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Is Small Beautiful? I Think So!

Is small beautiful? I think so!

I left the rib at home and raced a couple of days of Cowes week last week with old friend, prolific boat designer, and Olympic medallist Jo Richards. In a pile of scrap behind Radcliffe on Soar power station, Jo thought he had found a “Vivacity”: a classic 20 bilge keel cruiser from the 1960’s. Instead, when he got it home, he found that he had the baby sister: the 18ft 6inches “Alacrity”.

Typical Jo alternative thinking saw him cutting the bilge keels and deck off: “I had an old fin keel and deck from “Moo”: a slightly bigger boat in my workshop”…”Eyeore” was born. Now all Jo had to do was scrounge a “cosmetic second” Elite rig from Selden, and get a dispensation from Cowes week organisers to enter a boat below the minimum 20ft hull length.

Racing the smallest boat in the regatta was an absolute hoot. In the big breeze she planed like a thoroughbred (if a little nose down!) and easily held her own against the bigger boats. Upwind against the tide it was equally entertaining hopping around the rocks no-one with a draft over our 1m dare go. Our last run in 30k, the only boat left standing with the kite up, with the three of us giggling all the way to the line will stay with me for some time. Many thanks, Jo, Duncan, and “Eeyore.”

Below: Eeyore as she would have looked in 1965, and above, as she is in 2017

This Post Has 2 Comments
  1. Eeyore may have some info re her origins .the georahic locatio of Alacrity find at Ratcliffe on Soar.May be Partner Ship 11 .co owned by Peterand I she was analacrity 1964 cica and sailed in Nottm on the Trent from 1989 t0 2002 .Sold on and taken to Rutland where under nw=ew ownershio her condition rapidly declined and sold on .Iam suggesting it may have been our boat (Much loved) that ended up at Redhill marina Ratcliffe on Soar Notts a dumping ground for many a baoat .Seeing Eeyore success ess .I would be happy if you could pass this info on to Jo Richards I have many pitures of her under sail .Robert douglas

    1. Hi Robert sorry for the delay: I got back from Tokyo and went straight to Scotland for some time off. Funnily enough I was speaking to Jo last week: we came across an Alacrity on a rock on a deserted island! Where were you sailing on the Trent? I was a member of both Nottingham and Trent Valley Sailing Clubs when I lived up there, Jo was at Nottinham Uni and also has done plenty!

      I’ll pass your note on to Jo. Would love to see some pics.

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