Practical Boat Owner – September 2019

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Q Swale Smack and

Sailing Barge Match, 10

August, at Hollowshore,

kentishsail.org

Q Lake District National

Park Authority’s Lake

Ranger team’s free

lifejacket clinics, 10-

August, at the Lowther

Show, lowthershow.co.uk

Q SailGP Cowes, 10-

August, at Cowes, sailgp.

com/races/cowes/

Q Falmouth Sailing Week,

10-17 August, at

Falmouth, falmouthweek.

co.uk/sailing-week

Q Cowes Week, 10-

August, Isle of Wight,

cowesweek.co.uk

Q Oxford City Royal

Regatta, 17-18 August,

at Isis river, Oxford,

oxfordrowingclub.org.uk

Q Fowey Royal Regatta,

18-24 August,

foweyregatta.co.uk

Q Portland Week, 19-

August. Visitors offered a

range of free and paid for

aquatic activities,

portlandweek.co.uk

Q Thorpeness Meare

Regatta, 22-23 August,

thorpenessmeare.com

Q Swanwick, Bursledon

and Warsash Regatta, 24

August, at Hamble River,

bursledonregatta.co.uk

Q Alderney Regatta, 24-

August, Channel Islands.

Open to local and visiting

yachts, info@

alderneysailingclub

Q IWA Festival of Water,

24-26 August, at Lee

Navigation at Waltham

Abbey, waterways.org.

uk/events_festivals/

festival_water/IWA_

festival_water

Q Dartmouth Royal

Regatta Sailing Week,

24 August-1 September,

dartmouthsailingweek.

com

Send your diary dates

to [email protected],

see more online at

http://www.pbo.co.uk/events

DIARY DATES

NEWS

One of the biggest ever

gatherings of Westerly

Centaurs took place from 3-

July on the Isle of Wight, writes

Dave Selby.

More than 120 people and 50

Centaurs gathered at Duver

Marina in Bembridge Harbour

to mark the 50th anniversary of

the 26ft bilge keeler.

The Fairey Owners Club has

marked the 60th anniversary of

the Fairey Huntress motor

cruiser at Fairey Marine’s

original home, Hamble Point.

Around 65 club members,

along with 17 boats, met at the

marina for their summer rally,

where examples of every

model from the Huntress to the

last production boat produced

by Fairey Marine were on show.

The club’s treasurer Chris

Davey said the Huntress was

really the starting point for

modern motor cruisers, with

most planing powerboats, RIBs

and raceboats tracing their

DNA back to the Huntress’s

deadrise hull form launched in

1959 by Fairey Marine.

Developed from a Ray Hunt

‘Deep V’ design in the late

1950s in response to the

demand for fast motor boats,

the single engine Fairey

Huntress became synonymous

with style and performance

after being launched onto the

world stage with a starring role

in the 1963 James Bond film,

From Russia with Love.

Celebrating the Fairey Huntress

Celebration rally attracts 50 Westerly Centaurs

M

AA

Fifty Westerly

Centaurs attended

the July anniversary

Charter company Sunsail

has announced it is to

spend £3.75 million on 25

new Jeanneau Sun

Odyssey 410s for its UK

fleet. The new boats will

have three cabins and one

head, the bowsprit will be

removed and a racing

pack for jib and main sail

trimming will be added.

New UK Sunsail

Jeanneau fleet

The first 15 boats will be

delivered in 2020, with ten

more arriving in 2021

Between 1969-1980, 2,

Centaurs were built, making it

the most successful British

yacht ever. The vast majority

still survive today.

Centaur owners Dale

Betterton, 80, and wife,

Dorothy, even flew in from

Tennessee in the United States

for the celebrations.

Festival organiser Hillary

Corney said the Centaur is still

attractive to a new generation

of sailors: “We had several

boats turn up that were recently

acquired by folk in their 20s

and 30s. It seems ‘generation

rent’ are beginning to get it and

understand the fun and value

of owning a Centaur.”

Every model

produced by Fairey

Marine was on

display at the event