BUTTERCUP
Buttercup’s cosy two-berth cabin and (inset)
compact galley. When moored, the cabin roof
can be raised for increased headroomBUTTERCUP
LOA
35ft (10.7m)LWL
25ft (7.6m)BEAM
8ft 6in
(2.6m)DRAUGHT
3ft 6in (1.1m)SAIL AREA
670sq ftthe first Broadland restoration projects at the boatyard
he runs with his brother Robin in Potter Heigham. The
work included replacing of part of her hog, 200ft of
planking, many of her timbers and the fitting of a new
rig. Within a year she was once more a familiar sight on
the Broadland circuit making her post-restoration debut
at the 1977 Oulton Week.
Patrick has continued to use Buttercup for a mixture
of cruising and racing ever since. Describing how she
handles, Patrick said: “She is simply a joy to sail and
excels in light fluky winds. In these conditions, she tends
to out accelerate most of her contemporaries when she
heals over and her overhangs come into play. She has
a light helm and she will spin on a sixpence. As you
would expect, downwind her large sail area gives her an
advantage while upwind she will give her contemporaries
a good run for their money.”100 TH BIRTHDAY
Buttercup’s centenary turned out to be her most
successful year with the highlight proving to be the
wining of the magnificent Buckworth Trophy at
Wroxham Week. This was highly appropriate as it
was Mr Buckworth who donated the trophy, the same
man who was the instigator of her chequered career.
By a curious twist of fate, Buttercup’s centenary also
coincided with the completion of the Broads yacht
Firebird by Patrick’s brother Robin.
At first sight Firebird may look like a thoroughbred
racing yacht but beware – looks can be deceiving. In the
22 years that have passed since Firebird’s launch, Robin
has found her to be both a competitive racing yacht and
ideally suited for cruising the picturesque waters of theBroads with his wife Anne and son Ian. Firebird follows
the modern trend of construction for traditional style
Broads yachts consisting of a GRP hull and deck
moulding fitted out with a wooden cabin and cockpit.
Firebird’s GRP hull is a Farrington 30 which was
designed in 1980 and has been known variously as the
Easticks 30, Facey 30 and Wolstenholme 30. Over the
years the mould tool has been altered by the addition
of 4in to the freeboard to increase the accommodation
for hire fleet use which flattened the sheer and sacrificed
some of the original hull’s beauty. Robin decided
Firebird’s hull would follow the original profile, so he
removed the extra 4in it had accumulated. He also
designed the rig, internal layout and the cabin profile.
Summing up Firebird’s handling characteristics, Robin
said, “she handles very nicely, the helm is light and she
points really close to the wind and compares extremely
favourably to her contemporaries. She has proved to
be stiff in a strong wind and very forgiving to handle.
Firebird’s only real weakness is her downwind
performance in light airs – nothing that 15ft of carbon
fibre and an asymmetric won’t cure! Under power
she turns within her own length but you must always
remember that when the mast is lowered there is an
extra 25ft of mast overhanging the stern.”
This story poses a couple of rather intriguing
questions. Are the Richardsons the only brothers to
own the same type of sailing craft with a 100-year age
gap between the boats and will both of these yachts
still be sailing in 2096? Only time will tell.Robin & Patrick Richardson, Phoenix Fleet,
Tel +44 (0)1692 670460 http://www.phoenixfleet.com