Marazion - A History of Local Sailing Boat Racing

There are records of organised sailing and racing inPeter Gartrell, finished as runner-up. He went one
Mount's Bay dating from the middle of the nineteenthbetter the following year at Stone Sailing Club where
century. One of the local sailing clubs, Mount's Bayhe became National Champion. During the 1960s and
Sailing Club, has trophies from this period; theseearly 1970s the local Osprey fleet went from strength
trophies are still awarded annually for the Club's dinghyto strength with the fleet growing to more than 40
racing.boats - believed to be the largest fleet in the world.
The first serious class racing probably started in 19031970 proved to be a sensational year for Marazion's
following a decision to adopt an 18 foot Jolly BoatOsprey sailors. In the national championships, held at
Class. Major the Hon. Edward St. Aubyn bought oneSaundersfoot, with an entry of 99 boats, Mount's Bay
and sailed in Mount's Bay under the Royal YachtSailing Club helmsmen (Ken Robertson, James
Squadron flag. When he had to leave for service inCurnow, John Mathews, Ian Roxburgh and Neville
Egypt, he gave her to the Mount Men to race; sheNoye) took the first five places. The Osprey remains
was renamed 'Mount Lily'.an established Club class today.
By the 1930s the population of the Mount hadSince the mid 1970s dinghy sailing has grown in
increased and more people became interested inpopularity and there was a demand locally for a wider
sailing and racing sailing boats. Formal series racingrange of boats to sail. Over the years, the Mount's Bay
was introduced on Tuesday and Friday evenings withSailing Club has adopted the Enterprise, Laser and
weekends reserved for regattas.Mirror dinghy classes.
In 1938, a sailing club, The Mount's Bay Sailing Club, wasThe Enterprise is a very seaworthy two-person racing
founded, but its early activities were short lived withor cruising boat designed by Jack Holt in 1956. Over
the outbreak of war.20,000 have been registered worldwide but the design
In 1946, The Mount's Bay Sailing Club re-establishedis no longer sailed locally.
itself. The small fleet of Jolly Boats increased to eightThe Laser is a popular one-design class of small sailing
with the purchase of three further boats: "Westwind";dinghy, designed by Bruce Kirby. Nearly 200,000
"Sheila"; and "Happy Days" from the Isles of Scilly.Lasers have now been produced. The Laser owes its
Competitive dinghy racing in Mount's Bay became apopularity to the very competitive racing that it
regular occurrence and local helmsmen gainedprovides as a result of the very tight class association
formidable reputations. Summer regattas took placecontrols that eliminate differences in hull, sails and
between the Mount's Bay and Isles of Scilly Isles fleets.equipment. The Laser is an Olympic Class racing
In 1954 the renowned boat designer Uffa Fox visiteddinghy.
Mount's Bay to demonstrate his latest design, an 18The Mirror is a highly successful pram dinghy, designed
planing hull dinghy. It was purchased by Lord St. Levanby Jack Holt and TV do-it-yourself expert Barry
and named 'Judy'. By 1956, the Mount's Bay SailingBucknell in 1962. It employed a novel construction
Club fleet of such racing dinghies had grown to five.method where sheets of marine plywood are held
Towards the end of the 1950s, many members oftogether with copper stitching and fibreglass tape.
The Mount's Bay Sailing Club had come to prefer theMore than 70,000 have been built.
Ian Proctor designed Osprey to the Uffa Fox boat.More recently still, Mount's Bay Sailing Club has
The Osprey was thought to be better suited to theaccepted monohull handicap fleet racing which allows
often extreme weather conditions experienced inthe Club's members to race many of the latest
Mount's Bay. By 1960, 15 Ospreys were racingdesigns from which new Club fleets may evolve.
regularly at the Club.Each summer Marazion hosts a National, European or
In 1959, Marazion hosted the second Osprey NationalWorld Championship dinghy sailing event.
Championships - Mount's Bay Sailing Club member,