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RESULTS,
NEWS AND ANY OLD GOSSIP FROM BATT SAILS
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Cowes
Week 2008
Another memorable
Cowes Week saw Batt Sails consistently at the top of the
leader boards.
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The Swallow,
Solent Sunbeam, Squib and Victory classes were all won with
Batt sails.
Our congratulations
and thanks to SKUA, DANNY, PANI MUNTA and ZINNIA for this
great result.
In the XOD
class a close series was won by Lone Star with Batt Sails
a solid 3rd, 4th and 6th.
Taking the
week's results without discard, Batt Sails had 1st, 2nd,
3rd with Quest, Kyperini and Calypso respectively. This
telling result speaks volumes for the all-round ability
of the Batt Sails' XOD rig.
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FLYING
FIFTEEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Barry and
Sue Parkin ran in a close second in an eventful series on
Hayling Bay. Going into the last day's racing they were
the only boat that could topple Greg Wells from top spot.
In the event they won the race but Wells did enough to win
the series. A thoroughly deserving champion .
The Parkins
use the Batt Sails AP mainsail, flat Code 1 jib and the
new 2008M spinnaker. After the series Barry Parkin commented
" We have really good speed at all time and I think
the new kite is just great. I was pleased we could hold
our own in the stronger stuff".
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SQUIB NATIONALS 2008 :
CROSSFIRE'S TITLE!
NATIONAL SQUIB UK CHAMPIONSHIPS LOWESTOFT
DAVE BEST and PETE RICHARDS mastered
difficult conditons and a star-studded entry list to take
the 2008 National Squib Champions title in Squib 797, "
Crossfire"..
They put together a series so consistent
that they won without winning a race. The winning score
was 2,2,2,3,4 and their discarded result a 6th.
In the 'silver medal' slot were Owen
Delaney anad Mark Duffield in Firebird, also using a complete
suit of Batt sails.
To complete the picture, multiple champions
Chris and Mark Hogan were third in Ric'Shea (136), fending
off Gerard Dyson and Tony Saltonstall who had another excellent
regatta in Alchemy to take 4th spot in the rankings.
. Defending champions Mike and Penny
Fewick were sixth in, rounding off a very solid performance
for Batt Sails.
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The Squib Class goes from strength to strength
and Batt Sails continue to dominate the results.
"Crosssfire" on one of the lighter days.
Lowestoft dished out a wide variety of conditions
during Squib week.
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OK INLANDS FALL TO BATT SAILS!
Tony Thresher took the OK Dinghy inlands from
a 30 boat fleet at the weekend. Four races were possible over
the weekend and so all races had to count. Thresher's 2, 1, 2,
4 was consistently good enough to see off all challengers.
He was setting the new crosscut dacron BATT
sail on his black-top Needlespar 3m mast. After the racing he
reported "2053 was a flyer in Saturday's conditions. Looking
forward to testing her in some breeze. Your all purpose, fit all
masts sail worked a treat."
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TIDEWAY VICTORY
Roger Puttock, from Bosham, is the new Tideway Champion.
Sailing in the competitive singlehanded division he sailed
away from the fleet at the recent championship event at
his home club.
He writes "Just to let you know the sails you made
for me for Tideway 150 (dark blue set) are fabulous. They
set perfectly and have no doubt given 'Pickle' great boat
speed."
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>>>>FAMILY
CORNER <<<<
ones brother in action
YOU
CAN CATCH UP WITH HIS WORLD BY CLICKING
HERE|
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FILIAL
UPDATE ....
It's
a very poorly-kept secret. Mike Batt is my brother. Or am
I his?
We both
know he can't make sails and he says I can't sing, so we
get along just fine. Thanks for asking.
So....
if you want to buy your loved one a symphony or a nice little
aria for Christmas you'd better hurry, I bet there's a queue.
He has
been kept very busy for the last few years managing the
affairs of Katie Melua..... if you know what I mean. She's
a very nice, completely unassuming lady.
When
you know that what it really means is discovering her, writing
a lot of her music, producing all of her music, releasing
it all independently and managing the tours and publicity,
you will realise what 'busy' means.
Katie's
second album "Piece by Piece" was a stunning piece
of work Don't just ask me, ask the millions who have bought
it so far. If it isn't already in your CD collection, shame
on you!
The
latest is called '"Pictures"
and it is already toppiing the charts all over Europe. How
do they do it?
Right
now Katie
is doing the rounds promoting the album and Mike is somewhere
in New York wheeling deals and plotting the next sell-out
tour. In his spare time he likes to play in the tour band.
What a lad!
It's
all a long, long way from the Wombles.
Dick Batt 22/10/2007
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"TWO BULLETS" for BATT SAILS
International 14 Worlds. Long Beach, California
Friday 15th September.
Posting a fine pair of consecutive race wins Archie Massey
and George Nurton have bounced back up the leader board after
their first race disappointment was followed by a couple of
average races. Kris Bundy is currently fourth overall, Archie
Massey sixth and Katie Nurtoin is eighth. Katie lost a race
with an ankle injury but includes a second, fourth and third
in her score. All-in-all Batt sails are having a great regatta. |
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Monday 11th September
Archie Massey and George Nurton extend their lead on the
pack in the first round of the World Championships, raced
off Long Beach
They crossed the finishing line to numbing silence having
been judged OCS in the minute before the start.
George's sister Katie can be seen astern with the all-grey
spinnaker, holding a solid 3rd place.
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Promoted to second place by brother George's OCS disqualification,
Katie Nurton is hard on the heels of eventual race winner
Howie Hamlin.
Next behind is another ex I14 World Champion, Kris Bundy,
also setting Batt sails. Kris wound up third and his Seattle
training buddy Kris Henderson, also running Batt Sails,
was 6th.
On the water Batt Sails finished 1,3, 4, 7
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XOD Development bears fruit
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Peter Baines won Cowes Week 2006
with a nine point lead over his closest rival after the
final race was cancelled for lack of wind.The Friday race
was won by Adrian Summers in Selix II, also using a complete
suit of the latest Batt sails.
Peter took delivery of his new Batt
mainsail and jib in mid July, to add to the Batt spinnaker
he already had. He won the first two races of Skandia Cowes
Week by convincing margins.
At the recent Southern Area champs hosted
by HRSC, Baines won the title with Itchenor's Alan Perry
a solid second overall. In this event Peter used Batt jib
and spinnaker, Alan set a Batt mainsail and Batt jib.
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ACTION FROM BATT SAILS DURING SKANDIA
COWES WEEK
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THE BATT SAILS
COWES WEEK ROLL OF HONOUR:
1st SOLENT SUNBEAM 25 "QUERY"
1st VICTORY 69 "ZINNIA"
1st XOD 146"CAPRICE "
1st SWALLOW 3 "SKUA"
1st SQUIB 745 "GHOST RIDER"
1st RS ELITE 5 "ELOISE"
All these boats won their Class series for the week
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A FANTASTIC JULY FOR BATT SAILS
International 14
It started with a swing with Archie Massey and George Nurton
in the International 14's. Following great promise at Lake Garda
they took the Prince of Wales trophy from under the noses of the
hot professional favourites , and and just for good measure added
the Points Week trophy to their haul. We wish them well in Los
Angeles for the World Championships.
Squib
At the Squib UK Nationals the 90 boat fleet was once again
mastered by Chris and Mark Hogan. Gerard Dyson was runner-up,
crewed as ever by Tony Saltonstall with Dave Best and Stumpy Richards
taking the Bronze. It was a difficult week on the water and a
phenominal one ashore, with epic hosting by the Royal Victoria
Yacht Club gang. The net result was a happy fleet and worthy winners.
Every boat in the top five used Batt sails exclusively, except
for one spinnaker in 4th. Eight out of the top ten matches last
year's convincing Batt tally.
Flying Fifteen
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BARRY PARKIN AND MARK DARLING LEAD
DURING THE FLYING FIFTEEN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Championships rarely run this close. Barry Parkin and Mark
Darling led the Flying Fifteen Europeans scoresheet for Batt Sails
all week and into the last day. They were using a complete set
of the latest Batt designs and were clearly never lacking speed
in any conditions. On the last reach of the last race Steve Goacher
snatched the race from Mike Hart to lead overall, and then Parkin
pulled back the single place he needed to keep the crown. A fast
spinnaker hoist would have blocked out a challenge from two leeward
boats, but they had better position on the tide and sneaked by,
giving Goacher the title and putting Parkin back to third overall
behind Hart. A great finale to an amazing week's racing, with
Batt Sails re-established as a winning choice in this highly competitive
fleet.
Solent Sunbeams
Slightly more sedate was the "Dainty Dish".
This is the delivery race which gets the Solent Sunbeam fleet
to Cowes ahead of Cowes Week. Blustery Easterlies were promised
but once the fleet had cleared Chichester Harbour and settled
into the long run up the Solent the breeze obligingly changed
to a pleasant 10-12 knots. Roger Wickens took' Danny' on a Northerly
route through the submarine barrier off Portsmouth, with the bulk
of the fleet electing to take the main channel through the forts.
Better tides and an improving wind angle made the win for Danny
very convincing and the other two to take the same track also
did well, with Argosy 2nd and Dainty 4th. Alan Stannah showed
great promise on the Island shore, only to be outdone by Tim Hill
in Query and a few others who got better tide as they approached
the Cowes finishing line. The winning margin for Roger Wickens
and crew Dick Batt and Pam Phelan, was almost half a mile.
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HOW DID YOU GET HOOKED ON SAILING?
FOR ME IT WAS THE THREE 'ARTHUR RANSOME' BOOKS GIVEN
TO ME BY MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN I WAS 9. "SWALLOWS & AMAZONS", "WINTER
HOLIDAY" AND "COOT CLUB".
I SEARCHED AND SEARCHED THE LOCAL BOOKSHOPS AND EVENTUALLY HAD
THE COMPLETE SET. HOW MANY OTHERS SHARE THIS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION,
WHICH FOR ME ONLY CAME TO LIFE WHEN I BEGAN SAILING AT HAMBLE
AGED 14, (BUT I HAD FIRST STEPPED ABOARD A SAILING BOAT, AT HORNING,
BY THE FERRY INN.)
WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS??............................BECAUSE
I HAD A CALL FROM A MIRROR OWNER LOOKING TO BUY NEW SAILS. HE
IS ABOUT TO START HIS YOUNG SON SAILING, CREWING FOR DAD. THEY
LIVE AT THE SOUTH END OF CONISTON WATER, WHICH ANYONE WILL TELL
YOU IS "SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS" COUNTRY. THE ISLAND THEY SAIL ROUND
IS 'WILD CAT ISLAND'. LUCKY DAD. LUCKY LAD. APPARENTLY HE'S ALREADY
READ THE BOOK AND HE DOESN'T NEED THE TEESHIRT OR VIDEO....HE'S
GOT THE REAL THING !!
Dick Batt
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News
from Batt Control---------
Projects
currently in the design house include the new rig for the international
14, Mirror 10 racing sails,including the new Bermudan rig, plus
the next phases of Flying Fifteen and X.O.D development.
Other
classes which received a design review and update over the winter
include the Albacore, National 18, GP14 and the Dublin Bay IDRA
14. . Some classes, e.g. the Swallow and Squib, have been reviewed
and no changes to the successful core design made this year,
although the detailing on these sail has been kept up to date
with the current style. Our policy is not to change for changes'
sake.
and
in other classes..........
RS
ELITE & VICTORY.
We have signed off the rig development for RS Elite keelboat
and, following a short development programme with the Victory
Class, had a successsful 2005 Cowes Week to be proud of with
every boat in the top eight using the new sails. By Cowes week
this year the Victory fleet will be almost comletely Batt-equipped.
BRITISH
MOTH
Tim Davison commissioned a new British Moth sail last year,
and the work came good at the Nationals at Pitsford reservoir
where he won six of the seven available race trophies.!
SOLENT
SUNBEAM.
This classic day keelboat goes from strength to strength,with
mustard-keen racing in and around Chichester Harbour ( and an
equally keen sister fleet in Falmouth), plus an annual pilgrimage
to Cowes for a month in midsummer. A great and gracious class.
One
rising star is Tim Hill in V25 'Query'. A long-time Sunbeam
stalwart, Tim took on board a new suit of Batt sails as part
of a major refit. In a difficult week of racing in last year's
Cowes week he eventually ran out second to John Davis in 'Fleury.
'Fleury' also uses a 'Batt' spinnaker and a number of other
top boats have re-equipped with Batt this year. Watch this space.
(Space-watchers
note .......Tim & crew won Cowes week this year. Well done
the red team! )
MERLIN
ROCKET
Phil King andLinton Jenkins' fine victory at the 2005 nationals
in Hayling bay rounded off a season of resurgence for Batt Sails
in the Merlin Class. They used the standard 'AKX' mainsail and
Dacron jib, both of which underwent detail revision at the start
of the year and have been unchanged since then. They commented
in particular on a downwind advantage over their previous kit
in marginal conditions, which is not to deny their imperious
upwind speed, most evident in the three races they won. The
RCB spinnaker has progressed to version three, with slightly
more emphasis in its shoulders for broad legs, but retaining
the fairest vertical balance of shape which makes it a fantastic
reaching sail. It is right up to Class maximum area.
Dick Batt
CHICHESTER SNOWFLAKE
Merlin
Rockets again showed the way in this keenly fought frostbite
series, which attracts top sailors from all over the South of
England. In extremes of weather the versatile Merlins have proved
their all-round pedigree . William Warren proved uncatchable
at the head of the leader board with Dave Dobrijevic safe in
second overall for the series.
Why
are we telling you this?
Because
they both choose Batt sails to give their Merlins that little
bit of extra winning magic .
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WILLIAM
WARREN IS THE
2006 SNOWFLAKE
WINNER
IN HIS MERLIN
ROCKET
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SQUIB INLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS WHITEWASH FOR BATT SAILS.
EVERY BOAT IN THE TOP EIGHT USED BATT MAINSAIL AND JIB. FIVE
OF THESE HAD COMPLETE SUITS OF BATT SAILS. THIS FOLLOWS A SIMILAR
HAUL AT THE UK NATIONALS EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND THE BEST CLUB,
REGATTA AND AREA CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS EVER. THERE HAS NEVER
BEEN MORE DRAMATIC PROOF OF OUR SUPREMACY IN THIS POPULAR CLASS!
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SOME 2005 CHAMPIONSHIP
SUCCESSES
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MERLIN ROCKET ( Ist, 5th, 6th, 10th)
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SQUIB ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th)
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BRITISH MOTH (1st overall)
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INT. 14 Worlds (3rd.) US Nationals (1st)
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VICTORY (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th)
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SOLENT SUNBEAM (1st (Spi), 2nd)
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Norfolk Punt Nationals (1st)
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| SCOOBY
DOES THE BUSINESS! |
Simon Forbes and his Dragonfly
800 'Scooby 111' feature regularly in the MOCRA multihull
fleet and have now added a Multihull 'A' Class win in the
2005 ROUND THE ISLAND RACE to their trophy cabinet. A long-time
Batt Sails afficionado, Forbes married excellent speed to
astute tactics, taking the trophy on corrected time by three
minutes from the larger 'Martine' and 'Hilary's Dream'. |
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INTERNATIONAL 14 WORLDS
TAKAPUNA, NREW ZEALAND.
BRONZE MEDAL PLACING FOR BATT SAILS AT
THE
INTERNATIONAL 14 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
BATT SAILS.............. OUT IN FRONT
OF THE WORLD'S MOST DEMANDING CLASSES
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Batt
Sails Win Again !!
"NGALAWA"
HEADS THE MOCRA FLEET AGAIN.
RSYC SERIES
ALREADY WON WITH TWO RACES STILL TO GO.
Jim Stewart
and Lucy Kennedy drive their Dragonfly 920 trimaran to victory
in the RSSC Winter series.
John Bell
and Graham Williamson win the CYC' Snowflake' series in their
Merlin Rocket.
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BATT SAIL-CARE IS NOW WITHIN WEEKLY REACH OF THOUSANDS MOREOWNERS.
CONTACT
US DIRECT OR VIA A GROWING NUMBER OF SERVICE PARTNERS INCLUDING
LDC RACING SAILBOATS, THE DATCHET DINGHY STORE, THE EMSWORTH CHANDLERY,
ALADDINS CAVE AND DB BOAT BITS OF LUTON.
REPAIR
AND MAINTENANCE FOR ANY YACHT, DINGHY, BOARD AND MULTIHULL SAILS
CHECK HERE FOR DETAILS
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THE FLAGS ON THE OLYMPIC SAILS
Trials of the flag decals to identify the nations at Athens
Olympics were started at Batt Sails. The first test sail, GBR
3 belonged to Laser Gold Medalist and triple Finn World Champion,
Ben Ainsley. These flags are just over twice the size of the flags
used for Sydney 2000 , and the flags for the Star and Tornado
mainsails are simply massive. Every spinnaker and gennaker also
carried a big, big flag logo.
This great initiative made the Olympic regatta a brilliant
spectacle for the spectators from every nation.
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Barry
and Sue Parkin won the Flying Fifteen
World Championships.........with a little help from Batt sails.
Very
well done the pair of you. (The first time we made Barry sails
for a Flying Fifteen he won the UK Nationals and the New Zealand
Nationals but dipped to runner-up in the Worlds, so this victory
is particularly sweet to us.)
Barry
and Sue were the only boat racing with the new design genoa we
developed since the start of this season. Now there's a cue for
copies of this fast headsail.
Our
other current heroes are SQUIB sailors
CHRIS & MARK HOGAN for their outstandiing performance
in the 2005 Nationals. National Squib champions for the fifth
year in succession.
'BLACKBIRD' WAS CHAMPION NORFOLK PUNT
- 2003
CHRIS PILLING'S 'BLACKBIRD' SAILED A GREAT SERIES IN VARIED
CONDITIONS TO TAKE THE NORFOLK PUNT NATIONALS BY A GOOD MARGIN
FROM A STRONG FLEET.
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MEET
BLACKBIRD. Natioanal Champion Punt
SHE
IS A NORFOLK PUNT.THESE AMAZING CRAFT INHABIT BARTON BROAD.
WE
MADE HER FIRST SUIT OF SAILS WHEN SHE WAS FIRST LAUNCHED,ABOUT
TWELVE YEARS AGO. SHE HAS BEEN CHAMPION PUNT SEVERAL TIMES
WITH THOSE SAILS.
NEW
OWNER CHRIS PILLING (THE CHEEKY CHAPPY PEERING AT THE CAMERA)
CHOSE TO RE-RIG LAST YEAR WITH A PROCTOR CARBON MAST AND
THE LATEST BATT SAILS TO REPLACE THE LONG-SERVING ORIGINALS.
THIS HAS REALLY RAISED HIS GAME, WITH BLACKBIRD SPENDING
THE 2002 SEASON REGULARLY IN THE PACK AT THE FRONT OF THE
FLEET AND NOW TAKING THE 2003 CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH APPARENT
EASE.
TOPICAL
NOTE 1: WE MADE OUR FIRST NORFOLK PUNT SAIL 21 YEARS AGO......
A GREEN AND WHITE STAR-CUT SPINNAKER FOR TOM CLARENCE-SMITH.....AND
ITS STILL GOING STRONG (WE HAD IT BACK IN THE LOFT FOR MODS
THIS SUMMER)
TOPICAL
NOTE 2: BLACKBIRD'S ORIGNAL OWNER RICHARD SADLER IS A BOSHAM
MAN BY BIRTH, SO BLACKBIRD HAS REGULARLY GRACED THE BOSHAM
REGATTA FLEET HERE ON CHICHESTER HARBOUR....................A
LONG, LONG WAY FROM HER NATURAL HABITAT AMONG THE REED -BEDS
OF THE NORFOLK BROAD.
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A
SHETLAND MAID
:
Crusader is shown
off the isle of Whalsay on her way to another win in an
amazing five year career in the hands of owner/skipper Laurence
Irvine and crew.
Not many of you
will guess that she is a Shetland Model Boat, or 'Maid'.
These fascinating boats race only in the Shetlands, to rules
honed over more than a century. Three man crew, no spinnaker,
wooden keel, no centreboard, double- ended. They vary a
bit in size, a lot in shape. They race on a handicap system
that sees the boats rated into starting groups for persuit
racing. First past the post wins.
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Winning
with Batt sails?, drop
us a line and let us know. Photos welcome!
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Look
what I found in the attic!!
THIS IS WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS AN 'ARCHIVE SHOT'
OF ME STEPPING OUT ATTHE CONTENDER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, 1979!
SAILED ON THE HAURAKI GULF FROM TAKAPUNA BEACH (THEN MY
HOME CLUB) AND JUST A SHORT SAIL FROM THE AMERICAS CUP COURSES.
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..........AND
THIS SHOT OF A START HAS ME LEFT OF FRAME WITH A YOUNG,
SLIGHTLY NERVOUS-LOOKING GRANT DALTON (REMEMBER HIM?)
ON MY LEE BOW.
Dick Batt
Technical
note: yes, they did have colour photography in those days,
even in New Zealand, but these photographs were taken
for the local paper.
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If you like
BattChat, drop
us a line and let us know.
THE
'BATT' SAIL LOFT. THRIVING IN BOSHAM !!
IF
YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW IT, THIS IS OUR BRILLIANT SAIL LOFT.
AFTER
21 HUGELY SUCCESSFUL YEARS BASED IN THE THAMES VALLEY WE ARE NOW
SETTLED IN BOSHAM, OUR SIGHTS FIRMLY SET ON THE SPECIFIC SAILMAKING
NEEDS OF RACING AND CRUISING SAILORS ON THIS STRETCH OF THE SOUTH
COAST (AS WELL AS ALL EXISTING CUSTOMERS IN THE UK AND BEYOND).
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This is a corner of the sail loft
on Wednesday night. A half-finished Dragon genoa shares centre
stage with a new mainsail for Solent Sunbeam "Query".
Trapeze harnesses being preparedin the foreground. |
BATT
SAILS' ADDRESS:
10, BROADBRIDGE, DELLING LANE, BOSHAM,
PO18 8NF
PHONE 01243 575505
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Boys will be boys............
While most of the fleet faced a long sail
home every day during the Etchells Worlds we were fortunate
to have the luxury of a tow from Ted Fort, behind his powerful
"Fiddlers Fancy".
Someone always got the short straw of having
to steer, so today here I am.
While the others relaxed with a beer and
a sandwich, just how fast can an Etchells go if you pull
it hard across the wake, water-ski style?
Answer: You have to pull bloody hard, and
it goes bloody fast!!
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"Simply messing about in boats........."
This shot was taken on the Thames within a mile of where
Graham wrote 'The Wind in the Willows'. It shows Pat Hobbs
on early sea trials in his new creation, a rowing/sailing
river skiff. Sail by Batt, of course.
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Contact
BATTCHAT
Skiff harness form |
