Please select your home edition
Edition
Stoneways Marine 2021 - LEADERBOARD

Jack Holt, a designer for the sailor of today

by Rupert Whelan 25 May 2012 14:30 UTC 7-8 July 2012
Jack Holt, with wife Iris and one of Jack's Merlin dinghies 'Fiddlesticks' © The Holt Family

With the date of the Wraysbury Lake Sailing Club Holt Centennial just over a month away (7/8 July), I thought it was a good time to look at what Holt means to the sailing scene of today, rather than looking back at what was happening 50 years ago.

A quick glance at the Nationals attendance figures for the last few years showed that Holt and his designs are still some of the most popular boats sailed in this country. No other designer comes close to the number of classes featuring in the 50+ club. In 2011, Solo (95), Cadet (80), Mirror (77), Enterprise (58), and GP14 (52) all broke the 50 barrier, whilst the Streaker and Miracle have also had 50 attendees in recent years.

This, of course, only brushes the surface of the popularity of the designs. Huge Open Meeting circuits still abound, giving some of the tightest, most skilful racing seen in the UK. The Cadet and Mirror still introduce children to the lifelong joys of sailing small boats in competitive fleets.

At clubs all round the country, Jack Holt boats, whether brand new or old enough to claim a pension, are being raced, cruised or mucked about in by people who are also either brand new (my daughter was 6 weeks old when she went in a Mirror for the first time) or, dare we say it, old enough to claim a pension – and sometimes old enough to have been claiming it for a couple of decades.

All these people (well, maybe not the 6 week old) have chosen Jack Holt boats because they still do their job so well, whether it is going for a picnic on the beach or spending a week racing hard.

So, celebrating the life of such a man isn’t just about getting the old, classic boats out. To truly see how his greatness lives on, the Holt Centennial Weekend would welcome modern, recently built versions of Holt’s designs, too. The handicap system will allow us to see just how much faster his designs have become when built from modern materials with newly cut sails, but we will also be giving a class prize to the winner of any design with an entry of 5 boats or more. So maybe get some of your mates together and pop along to celebrate the life of the man who made all this possible?

More information and entry forms can be found at www.cvrda.org and at www.wlsc.org.uk

Related Articles

Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Two
Three time Jane Tate Memorial Trophy winner, Annika Thomson, talks racing and rubbish... Episode Two of Bukwarks and Bulldust featuring Annika Thomson from Ocean Crusaders is now up and running. The three time Jane Tate Memorial Trophy winner talks about her favourite subjects - racing and rubbish... Posted on 16 May
Dufour 54 - Everything you need to know
Discover all the facets of this 16-meter sailing yacht In a complete video, discover how the Dufour 54 embodies the quintessence of Dufour know-how, from its innovative exterior design to its modular interior layouts, cutting-edge equipment and environmentally-friendly options. Posted on 15 May
Exposure Marine Fastnet Race Kit Video Review
A set of 3 torches specifically designed for offshore racing crews It's a huge year for offshore sailing, and arguably the biggest event of the summer is the Rolex Fastnet Race. Within an hour of entries opening the Royal Ocean Racing Club had received a record 435 yacht registrations. Posted on 14 May
Royal Huisman unveils super-sized Project 412
She will rank among the largest yachts ever built by the shipyard Royal Huisman is proud to announce its latest commission Project 412, a super-sized sailing yacht for a returning owner. Posted on 13 May
How Seldén Carbon Masts are made
I took a look around the Seldén Mast factory with Richard Thoroughgood to find out more I took a look around the Seldén Mast factory with Richard Thoroughgood from Seldén to find out a bit more about how the carbon tow reels become the masts that we use when out sailing. Posted on 12 May
Legend Owners hit target to raise £20,000
Raised for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust at 30th Anniversary AGM The Legend Owners Association (LOA) has been supporting The Ellen MacArthur Cancer trust as their chosen charity since 2006 and over the years has raised £19,000 for the charity. The aim was to reach £20,000 during their 30th Anniversary year of 2025. Posted on 12 May
Next RYA Connected Webinar tonight at 7pm!
Growing membership through non-competitive activity After a pause in April, it's time for the third in the series of webinars aimed at helping clubs boost membership and sailing participation. Posted on 12 May
ARC Europe sets sail for Bermuda
A fantastic week of activities under the beautiful Caribbean sky ARC Europe 2025 has enjoyed a fantastic week of activities under the beautiful Caribbean sky. The odd shower did not dampen enthusiasm within the participants or the Yellow Shirts. Posted on 12 May
UK Tall Ship confirmed for SAIL 2025
Eye of the Wind will be one of the highlights of the Grand Parade We are pleased to announce that the renowned British tall ship Eye of the Wind has confirmed its participation in SAIL 2025. Posted on 11 May
The new Y6
Intuitive solo sailing redefined We proudly announces the creation of the Y6, a groundbreaking model designed for effortless, intuitive solo sailing. Posted on 9 May
Selden 2020 - FOOTERCure Marine - Cure 55 - FooterStoneways Marine 2021 - FOOTER