Flying Dutchman GBR290

[cweed]

In case anyone is interested , or missed it, this is advertised in the classifieds of the current edition of Yachts and Yachting.

Described as 1976 built by Bob Hoare. £1100, with a contacts area described as 'Finsbury Park'.

[Julian]

Hiya all

I'm really surprised that no-one on this forum has been drooling over this boat. It wont be that long now before I am in the sunset home for befuddled ex dinghy sailors, where there will be two types of people, those in the corner with a glass of tempranillo, quietly smiling, who have fading memories of their time sailing an FD, and those in the day room, watching cash in the attic, uneasily wondering what it would have been like!

Its like the story of Doris Gusset, its not what you do that you regret later, its what you could have done but didnt do!

If you watched and enjoyed the C4 documentary on the last Vulcan bomber then you might understand a little of what FD sailing is like.

Replaced now by the light sabre of the 49er as the top predator, this is still the finest, best balanced and sharpest warriors broadsword there ever was. In the words of the tacky advert, 'just do it'

This example, 1976, from the top builder in the UK, all wood, full double bottom, civilised lifting rudder, and apparently new trailer ?and trolley? I think it has at least a rudimentary raking rig, so it has advanced to the late 1980s at worst. I would think it is ripe to either be lovingly restored and stroked, or thrashed to death if you cant be bothered to care.

They are easy to sail, bloody hard to sail fast. With a roller genoa you have the ability to turn the heat down instantly. Taken gently they behave like a wayfarer, turned up to 11 and it is like sitting on a Saturn Five, on the outside!

If anyone is interested in buying it, or has done and needs any support, then please feel free to contact me, I'm just a ragged arsed dinghy sailor, but I have been doing FD for the last 20 years, so I've done most things wrong in my time, and would love to assist anyone who wants to play too. Same goes for any other conventional high performance boat too.

looking forward to Clywedog 2016, whats the date, Keef??

cheers, and an early Happy Christmas to everyone with epoxy in their beards or anywhere else

Julian

[azimuth]

Now that does sound tempting, especially with Julian's stirring endorsement of the class. I can't find the add - maybe it's in print only (that's odd, I'll check what it says on the front of my calendar !).

Sadly neither my garage or river are big enough... and that's ignoring the collection of Finns and zeniths in the way!

On the plus side though I already have a glass of Tempranillo on the go!

[davidh]

Having sailed - and raced, in internationally competitive FDs, I can only echo the sentiments expressed by Julian. Sail an FD in what is genuinely open water (at Kiel, the course for the FDs was outside of the fjord) and when the breeze was up you really knew that you were in a pedigree racing machine. Going upwind, in wind and big waves just had to be one of the great experiences dinghy sailing has to offer.

Where our view would differ would be in the overall experience, for in addition to sailing FDs at Kiel and elsewhere at the top level, I also sailed 505s, again - at Kiel and elsewhere. Both are amazing boats that still, to me, represent the pinnacle of dinghy sailing. What's more, both FDs and 505 continue to thrash around the course in conditions that would have the lightweight and over canvassed skiffs either in trouble or dashing for the shore.

Having sailed both boats extensively, would I say which is 'best'? No - for the two boats are so good, yet very different, it would surely come down to personal preference. And my personal preference would have to be for the 505. Going upwind may be great, but pushing a 505 hard downwind, in big seas, is the most spine tingling, buttock clenching scream out loud experience there is. Again, at Kiel (I must have all but lived there at one time) I once did an event in the Tornado with Rob White and one day....it blew old boots. Now that was an experience too and in terms of going quick was something else.....but it lacked something. The 505, kite up, blasting downwind, takes all the prizes.

What is sad is that from the events that I have covered in the last 2 years, only 2 have any real attraction for either the FD or 505. THis would be Blithfield and Bosham.... and even the latter, at low water, would not be easy. The classic scene has yet to reach out /make itself attractive to the faster boats and as a consequence, these boats, along with so many of the others in the 'heavy metal' brigade, have yet to find a home. There was talk of the classics going to bristish Steel /Tata SC which surely would have been a venue worth promoting to the bigger boats but I fear that this fell by the wayside. But this is a shame, for there are boats like this out there. By the FD or a similar priced 505 and you get a HUGE amount of boat for your money - and you won't regret it!

D

[suffolkmerlin]

David, Aldeburgh would be ideal for a 505 or FD particularly down river of the club. Never sailed an FD but did sail a 505 for a few years and agree completely with your comments, a fantastic boat. In my dotage I am able to get a similar experience sailing a K6 great up wind and takes off down wind and safe in the knowledge of no swimming just the occasional broach. I know it's a modern plastic boat but it gets me out on the race track!

[alan williams]

Hi Dave. As you know I've sailed both but my preference is for the FD due to it's windward performance.
Cheers Alan

[roger]

I dream of owning an FD, it was the boat I lusted after as a boy and even thought about selling all my children to buy one.

However at over twenty foot I just don't have room or live near enough to a venue where I could sail her.

As far as events for larger classes are concerned we have held them and seen 5os and FDs at Roadford in the early days and an FD at Netley and of course Julian and Jamie have brought FDs to Clwedog.
We have of course had a fair few Jollyboats at Roadford, Netley Clwedog and Bough Beech. The numbers of the 5os and FDs just haven't been there and the sea event we had at Netley we unfortunately had conditions which caused a fair bit of damage to the more frail boats.
There have been plenty of events over the years where these boats could sail but the number of boats attending just haven't appeared.
The only Hornets which attend have generally been my ones with the occasional visitor who has never returned.
I am sure the time will come but we haven't as yet seen the interest.

[PeterV]

Reading Julian's eloquent prose, substitute Finn for FD and that sums up my attitude after the Finn nationals at Falmouth in 2012 and my decision to buy another Finn.

Like Keith, lack of a longer garage is one of the very few reasons I haven't responded to the call of an FD, always one of the most beautiful and desirable boats. I've still got my logbook of my first boat and, in the notes of my first race in 1972 I wrote that we struggled to get back in after the race because 'the bay was cluttered with dutchmen'. Those were the days!