swim. The life-jackets had been tied securely to the mast and gone down with the boat. Luckily my mother noticed that James was in difficulties, so turned back to help him. To her horror she then saw her family in the water! Commander Norman realised something was amiss. He insisted on rescuing me first, although I was in no danger. He then rescued Vi but poor Robin was too weak to get on board. There were three men in the boat but I had to go and lift him in from the water. Vi owes her life to two things (1) that Robin was extremely fit having just completed the penthathlon for the army and (2) that he found the top of the mast to hold on and Vi did exactly as he told her. His muscles packed up afterwards and although hewas discharged from hospital he had to have a week's sick leave. We still have a parchment from the Royal Humane Society, praising him for his gallantry in saving a young lady's life who was in imminent danger of drowning." Wendy Crane (daughter of Bill Skipwith) racing in a One-design. of the Sailing Committee was expressed in the following minute:"It is felt that a safety boat is not required to be in attendance for all races, but rather that races should be run within limits according to weather permitting. A safety boat however, should be provided for Open Week and other principal races such as the Bell Buoy and Middle Ridge, this boat to be hired and manned by a professional seaman. "The Committee feel that with these arrangements made, and taking into consideration the safety factor of the modern sailing dinghy, plus the ruling on personal buoyancy, also the considerable expenditure which would be involved, that they are justified in recommending to the General Committee that no steps be taken by the Club to purchase a safety boat of its The entry in the log for July 26th 1958 was:- First day in the history of the Club that all sailors wore lifejackets.". Many of them remember feeling very foolish and uncomfortable. Safety Boats Although Pilot boats were organised for the longer races, the Committee did not consider them essential for general racing and, as late as 1964 when the Wayfarers and Redwings were already well established, the view 82 These 'modern' dinghies might have had positive buoyancy but, particularly in the case of the Redwing with its very tall mast, they could prove quite a problem to right and meanwhile the tide might well have been carrying them out to the Bar. As everyone knows, sudden changes in the weather are frequent; what might have been a suitable day at the start of a race is not necessarily the case an hour or so later. Before Bill Wrench-Buck had learnt about the hazards of the Bar he nearly met disaster by sailing his Wayfarer across the middle of the Bar on a Bell Buoy race. Suddenly out of a calm sea he was lifted high on a giant wave and then crashed down into only a foot or so of water. His centre plate leapt up and the whole process was repeated twice more. To his astonishment the Wayfarer was still in one piece. He and his crew, recovered from the shock and went on to win the race easily, everyone else having taken the longer, safer route into Skern and leaving the channel buoys on their correct side. The Officer of the Day, Capt. FinlayNotman, was not amused and, as a result, a rule was introduced that all boats crossing the Bar must keep to the channel. On another occasion before the days of radio equipped rescue boats, two children got into difficulties on the Bar. One of the fastest dinghies raced back to the Club to raise the alarm but, luckily for the children, a cruiser helm bravely managed to get alongside -just in time — and the children were saved: the alarm would have been too late. The First Rescue Boat In the end it was the rising cost of hire charges paid to professional skippers using their own boats to cover races, coupled with the difficulty of keeping an eye on a fleet of racing dinghies of different Portsmouth Yardstick handicap ratings spread over the estuary, which caused the Committee in 1967 to start to investigate the possibilities of purchasing a rescue boat for the Club. Finally in 1969, after two more years of hiring boats at greater and greater cost, they purchased a Dell Quay dory and outboard for £550 and Mr. Tyler, a member, agreed to operate it for the season. John Barnett who joined the Club in 1971 takes up the story:"A power boat enthusiast for many years, I attended the Club evenings and it soon became known that I had a high speed dory. Ospreys were the premier fleet at the time and I said to gain local knowledge I would be very willing to act as rescue boat if and when required. The Club already had a dory of its own but even in those days it was becoming apparent that, with the speed of boats, for large events more than one was required. I made my offer one day and within minutes Eric Blanchard was outside looking at my boat trying to work out how to write the words 'Osprey Rescue' on the sides. I found that with big events, to helm a rescue boat properly, required a certain amount of skill and prior knowledge. Although accidents could happen at any time due to gear failure, the majority of capsizes and problems occurred in bad weather and high winds. Even then, the Osprey fleet was very quickly split up into leaders and stragglers who could be spread out over an area of half a mile, so it was very difficult to keep track of everyone, particularly since there was no radio then. I joined the Committee at the beginning of 1973 and I was immediately pressed into service as Rescue Boat Officer, to look after the rescue boat as opposed to actually having to operate it. I very quickly found that the boat proved unreliable. The problem was not a bad engine or a bad boat but that many of the operators of the boat knew absolutely nothing about planing boats, starting procedures or indeed how to look after an engine whilst in use. Consequently, nearly every weekend the boat had starting problems. On one occasion when the gears seized up the dory was ignominiously towed home behind Arthur Littlejohns' Osprey! A lot of money was spent on it over the next two seasons and Norman Johns used to keep a supply of the most readily used engine parts in stock, specifically for us; I think that he still has some to this day. "In 1975 it was agreed to purchase a new engine as it was hoped that this would solve the reliability problem. This engine proved as unreliable as the old one due to Yacht Club members who proved to be allergic to reading the starting instructions. In addition, once the engine had been started, members succumbed to the 'Toad' factor and the hull became pretty battered and patched with much filler, as people regularly drove the boat over the concreted slipway at high speed. "After a year of more trouble, at which time the Rescue Boat Officer lost a great deal of his hair due to tearing it out, and was also threatened with divorce due 83 to long absences from home whilst at the Yacht Club trying to start the engine, it was finally decided that a better and more reliable boat was needed. It was decided that reliability was the prime factor and it was agreed that a diesel engine was required. T h e Pelican with Jimmy and Mary Johnson on board. they'd both come up to me and stand one each side, and start talking to me at the same time, both in broad Devon. They would usually start by telling me why one of their own boats would have been better, and then they'd end up by telling me what a magnificent job they were doing with our Plymouth Pilot which, to their credit, they were. They would regularly give me lectures on how to sail an Osprey properly and castigate the young boys who sailed them and obviously didn't have a clue about anything. It was also ominous that they were undertakers and there was always a coffin or two lying about the premises somewhere. The engine was duly fitted and the boat was taken over to Bob Wright's shed at Instow where enthusiastic members of the yacht Club undertook the final fitting out in conjunction with the local Petter engineer. We accomplished the launch on Instow Beach by towing it below the high water mark at low tide, attaching an anchor behind the stern of the boat and gently easing the Land Rover and trailer forward. From that day to this, the boat has proved a great success in terms of reliability, having only let us down on one or two occasions." The Pelican "The Commodore sent a round robin to members setting out the requirements and asking for support. In no time at all the rescue boat fund was built up to the £2,500 required, £500 being raised by Eileen Symonds and the Ladies Committee. During the autumn of 1976 the new boat was ordered. It was agreed to purchase a Plymouth Pilot Hull and have it professionally fitted out by Fords in Appledore. Philip Waters of Appledore Shipyard agreed to provide a Petter diesel engine at cost. I recall that I volunteered to pick up the hull and when I reached the company concerned I was appalled to find that it was a very floppy looking contraption. However, it was duly delivered to Fords and during the course of the next few months it was interesting to see the construction of the massive floor beams which turned the 'floppy' hull into a very strong boat indeed. There were two brothers at Fords and whenever I turned up Even the Catamarans can he thankful for the slow and sedate 'Pelican' 84 V.H.F. Intercom The reliability, power and stability of the Pelican are first class but its usefulness might have been short-lived if the decision to install VHF radio had not been taken in 1977. Once the O . O . D . Room was equipped with a base station and the Pelican with a hand portable, (later to be replaced by a more reliable VHF properly installed in the boat), the Officer of the Day could keep a grip on the situation, particularly in areas out of his sight, and in the last resort contact the Coastguard station for aid. A further advance in 1985 was the purchase of a second portable VHF radio unit so that at Open Meetings and major Cup Events a second, faster rescue boat (to date usually loaned by a member) can now be despatched to a trouble spot without delay. N o w in 1986 the decision has finally been taken to purchase a second rescue boat — a high speed Sea-horse. herself high on the starboard hull, looking down on Paul at the stern in the water. In Sue's words :"Paul, realising this was no time for reflection shouted to me to make my way to the bow. I decided to shin, caterpillarstyle down the shroud to the end of the mast and then swim back. As I tried to swim I realised that my harness was pulled tight but my fingers were numb and I couldn't release it. I also discovered that the jib sheet had wound itself round my arm and one leg and was rapidly tightening. I discovered later that this was Paul who was trying to use it to right the boat. He quickly realised what had happened and got off the boat to help but, all of a sudden just as he had released me, a gust caught the 8' x 10' square of trampoline and the boat took off at a rate of knots, skimming along sideways on one hull. To do Paul credit, all he said was 'that's torn it!'." The Lifeboat Only recently the limitations imposed by the speed of the Pelican were displayed when Paul Jury's Stampede capsized. His very light-weight crew, Sue Kirby, found T h e Inshore Lifeboat stationed at Appledore. (Reproduced by courtesy of the R.N.L.I.) So, there they were bobbing about in the cold water out of sight from the O . O . D . tower and with the Pelican disappearing up the Taw to another rescue situation. It was very cold but suddenly the maroon went off and within minutes they saw the lifeboat. Sue continues:"You feel, once you know everything is all right, that you would have done anything to avoid them launching but on this occasion there really was no alternative and we were extremely thankful to see them. They couldn't have been kinder and helped Paul right the boat while I sat wrapped in thermal blankets." In this respect the Club is extremely lucky to have on its doorstep the R.N.L.I. inshore lifeboat at Appledore and the helicopter from Chivenor should disaster occur. The safe way home 85 A N e w Era The Seventies and Eighties After the move the Club became a Do-It-Yourself organisation. The tremendous effort of so many at the time of the move was just the beginning, there was still no let up for the Committee. The Club was in debt to the tune of over £4,000, £2,000 of which was an overdraft at the Bank. The Committee therefore called a Special General Meeting in the autumn of 1972 (at that time A.G.M.s were in May) to propose substantial increases in subscriptions. As a result Full Membership went up to £10 and a new category, Family Membership, was introduced. At this stage ladies still paid less than the gentlemen but by 1974 equality had eradicated this advantage. These funds were needed not only to reduce the debt. There was plenty of work still to be done - the slipway to be widened and lengthened, walls and fences to be built, the drive to be surfaced and the dinghy park enlarged and fitted with staylines and toast-rack for tenders. The cruiser owners needed dinghy sheds and these were built on to the end of the Club House, the roof becoming a sun deck. Even though part of the expense of these projects was paid for by a County Council grant, over £1,000 had to be found by the Club. In fact, had it not been for the working parties of members who provided all the labour this sum would have been very much larger and much of the work would have had to be delayed. Extensions to the Dinghy Park were achieved by leasing areas of mud from the Tapeley Estate and then dumping rubble from demolished buildings on it, the only expense involved being purchase of top dressing and hire of bulldozer and steamroller to finish the surface. The first of these buildings to help in this way was the dear old Marine Hotel, to be followed shortly afterwards by the White House (the Bungalow), home of the first Commodore, Admiral Sir Edward Chichester. Perhaps present members will spare these buildings, so closely associated with the old Club, a 86 passing thought as they haul catamarans, Mirrors and Toppers across the Dinghy Park. More recently the remains of Victoria Terrace and other smaller properties have been dumped. In total, the capacity of the Dinghy Park has been increased from 39 to 100 boats - and there is still some mud to spare. In 1972 Mike Shard had to wait until all conventional dinghies had been accommodated before his catamaran was allowed in. N o w the catamarans have pride of place on the Park. T h e White House, home of the Chichesters in 1905. It was called 'The Bungalow' locally for some unknown reason. It was surrounded by large gardens, now mostly built over. The Club House Inside the Club House a fundamental change was taking place. It quickly became apparent that, now that living-in accommodation was no longer available, a full-time Steward was not a financial possibility and the Committee found themselves faced with the beginning of the continuing problem of keeping the social side of the Club alive. Organisation of Social Events such as Launching and Laying Up parties were usually put in the hands of members of one of the main Classes, these were mostly informal affairs and classes vied with each other, with very varied results, to put on a good evening. In 1974 ballroom dancing to gramophone records gave way to a Disco. It is interesting that even in the former case there were complaints that the music was too loud. DinnerDances were often held at the Commodore Hotel another link with the past from the days when dances were summer events at the Rifle Hall and 'sitting out' was in the gardens of Strandfield (now the Commodore Hotel). During the winter, lectures and film shows were organised once a month and the Club was lucky to get a number of famous yachtsmen to the Club. A New Look Committee During the seventies the Committee itself underwent a change. Every member found himself or herself with a specific area of responsibility - membership, dinghy park, the fabric, the rescue boat, the Bar, and so on: the load was spread as widely as possible as it is today. Under this system the financial state of the Club gradually improved and by 1977 the overdraft at the Bank had gone and some of the loans had been repaid (others having been converted into gifts) and the way was clear to accumulate funds for expansion in the eighties. Sailing in the Seventies Early in the seventies both Wayfarers and Ospreys were in their heyday and major Cup Events were well supported by these and by a variety of other classes represented by one or two boats of each. The cruiser membership was increasing rapidly, many of the earlier dinghy sailors joining the group. At the other end of the scale the Mirror fleet was growing. By 1974 the Committee at last recognised its existence and a series of 20 races for Mirrors was included in the racing programme. There were regular Open Events for the Wayfarers and Ospreys with visitors coming from as far afield as Dundee. It wasn't until late in the seventies that there is a note in the minutes deploring the poor turnouts of the Osprey helms and by that time the first of the new catamarans (the Dart) was on the water. Membership Secretary From the time of the re-organisation of the Committee, David O'Kelly became Hon. Membership Secretary, a post held for eight years. When he decided to retire his very efficient box file system was replaced by a computer programme organised by Tim Gale. In one way it saved a lot of effort, but David's file was there, beside the telephone, when queries arose. Captain C J . A . J o h n s o n R.N. (Jimmy) was Commodore for ten years from 1974. Under his guidance the Club took advantage of the opportunities provided by the move to the station site. His family connections with the Club go back to 1906 when his grandfather was asked to approach 'suitable' gentlemen to add to the Club membership. He has sailed since early childhood. 87 The Social Side Sadly the old set realised that their kind of Club had gone for good. Playing bridge in a none too cosy new Clubroom was not at all like the old days. Gone was the friendly welcome from the Steward which Stan Forrester remembers receiving when he knocked on the door of the Round House in the mid sixties. In between the tenures of a series of Barmen and parttime Stewards there were long periods of self-help with rotas of members running the Bar and social events. In the early years Marjory Sutherland played a major part in all this, she and her family being largely responsible for keeping things going. The Club however, was no longer open all day and every day. Gradually as the seventies progressed the hours of opening decreased until by 1976 the Club was only open on Tuesday and Friday evenings, on Sunday mid-day and after racing. The Bar 'take' increased even though the spiritdrinking bridge players had almost disappeared. This time it was the huge consumption of beer after racing which provided the much needed funds. (There were still fleets of over 30 in Cup events.) By the mid-seventies a Ladies' Committee had been formed under the Chairmanship of Eileen Symons. They organised rotas of ladies to clean and spring-clean and generally care for the Club. They also provided snacks and organised the catering for Open Weeks and Open events and were wise enough to reserve the right to choose how their profits were spent. They saw to it that some improvements were made in the kitchen! They were also responsible for raising £650 towards the Rescue Boat Fund. The Last Five Years Since 1980 the Committee has continued to improve the premises. The slipway has been still further extended using huge 12' x 5' reinforced concrete slabs which were below standard for building purposes. It took several months of argument before it was finally decided to risk using a Hymac on the mud. In the event the driver did an expert job and hauled his tracked vehicle back up the mud with its own shovel. The only slightly fraught moment occurred when the chain holding a slab broke and the Commodore and his aides were covered in mud. Mud-spattered Working Party just after the crane broke. L to R:- Garry Hudson, John Boyd, Jimmy Johnson, Tim Gale and John Barnett. "The Ladies"! The Clubhouse has been improved and redecorated. The Bar and kitchen have been enlarged. Picture windows have been fitted so that members can now enjoy the view just as their predecessors did from the windows of the Round House. Staff are employed to run the Bar, serve food and do the cleaning. It has become a family Club, open throughout the summer. Non-sailing parents no longer stay behind, On some Sunday afternoons the Clubroom ressembles a playgroup. 88 The ladies still organise the major social events and numbers attending these have increased dramatically. Perhaps the busiest week since 1980 was the 1982 Open. The Handicap II entry was boosted by fifteen visitors from the Bexley Sailing Club in Kent. They arrived complete with families who had hoped to spend the week on the beach. Instead the weather was terrible and they spent the time in the Club while the valiant sailors coped for the first time with rough weather on a tidal estuary. Their determination and their delightful families made the week. The Latest Developments In 1982 it first became apparent that British Rail were finally closing the Barnstaple and Bideford railway. Since that time the Committee has been in constant touch with British Rail pressing their interest in acquiring part of the land. The tactics worked and now, in 1986 the last piece of land available for expansion, other than onto the mud, is the property of the North Devon Yacht Club. The funds so carefully accumulated during the previous five years made the purchase and development of the land possible. This extra space will be used to good advantage to relieve the parking situation. The cruisers which are now laid up for the winter in the park provide a further source of income to help maintain the property. At the present time huge concrete sections, now redundant from the site of the new bridge across the Torridge, are piled on the dinghy park to be manoeuvred into position to form a quay for cruisers and a second slipway across the mud. The great efforts of the Committee at the time of the move were just the beginning. Their decision to buy the Railway Station was a wise one indeed. Spring Working Party cleaning the slip-way. Frank Parkhouse and Wilf Grant in the foreground. Storm Damage Some near disasters have happy endings. In 1982 there was a violent storm which destroyed the ugly concrete wall along the edge of the drive. After a struggle the insurers paid up and the money was used to surface the drive which until that time had been an ankle trap for pedestrians on dark nights. Life has become simpler for the Officers of the Day. They no longer have to cope with flags. Jimmy Johnson and John Jeffers have devised a simple system of lights to replace them (simple, that is, once the system has been explained!) Peter G o o d w i n ready to fire the gun. Peter and his wife learnt to sail when he retired from the A. A. aged 65. These three cannon have been with the Club since early days. On one occasion one of them 'jumped' the sea-wall in front of the Round House - luckily no-one was below. The ear shields are a comparatively modem addition. New Problems The advent of the catamarans posed new problems for the Officer of the Day for the major handicap Cup Events. The very different sailing characteristics of catamarans and sailing dinghies makes it extremely hard to set a fair course and the difference in speed between them means that they can be sailing under quite different tidal conditions. In a favourable wind the big cats can be round the Bell Buoy and home in thirty minutes. These problems were as nothing compared to those posed when the sailboarders first arrived on the scene, fired with enthusiasm but little skill. The Officer of the Day was faced with multi-coloured sails with no numbers and to the traditionalist most of these sailors seemed to be in a permanent state of capsize! They found it astonishingly difficult to complete a simple triangular course! Within the five years since they were first accepted by the Club all this has changed. There are now a considerable number of good sailboarders, including amongst them some of the Redwing and Osprey helms of the past - Roger Chope, Robin Gale and John Boyd. Denzil Bath the original sailboard leader had a hard time overcoming the Committee's conservatism, but his efforts have resulted in the introduction of a Club Class — the Elvstrom — and the inclusion of sail-board Open Meetings in the racing programme. T h e N e w - l o o k lady m e m b e r . Sally Ford is an expert sailboarder. She has just become the fourth lady Vice-Commodore following in the foot-steps of a formidable trio - Miss Preston-Whyte, Miss O'Brien and Mrs. Skipwith. T w o 'Old' Members who believe in keeping up to date! John Boyd and Robin Gale, both owners of large cruisers but also enthusiastic sailboarders. Cadets of the Future. Sally Ford's son David and his girlfriend of that moment. Sailing in the 80s As the seventies drew to a close a further change in the pattern of sailing took place, as revolutionary in its own way as the change from the One-designs to Redwings and Wayfarers had been. First the catamarans appeared to be followed shortly afterwards by the sailboats. In both these cases the Committee took some while to accommodate to the new requirements of these exciting speed machines. The first member to sail a catamaran regularly at the Club was Mike Shard with his Tornado, but Bill Searle was the real founder of the catamaran fleet. He had sailed in his youth with his uncle in a working ketch from Braunton but since then rugger had been his sport and it wasn't until he gave up playing that his thoughts turned again to sailing. He consulted Mike who said Tornados were difficult to tune. It was Mike who encouraged him to buy a Dart and taught him the art of sailing a cat. That was in 1978. In 1979 Bill entered the Nationals at Exmouth with Mike as crew. They did well to come twenty-sixth out of eighty-four - "and that wasn't anything to do with me" says Bill. Tragically, Mike died of cancer in the following year and so he never knew that the initial resentment in the Club about a catamaran not being a proper boat was quelled once and for all when the Commodore, Jimmy Johnson, bought his Spark. "It's all progress, once it Cat Men From left:-John Payne (guest), Alf Jones, Paul Jury, Denzil Bath, John Mitchell, Simon Miller, John Barnett, Bill Searle, Andrew Miller, No comment! was One-designs, then Redwings, Ospreys and Wayfarers, and now it's the turn of the catamarans," was Jimmy's comment. The first chance for the catamarans came in 1980 when the Club held an Open Catamaran Meeting sponsored by Messrs. Harris & Sons. There were 31 entrants for this handicap event — Darts, Hobies (14s and 16s), Sparks and Condors. For the first time the estuary was alive with multi-coloured, full-battened sails, travelling at fantastic speeds. The growth of the Dart fleet dates from that meeting. It was to have just four years as the major class on the estuary, a period of intense enthusiasm equal to that of the Redwing and Osprey fleets in their heyday. Modern protective clothing made it possible for the racing calendar to be extended and a winter series was introduced, the season ending with an Icicle or Frostbite Week at the end of the year. Although the Hobies were slower to catch on than the Darts, they appear to have the greater staying power. Chris Roby-Jones has been their most faithful supporter, but for four years only he and Paul Jury owned Hobie 18s. N o w there are five regularly racing although Paul had transferred his allegiance to the Stampede. N o w in 1986 the Dart seems to have had its day at the Club. In the United Kingdom International Dart Association Meeting (UKIDA) at Instow there was only one N . D . Y . C . Dart and that was No. 1219, Bill Searle's original cat which John Mitchell and his wife Chris have been sailing with great success for the past five years. Other Dart sailors have transferred their loyalty to the faster Stampede, the Dart's big brother. Catamaran racing has become a handicap event between these and the Hobie 18s. "The Rest" - Wayfarers, single-handed cats, Lasers and so on - are lumped together in a fast-handicap class. During the few years that they were in the ascendancy the Dart sailors became enthusiastic members of the class association (UKIDA). The Harris Trophy became an annual UKIDA event at the Club and in addition the Woolworth Paddle was transferred to the catamaran fleet. They regularly travelled to away events at Rock and Pentewan Sands. Some have travelled abroad; Bill Searle and one or two others as far afield as Italy to the European Championships, where Bill came 14th out of 132, and to the south of France. Just recently Mike Webb and Malcolm Seymour came 5th overall in their Stampede in the 1986 European Championship at St. Moritz. Today Thus the pattern changes and a look at the Club list of the 286 boats owned by members in 1986 shows that they represent over 100 different classes or designs. Whether this is the cause or the result, the fact is that the keen class racing of 25 years ago is no more, except in the Mirror fleet where the cut and thrust of one design racing is still enjoyed. However, just as the types of boats have diversified so has the membership which is now drawn from every walk of life, the common bond being the love of the sea and sailing. Hobie 18s, Stampedes, John Mitchell's Dart and Geoff Dean's Osprey prepare for a race in Open Week 1986. 92 Husband and Wife T e a m . John Mitchell and Chris race Dart No. 1219 in Open Week 1986. Ian Brooker's H o b i e 18: well balanced in a stiff' breeze. John Barnett, crewed by Paul Jury, at speed on his Stampede. Paul is himself an expert helm who often leads the fleet home. A Cadet of the Future. Norman Smith and his 10-year-old daughter Helen. Together they sailed to victory in the Open Week 1986 Mirror Series. Temple-like pile of Concrete Sections collected from the bridge site up river to he used to further extend and improve the dinghy park. Appledore Regatta 1986. Crowds still line the Quay for this event just as they did before the Yacht Club was founded. This time they are watching the cruisers off. Epilogue If the founder members of 1905 entered the Club today during any Sunday in the sailing season they would no doubt be shocked by the scene. A bulging car park, members in extraordinary garb for sailing, small children getting under their feet, ladies drinking at the bar and a multitude of different boats and gaily coloured sails. But surely their initial shock would be overtaken by wonderment, pride and enjoyment at the way that their seed has burgeoned. Sailing as a sport is now open to anyone and no longer the preserve of the privileged. Dare one speculate on the changes that may be seen in the next 80 years? Certainly the number of boats and sailors will increase and modern materials will continue to improve and give the designers the opportunity to build lighter and stronger craft. Already specialist sail boards are within a whisker of the magical 40 knot speed barrier. Wing sails are under development for yachts as is solar power for electronics and auxiliaries. One thing is certain and that is that nothing stands still, therefore we can look forward to the continuing excitement and challenge of our sport. If you have enjoyed this book, and we hope that you have, you probably will have come to the conclusion that throughout its life the club has been kept on course by a succession of strong characters, who, each in their time, have been convinced that they were "On Starboard." We hope that this quality will continue into the future, for on such characters do clubs grow and prosper. T h e Old and the N e w . The old Dallimore No. 10 One-design, lovingly restored by Alec Gosling, who is sailing it here with present day Cadets. N o w a d a y s only the Oyster catchers enjoy the mussel beds. 95 Trophies No record has been kept, therefore these notes are from memories and from the inscriptions on the trophies. Some of the early trophies were won outright after three successive wins. These include the Marriott Cup. BECKWITH C U P Presented to the N . D . S . C . in 1920 by Edward Beckwith. All his family were keen members. His son, Dick, was killed in World War II while escaping from the japanese after surviving the sinking of H.M.S. Prince of Wales. Miss Betty Beckwith who still lives in Instow. BLACKMORE CUP In memory of Mr. J. Blackmore, boat builder whose yard built some of the original One-designs. JOHNSON CUP Presented by Capt. C.C. Johnson, for about 10 years Sailing Secretary between wars. Originally Six-Win Cup for first member to win 6 races in the season. SHAW L A N T E R N Presented by Miss Phyllis Shaw, not a sailor but a regular O . O . D . in the fifties. Handicap race to Bar Buoy. O'BRIEN SALVER Challenge plate presented by Miss Peggy O'Brien, keen sailor and ViceCommodore. Lived at Newstead, Instow. PORTLEDGE TROPHY Presented by Miss Beale whose family lived at Portledge during the 30s. BARNSTAPLE CUP Presented by Miss Evelyn Hinchcliff. Family lived at Hillsleigh, Instow. Evelyn was an original Pelican. SANDERS CUP Presented to N . D . S . C . in 1924 by Brig. General Sanders, himself a not very successful helm, to be raced for by helms who had not won a cup during the season. WHITE-ATKINS PLATE Presented in memory of Rev. White-Atkins who was a leader of the breakaway movement in 1914. Remembered as a very fussy gentleman. His sister Beatrix was also a keen sailor. STEWARD'S C U P Presented by Alec Provens on retiring in 1972. He was the last steward of the old yacht club. VALENTINE CUP Presented to the T. & T.S.C. in 1921 by Dr. A.W. Valentine. BARNSTAPLE CUP Presented by Lord Charles Kennedy in 1930. The Mulock family held it for 9 successive years between them. PENNYMAN CUP Presented by Rev. W.G. Pennyman who holidayed in Instow. Originally for a race between the T. & T.S.C. and N . D . S . C . CHRISTIE C U P Presented by A.L. Christie in 1924 to the T. & T.S.C. FREMINGTON A U G U S T BOWL Originally won by Lady Baird of Fremington House in her 6m yacht "Thistle" in 1923. In 1933 the Cup was presented to the T.T. & N . D . Sailing Club by Lord Charles Kennedy, who had married Lady Baird. FREMINGTON JULY TROPHY Also presented by Lord Charles Kennedy. SWEETING C U P Inscription "The Novice Cup", won in 1920 by Mr. H.S. Sweeting in a steeplechase on a horse called Last Call II. In 1929 he gave the C u p to the Club. He was a retired Shanghai and Yangtze pilot who lived at N o . 2 Victoria Terrace, Instow. TAW A N D TORRIDGE TROPHY A fine example of a mid 19th century Harvest Jug. An early trophy which had been won outright. It was found in an attic and re-presented to the Club. EVATT CUP Presented by Col. Evatt in 1935 who lived in Instow, was a keen bridge player and supporter of sailing although not a sailor himself. Guided the Club through the war years. FRANKLIN C U P Presented by Rear Admiral Gordon Franklin, Naval Officer in charge at Appledore during World War II. His children Richard and Rose w o n a lot of races in the 50's. SHARD TROPHY Donated by Mrs. Shard in memory of her husband, Mike, who's Tornado catamaran inspired multihull racing at Instow. CEYLON CUP Origin unknown. L A N G C U P S I, II, III Presented by the Lang family. Mrs. Lang, known as Granny Lang, lived at N o . 1 Bath Terrace, her family Bill, Gervais, Lavinia and Josephine all keen sailors in late 30s and 50s. DAYRELL CUP Major Dayrell lived in Instow for several years in the 50s before leaving to go whaling in S. Atlantic after inventing a 'humane' harpoon. MULOCK BOWL Presented by Mrs. John Mulock in memory of her husband John. John's father Frank was a keen sailor pre World War I and a good artist. LOIS G O V E B O W L Presented in 1947 in memory of Miss Lois Gove, the glamour girl of the 30s who died of cancer in 1945. 96 PETERS T R O P H Y Presented in 1960 by Major Peters, a Canadian who came to live in Instow at Little Hill North after World War I. Both daughters sailed. Major Peters enjoyed bridge and the social side of the Club. JUBILEE T R O P H Y 1905-1965 A painting of Wayfarers, Redwings and Ospreys off Appledore Point, by local artist Peter Orr. HANDICAP TANKARD Origin unknown INDEPENDENCE CUP Presented in 1956 by Lt. Col. and Mrs. Heinl, U.S. Marine Corps. The Colonel was for 2 years on the staff of the School of Amphibious Warfare at Fremington. The Cup is supposed to be competed for on a day near 4th July and Stars and Stripes flown from the flagstaff. Inscription:- "Let Freedom Ring". WAYFARER T A N K A R D Inscription "Wayfarer National Championships, presented by the Class Association to the N . D . Y . C . in 1961". WAYFARER H A L F P I N T Inscription "Wayfarer National Championships, presented by the Class Association to the N . D . Y . C . in 1961". BECKWITH FLASK Presented in 1965 by Col. Ted Beckwith, grandson of Admiral Chichester to mark 50th Anniversary of Club. Ted was taken prisoner in 1940 in Norway. In prison camp he wrote evocative poems about Instow and his boyhood here. LESSER L O O N E This is the last of 3 miniatures of the Loone Trophy presented by Dr. A.W. Valentine. The Trophy was given in memory of the original One-designs which were called by bird names. John Mulock won it outright and the miniature was retained as a permanent trophy. PETO CUP Presented by B.A.J. Peto to the N . D . Y . C . in 1923. Originally for a race to Middle Ridge. DIDHAM BOWL Presented by Col. C.V. Didham who owned the 1926 T T O D . No. 1. Originally for an 8 mile race. PELICAN CUP Presented by Col. Didham to the Pelicans in 1934. Originally it was the "Taw and Torridge and North Devon Sailing Club Challenge Cup" PELICAN SHIELD Presented to Major Withers in the 30s but no record of results survive before 1960. P E L I C A N GIRLS' C U P Presented by A.J. Newton in 1976. First winner was Jackie Symons, daughter of Eddy who did so much to help develop the Mirror Fleet JOHNS CUP Presented by Norman and Derek Johns for helms under 18 years of age in memory of their father 'Freddie' who was Club boatman in the 50s before he started the Chandlery. BOXALL CUP Presented in 1974 in memory of Arthur Boxall who did so much for the Cadets. BRANNAM TROPHY Presented by Peter Brannam, managing director of Brannam Potteries and who started the Redwing Class at Instow. MAJOR J O H N PHILLIPS T R O P H Y Presented by Mr. Winkle of the jewellers Garnish & Winkle in memory of Major Philips who had been very interested in the cruising side of yachting. Specified that trophy be used for a non-racing event. RUSSELL T R O P H Y Presented by Mrs. Molly Russell in memory of her husband Vincent who had spent much of his boyhood in Instow and returned on retirement. Loved messing about in boats and was a good sailor. NEW YEAR T R O P H Y Originally Bill Searle, Chris Robey-Jones and one or two others sailed for a broken paddle in an unofficial New Year series. In 1984 Bill gave this C u p and the series became official. B A T T E R E D J U G 1982 Found by Mary Johnson in rubble for the Dinghy Park from Bideford Goods Yard. Once property of Southern Railway. Gold plated by T. Gale. GUINNESS TROPHY Presented by J. Barnett whose father was a Senior Executive of Guinness who sponsored the trophy. WOOLWORTH PADDLE Presented by Woolworths in 1965 for the first Osprey Open held at the Club. HARRIS T R O P H Y Presented in 1980 by the board of Messrs. R. Harris & Sons (builders) for the first catamaran Open held at the Club. REDWING T R O P H Y Presented by Peter Brannam, co-founder of the Redwing fleet. Peter's wife Pat was an original Pelican. TAYLOR CUP Presented by Graham Taylor, school master at South Molton. A very good helm indeed in both Wayfarers and Darts. YELLOW WELLY Given by Bill Searle when the sailboards first started racing. ELVSTROM T R O P H Y Presented by Sue Kirby in 1985 for the Club sailboard class. 97 Officers of the Club Vice Commodores 1905 Captain C.G. Tomlin R.N. 1906-07 H.J. Mason 1908 Major Pigott 1909 Dr. A.W. Valentine 1910 F.C. Mulock 1911 Capt. Prideaux-Brune 1912 Lt. Col. Alexander 1913 Capt. H. Morgan 1914 Capt. Prideaux-Brune 1915 Lt. Col. Alexander 1916 General Hammersly 1917-18 Major H. Morgan 1919 Capt. Prideaux-Brune 1920 Lt. Col. Champion de Crespigny 1921 C.F.T. Hinchcliff 1922 Lt. Col. C. Didham 1923 Col. Champion de Crespigny 1924 Dr. A.W. Valentine 1925 Col. Champion de Crespigny 1926-32 Lt. Col. C. Didham 1936 MissJ. Preston-Whyte 1937-48 Miss M. O'Brien 1949 Miss M. O'Brien/Mr. H. Bourne 1950-53 Mrs. Skipwith + 1954 No Record 1955-56 Rt. Reverend A. Bill 1957-59 Cdr. Norman 1960-61 A. A. Smalley 1962-63 H.R.R. Bourne 1964-65 W. Wrench-Buck 1966-67 P. Philips 1968-69 P. Faunthorpe 1970-73 R . D a y 1974-76 C. Gott 1977-82 R. Newton 1983-85 R.Bennett 1986 J. Barnett Sailing Secretaries 1907 W. Beresford 1908-10 F.C. Mulock 1911 W.H. Valentine 1912-13 Lt. Col. Alexander 1914-18 No Sailing 1919-20 Lt. Col. Alexander 1921 C.F.T. Hinchcliff 1922-23 Lt. Col. C. Didham 1924-25 Dr. A.W Valentine 1926 L. White-Atkins 1927-31 Lt. Col. C. Didham 1932-37 Captain C . C . Johnson, R.N. 1938-39J. Mulock 1940-45 No Sailing 1946 M. Slade 1947 A. Sweeting 1948 H.R.R. Bourne Rear C o m m o d o r e s First Held 1949 1945-49 M. Slade + 1949J.W. Hyde/Dr. Waller + 1950-52 A. A. Smalley 1953-54 Miss G. de Crespigny + 1955-58 Mrs. Skipwith + 1959 H.R.R. Bourne + 1960-61 P. Brannam/E.A. Bramwell + 1962-63 A. Boxall + 1964-65 B. Evans + 1966-67 P Waters + 1968 P Philips + 1969 R. Day + 1970 Miss P. Babb/A. W. Wright + 1971 P Waters/H. Scarborough + 1972 P. Waters/R. Isaac + 1973-76 G. Dean + 1977-79 G. Smith + 1980-82 G. Taylor + 1983 J. Barnett + 1984-86 T. Pratt + Honorary Secretaries 1905 William Beresford/F.C. Mulock 1906 William Beresford 1907-22 Col. Stafford Harding 1923-24 C. F.J. Hinchcliff 1925-27 A. Pilkington 1928-30 N. Hulton 1931 Lord Charles Kennedy 1932-35 No Record 1936-47 Dr. Pearson 1948J.W. Hyde 1949-55 H.R.R. Bourne 1956-60 Miss G. de. Crespigny + 1961-62 Col. P. Whitehead 1964-65 C. Price 1966-68 Miss P. Babb 1969-72 G. Metcalf 1973-76 J. Barnett 1977-85 Miss P. Lines 1986 W. Pope Honorary Treasurers 1905J.S. Marriott 1906-09 O . P . B o o r d 1910 G . G o r t o n 1911 L. White-Atkins 1912-24 F.A. Searle 1925-27 H. Miles 1928 Captain C.C. Johnson/ A. Pilkington 1929-31 A. Pilkington* 1932-35 No Record 1936 Dr. Pearson 1937-44 Dr. Miller 1945-48 M. Slade 1948-49J.W. Hyde 1950-55 H.R.R. Bourne 1956-57 Major F. Justice 1958 Col. P. Whitehead 1959-60 P Faunthorpe 1961 E.A. Bramwell 1962-63 F. Purse 1964 H.R.R. Bourne 1965 F. Purse 1966-68 K.Taylor 1969 J. Bennett 1970-72 J. Harbord 1973-74 L.Cooper 1975-77 J. Hunter 1978 C. Fox 1979-81 R. Carder 1982-85 Lt. Col. W Barr 1986 G. Caunt * After m o n t h s of wrangling, Mr. Pilkington was forced to resign because he refused to sign the accounts w h i c h were one penny adrift! + Also Sailing Secretary 98