As a child, the owner of this 1938 Robert Clark design once carved a
model of his dream boat from a block of oak. Now he owns a yacht that
matches that dream – Naiande
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS RON VALENTONE
BOY’S
DREAMNICK BURNHAMCOLIN DAVISGILLIAN MURPHYMIKE MANTLELETTERS
Send your letters (and also any replies, please) to:
Classic Boat, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place,
London SW3 3TQ
email: [email protected]Mystery’s pefect design
An owner’s thanks
Regarding the article on the Robert Clark Mystery (December issue), it’s
important to remember the Mystery was a ground-breaking design, drawn
while Clark was convalescing. It had a perfect shelf (metacentric), which
meant that under any sail combination, any wind strength and at any angle
of heel she would have neutral helm, something I discovered with CB’s
former editor Nic Compton when we sailed her on the East Coast. Leave
the tiller and she would just track straight, which was scary. Uncanny. What
would happen if you fell overboard?
Adrian MorganThank you for the article and the privilege of allowing
a classic motor yacht to be on the front cover (Lady
Hertha, December issue). It does seem a rarity.
Since the article was written I have very generously
been given two original logbooks for the years 1938 and
1939, by Colin Davis, archivist of the Thames Vintage Boat
Club. The last poignant entry written by the owner,
Mr EGS Gordon, being 21 September 1939: “Took ship to
Camper & Nicholson”. The boat was requisitioned by the
Government for the duration of the Second World War.
One person who should have been mentioned but
wasn’t was the Captain of Lady Hertha, Pietro Borgo, who
acted as the project manager and oversaw the restoration
from start to finish. In fact many of the innovations were
his ideas and his ability to navigate the intricacies of an
Italian boatyard were invaluable.
The owner
M/Y Lady Hertha
I read with interest the article by Gillian Murphy in your October 2015 issue
(Be thankful you have water) about Bangalore SC.
My father was a keen sailor and owned boats wherever he lived in the
Far East. In 1952 he moved the family to Bangalore, where he ran a factory
manufacturing telephones. He soon sought out the nearest sailing club,
which was based on a large lake known as Hesaraghatta.
Great weekends were spent there racing Snipes. I still have his burgee
and the many silver teaspoons that were presented as awards for winning
races and regattas. I also have a couple of solid silver spoons, engraved
with ‘BSC’ and a Snipe logo (pictured), which we use every day.
I left India in my early teens, but your article triggered happy
memories of hot, lazy days at the BSC, which gave me a life-long
passion for boating of all types.
Mike Mantle, PooleIndian summer memories
Correctors or Kelvin Balls
Thank you for the December 2015 issue of Classic Boat
and as usual it contains articles of real interest for the
readers. There is one clarification that I would like draw to
your attention, on page nine in the article on the motor
yacht Lady Hertha, the description of the main photograph
mentions “corrector spheres”.
The correct name for these is Kelvin Balls.
James Hawkins, via email
T H E W O R L D’ S M O S T B E A U T I F U L B O A T SWolstenholme Andrew
ROYAL SOCIETY EXHIBITION Robert Clark’s Mystery The ideal family cruiser^ His key designs
Classic marine artASH, OAK OR SPRUCE? The perfect oar IN THE YARD Gaff schooner refitCUNLIFFE New series TOM
starts this month
Power dressingin Thirties styleWHITE
LADY ‘How we sailed
our 18ft lugger round Ireland’http://www.classicboat.co.uk seth