Holt windsurfer...?

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Max McCarthy
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Holt windsurfer...?

Post by Max McCarthy »

I do not know much about this, and this being a dinghy forum, it isn't strictly speaking part of what the expertise on here may know most about....

....but it being an eclectic mixture of people on here, some who I'm sure will know a little about this.

I was speaking to someone who windsurf's a lot, and he mentioned (I think in the 80's) he built a ply stitch and glue windsurfer kit designed by Jack Holt.

The details were a bit elusive, and there were no pictures to hand, but it seemed to fit the Jack Holt 'stereotype'; ply stitch and glue construction, quite advanced design for the time.

Although he said it was a bit too heavy, it did go quite well.

Apparently built when he was studying in somewhere near Warwick in the 80's, and sometimes sailed at Grafham.

Does anyone know anything about the Holt windsurfer?

Cheers,

Max
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Michael Brigg
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Re: Holt windsurfer...?

Post by Michael Brigg »

THis sounds rather like the Uffa Fox Sculling boat. Another type of boat familiar to some of us.

There are actually plans for this as both a Hard chine and a round moulded structure. Uffa had ideas that such a craft could be made to plane by giving it a transom stern.

Image

Does anyone possess a copy of these plans?

I thought I might have glimpsed one when I was just started rowing but cant really recall. I have a feeling the design flopped and was never explored much further, but I have always wanted to try one out, just to see if I could get it working. A similar project was undertaken by James Grogono, (of Flying Tornado, "Icarus" fame, who also tried to develop a Foiling scull with the intent of conquering Henley, but again the technology of the day was not up to it.

The boat is in bits at the river + rowing museum in Henley, (it fell apart when trialled by an up and coming young sculler called Steve)
Michael Brigg
Max McCarthy
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Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 12:42 am
Location: West Midlands, UK
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Re: Holt windsurfer...?

Post by Max McCarthy »

It's always interesting when well known designers of boats 'dabble in something else'.

But I have a feeling, though that your Uffa scull will have somewhat of a greater following than this windsurfer.

I'm just hoping to be proved wrong :wink: (well to some extent anyway...)
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alan williams
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Re: Holt windsurfer...?

Post by alan williams »

Hi
Jack Holt did design a home built sailboard one of the guys at Mayflower built one not the fastest thing on the water but was quicker than the original Windsurfer.
Cheers Al
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