TELL TALES
Q& A
David Knight of the
Classic Motor Boat Association
The Classic Motor Boat Association
is 20 years old. Is interest in vintage
vessels on the increase?
Yes it is and not necessarily purely for
the CMBA. The Thames Vintage Boat
Club, too, is seeing many boats being
restored. This is the affordable end;
for not much more than £1,500, you
can get on the water in a classic boat
with like-minded people. We have a
membership of 250-300 people,
many with more than one boat.What does the Association do?
Our mantra is the preservation and
use of classic boats. Like a classic car
club, we want to keep these old boats
alive. We have events all round the
country, from Falmouth to Loch
Lomond. The boats are trailerable and
that’s what makes them manageable.
You can tuck them in a garage. You
don’t need any particular skills, as a
competent DIY-er can handle most
jobs. If you are a raw novice there is a
lot of skilled help within the club,
which we all give for free.What boats is it open to?
We are not elitist and don’t limit it. If
someone has breathed new life and
love into an old boat we’ll accept it.
There is not a no-GRP rule. We have
some early Fletchers and one or two
Shakespeares. They’re 40 years old.Can non-boatowners come along?
Of our core membership, only about
40% are active on the water, with
60% armchair boaters, but they love
to read about the boats and many of
them attend our rallies.Is there less of a power-sail divide in
classic boating than other sectors?
I think there is nowadays; I don’t sail
that much these days but I certainly
used to. It’s more a love of messing
about in boats than how your
particular boat is powered.What is the most beautiful classic?
I am going to be biased because I
own a Riva Super Ariston on Lake
Garda. I cherished and lusted after
that boat for years and now I have
one. That’s my favourite.Who has been the most important
designer of motorboats?
Sadly last year we lost Carlo Riva and
Sonny Levi. They were both pioneers
in modern boat design. From my era,
John Teale and Don Shead are names
that shouldn’t be forgotten.Modern motorboats are marvels of
engineering. What draws you to an
elderly wooden craft?
It’s the character. Now they are all
starting to look the same and it’s
getting harder to tell who made what.
There is some interesting design out
there, for instance with Wally, even if
some of it is a bit questionable.Tell us about your boat
For the past five years I’ve had a
Boesch 510 runabout, called Grumpy.
We’re in the middle of restoring a rare
three-pointer, Advance, designed by
Peter Ducane and built by Steve
Curtis. It was going to be burned and
we saved it from the bonfire.
cmba-uk.comYACHTING JOURNALISTS’ ASSOCIATION
Yachtsman and YoungSailor of the Year awards
This year’s Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA) Yachtsman
of the Year award has gone to Alex Thomson, for his tenacity
in the 2016/17 Vendée Globe, where Alex finished a narrow
second after an epic duel with winner Armel Le Cléac'h. The
skipper of Hugo Boss was winning until his starboard foil
snapped off after hitting an unidentified floating object.
However, this was not before he set a number of speed
records including a 24-hour solo monohull distance record of
537 miles at an average speed of 22.4 knots. Alex aims to
return for the next race in 2020.
The 18-year-old Montel Fagan-Jordan won Young Sailor
of the Year for his leadership in raising the money to
restore the 1980s American Admiral’s Cup yacht
Scaramouche, then leading a team of his peers to race in
the 2017 Rolex Fastnet.CORRECTION
Last month’s Q&A with Davey & Co wrongly referred to
owner Peter Tracey as Peter Wilson. The company’s
founder was Arthur Christopher Davey, not Christopher
Davey as we stated. We apologise for any upset caused.WORD OF THE MONTH
Kentledge
“Pig iron, as laid out in a vessel for ballast.”
FH Burgess, A Dictionary of Sailing, 1961Left to right: Alex Thomson, Barry
Pickthall of the YJA and
Montel Fagan-Jordan