Classic_Boat_2016-10

20 CLASSIC BOAT OCTOBER 2016

TELL TALES

COURTESY OF GSTAAD YACHT CLUB

Q& A

How many yachts now take part in

the Centenarians Race?

The race is unique, reserved for boats

that are 100 or more years old and

over the years it has gathered some

of the most gorgeous and best

performing classic yachts from the

past century. The 2016 edition is the

sixth and we are expecting 20 to 27

boats on the start line at Les Voiles

de St Tropez, including aficionados

like Lulu, Marigold, Nin or Owl, past

winners like Oriole and Olympian and

some rookies, like the NY50 Spartan,

dating from 1913 and racing for the

first time in the Mediterranean. We

have staggered starts and the first

boat to cross the line off the St

Tropez breakwater is the winner.

Are many Gstaad YC club members

the owners of classic yachts?

Yes, several GYC members. The idea

for the Centenarians Race came

about in 2011 when Mariquita was still

owned by a GYC member and

celebrated her 100th anniversary in

that year. GYC member Daniel Heine

participates for the third time this

year on his yacht Silhouette. The GYC

Honorary President George Nicholson

was on the winning yacht of the 2012

race when Marigold took the trophy

home and we hope to welcome the

1912 yawl Spirit of Carib.

What is the relevance of the club to

the wider sailing public?

The Gstaad Yacht Club was founded

in 1998 by a group of sailing

enthusiasts with the vision to ‘create

a unique global yacht club away from

the waters, instead of another local

club by the waters’. The club supports

the classic scene and sailing on all

levels from juniors to Olympians. Rio

is the third time that the GYC had

teams competing in different classes

in the Olympics, this year for

Switzerland, France and Australia.

How is the yacht club supporting

youth sailing?

We organise a sailing programme for

all children in the area around Gstaad

on the lake of Thun, combined with

summer sailing weeks on different

lakes in Switzerland or in the Med.

Besides this, the GYC is supporting

young sailing talent from the area.

Our development team races under

the GYC flag in different classes,

supported by club members and

private donors.

The club offers a wide range of

activities. What is the most popular?

Based in the Swiss mountains, the

Gstaad Yacht Club is an organisation

with 400 members from over 20

countries. We have sailing, skiing,

rallying and golf events among

others, including social activities in

the clubhouse. There are also art,

culture and music events, as well as

cooperative events with

environmental and water protection

associations.

How do you become a member?

The membership application follows a

defined procedure and requires

recommendations by two existing

club members.

Gstaad Yacht Club

Rear Commodore Manrico Iachia

WORD OF THE MONTH

Panama plate

A metal plate bolted to the lugs of a fairlead to close the

gap when there is a danger of the warp jumping out. This

could occur when a ship is secured alongside a high quay,

hence the name.

Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea

This is how Jeremy Clarkson

described on Twitter a recent ride

in an Albatross A Series, powered

by a Coventry Climax engine. We

loved the tiny British aluminium

speedboat from the 1960s when we

had a ride too, back in 2013. Just

12ft long, with an unforgiving flat

bottom, supercar acceleration and

45-knot capability; who wouldn’t?

CLARE M

CCOMB

CB ARCHIVE

BRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE

First coble festival

a success

At the first ever Bridlington Coble Festival (5-6 August)

seven local boats were joined by the double-ender Mavis

and David Warwick’s Christina which had been trailed all

the way from Henley and Cornwall respectively, reports

Clare McComb. There was a huge buzz among spectators

at the traditional North Pier viewing point, with much

discussion of family connections and memories of

Yorkshire working boats going back to the 1930s.

John Clarkson, the town’s retired coble builder, had

rushed from crane management (lowering Grace into the

water) to watch his own engineless Free Spirit being towed

out of the harbour to take on the elements. John also built

Misnomer from new but started in 2013 by restoring the 1912

Three Brothers from the waterline up.

Other Bridlington-based boats heading out were

104-year-old 28ft (8.5m) Madeleine Isabella, built for the

famous Northumberland Handiside family, and the 1934

crab and cod fishing coble Imperialist.

Saturday’s westerlies gave way to Sunday’s

southeasterlies and the crews returned from morning and

afternoon sails exhilarated, windswept and beaming from

ear to ear, give or take a broken mast step and an awkward

rudder. There are plans for another, hopefully larger

festival, next year.

Christina, trailed from

Cornwall to Yorkshire

“Coolest thing I’ve ever driven”

ALBATROSS