Laurent Giles 'Jolly Boat' Exeter |
J24 (Sail No. 4239) Dartmouth |
Laser XD 203301 Upminster |
List classes of boat for sale |
Oakeley |
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Author | |
Oinks
Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Oct 14 Location: Bandol Online Status: Offline Posts: 267 |
Post Options
Quote Reply
Topic: Oakeley Posted: 22 Dec 16 at 8:16pm |
So 2016 takes another...
Sir John D A Oakeley. I've just taken out his book "Winning - The Boat, The Crew & The Race" He was a man this forum would have loved. Not just a great sailor, but an innovator too. Just looking at the picture inside the front cover of his FD "Shadow" being sailed by him and David Hunt. Possibly one of the greatest photos of a dinghy being sailed perfectly - Hunt statuesque on the trapeze, slot between genoa and main inch perfect. This man inspired me. I will try and find a way to post that picture over the Christmas period. |
|
fab100
Really should get out more Joined: 15 Mar 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1005 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 22 Dec 16 at 10:20pm |
IIR, there's a story in Winning, possibly even a pic, of them planing the FD home under bare poles it had got so windy.
Edited by fab100 - 22 Dec 16 at 10:21pm |
|
jaydub
Far too distracted from work Joined: 06 Jan 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 267 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 22 Dec 16 at 11:59pm |
Just dug out my copy of Winning. Bought for the princely sum of £3. Bit of a bargain.
There's certainly a pic of them sailing the FD in winds averaging 35 knots. A tad windy, so no great surprise that the main is flogging a bit. Will see if I can find the story of sailing under bare poles. The man was certainly an innovator. I can recall him selling compensator sails under the Oakley sails badge. And I think he may have had a hand in the bendy mast on Lionheart.
|
|
Oinks
Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Oct 14 Location: Bandol Online Status: Offline Posts: 267 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 23 Dec 16 at 10:01am |
Read Chapter 17 about stopwatches. A whole chapter on yer stopwatch. Does anyone even think about their stopwatch these days? Only maybe when it hides itself in the darkest recesses of your kitbag and you run around in a complete blue funk cos you can't find it!
|
|
Oinks
Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Oct 14 Location: Bandol Online Status: Offline Posts: 267 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 26 Dec 16 at 11:10am |
This was what I wanted to be when I was about 11 years old. IMHO a truly great shot of a racing dinghy, and one of the great teams. |
|
MerlinMags
Admin Group Joined: 19 Mar 04 Location: UK, Guildford Online Status: Offline Posts: 585 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Jan 17 at 11:50am |
I would take "winning" out of the local library often, as a teenager. I must hunt down a copy on ebay for my collection. Pictures like the one above are great fun to look at, even if the clothes make you smirk a bit.
Was it "Winning" that had the story about painting the hull bottom with egg, and letting it dry in the sun before a race? |
|
Oinks
Far too distracted from work Joined: 24 Oct 14 Location: Bandol Online Status: Offline Posts: 267 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 17 Jan 17 at 11:34pm |
Got mine in just about perfect condition (plus a number of other gems) for under £25 from Amazon. Three (Winning) on there now from £5.49. I also bought at the same time...Winning in One Designs (|D Perry)...Jack Knights Sail Racer..Start to Win by Eric Twiname (Original version), and (wonder if anyone remembers this)Small Sailboat Racing With the Champions by Bob Fisher (c.1975ish). All great books for a dark winter's evening in front of the fire!
And, yes, the clothes look a bit dated, but they looked better on them than what my Dad and I were resorting to at the time! That was cutting edge late 60s/early 70s! And the weird stories of what people got up to in those days to win a race....I'd have been scraping the egg off, slapping itbetween two bits of bread with brown sauce and breakfast sorted. |
|
patj
Really should get out more Joined: 16 Jul 04 Location: Wiltshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 640 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jan 17 at 7:38am |
I bought a copy of Winning from Bookbarn for £1 just a couple of days before his death was announced. It's where most of my older sailing books have come from but it does eat up a few hours trawling through their shelves!
|
|
MerlinMags
Admin Group Joined: 19 Mar 04 Location: UK, Guildford Online Status: Offline Posts: 585 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jan 17 at 9:18am |
"it does eat up a few hours" ????
I think you meant "it does mean a joyous few hours". |
|
Dougaldog
Far too distracted from work Joined: 05 Nov 10 Location: hamble Online Status: Offline Posts: 356 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jan 17 at 10:07am |
Whilst 'JohnO' was a real gent in the truest use of the word, it shouldn't be overlooked that a lot of the mythology surrounding goings on in Shadow ( FD K133) was really the 'antics' of his irrepressible crew, David Hunt. David was also involved in a lot of the innovation that went on, he wasn't only in the front of the boat but he was way out front in terms of thinking! On audio tape (and video!) I've a couple of lovely cameos of Jack Chippendale talking about the young John Oakley, getting his first all new National 12 - even then, Jack recognised him as a helm that would be 'going places'! From there of course John went on into Merlins and with 3 wins, a 2nd, a 4th and 5th place helped cement the reputation of the Proctor/Chippendale combination as the 'winning' brand. Dougal
|
|
Dougal H
|
|
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |