(^22) CLASSIC BOAT NOVEMBER 2017
TELL TALES
Britain’s biggest boat show, which took place in
September on the Southampton waterfront, was blessed
with late-summer sun, and only a few showers. For lovers
of beauty and tradition, the main attraction was the
Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association (WBTA) stand,
where annually boatbuilders of small hand-built craft
congregate to show their wares – and it seemed this year
that the stand, while more compact than in some previous
years, was particularly busy with new boats. The WBTA
stand is more than just a celebration of wood and
craftsmanship though – it is a reminder of a di erent take
on the whole business of sailing – a take that has a lot to
do with relaxed, easy fun on the water.
Among the seasoned builders at the show, a
newcomer was Simon Hawksley, a former oil industry
employee who followed a dream and enrolled at the Boat
Building Academy in Dorset, producing a stunning Donzi
speedboat. More on the boat in a future issue of CB.
Meanwhile, in the marina were Rustler with its popular
37, Henley Sales and Charter with an electric river
dayboat, Cornish Crabbers with boats from 19-26ft,
Swallow Yachts with a BayRaider 20 and BayCruiser 23,
Saer with a handful of its similarly-sized and very sleek
yachts and Tofinou with its popular 8. A highlight was the
new Duchy 35 from Cockwells, a pocket-sized semi-
displacement superyacht designed with Andrew
Wolstenholme and finished to the highest standard.
Lastly, Spirit Yachts gave a fascinating presentation on
its forthcoming 111ft wooden sloop – more to come
on this too.
Classic display
SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW
The Wooden
Boatbuilders Trade
Association stand
The new Duchy 35 from
Cockwells, designed by Andrew
Wolstenholme, with the Duchy 21 picnic launch,
based on an old Cornish harbour launch, alongside
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEFFAN MEYRIC HUGHES
Clockwise from top left: Orcadian boatbuilder Ian Richardson’s newest boat, looking
great with a nearly all-paint finish; this open Thames launch, built in 1915, was restored
by Michael Dennett, who marks 60 years of boatbuilding this year; a few sleek SoT
weekend-sized yachts from Dutch builder Saer were on show; Bembridge man
Ben Coombes spent a decade in apprenticeship with his grandfather learning to build
small boats, and is pictured with a Bembridge Scow (granddad built 200!), built of
ash timbers, IoW oak, and planking of mahogany and Canadian spruce:
£9,000 inc rig. Left: the appearance below decks on the Spirit 111
is space age, with swooping, converging curves
CB353 Southampton round-up.indd 22 26/09/2017 14:02
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(Barré)
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