Pete Elliston, East Coast OGA Area Secretary, brings some thoughts about the increased interest in racing smaller boats in the Area.
The OGA was formed way back in 1963 and there is always some debate, friendly of course, as to exactly where but here on the East Coast we have always known that it was founded on the Blackwater in Essex!! This location was once again, as it has been for many years, the place where we held our Annual East Coast Race. This time we had a large entry of small boats in our Class 5 Race which we have not been able to hold for many many years as there was seldom sufficient interest in this class of small trailerable open boats.
16 boats entered ranging from a 14 foot Heybridge lugger through to the Mersea Bumkin open boat of about 18 foot in length. There was also the Ian Oughtred double ender ‘Badger’. A pair of ‘Windsong’ one design luggers arrived from the Norfolk workshops of John Owles. Two of John’s team of Young Gaffers are working the boats around the country and dropped in for our West Mersea event. Another boat of note in the Race was the International 14 hull converted by Henry Wells to a balanced lug rig which did really well against the Norfolk contingent, just proving that having a gaff rig on a classy hull of known pedigree really works well too.
We have never before to my memory had so many small boats to this event. Indeed this number is normally represented in the big boat classes 1 to 4 in previous years. We believe this years’ turnout was a truly great achievement and is in part due, I am sure, to the enthusiasm of our OGA small boat secretary Mike Dixon! Also, in part, due to the success of the Swallows and Amazons event held at the end of June at the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club who have been hosting us for the last 27 years.
Report: Pete Elliston, EC OGA Area Secretary
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