Class Captain: HARRY THOMASON
Class Secretary: ROBERT HUGHES
Fathom winning her first race. 5th May 2008.
No.1 Amira, built 1961. Owner, James Nield
No.45 Falcon II, built 1993. Owner Richard Parkinson.
No.26 Musetta, built 1937. Owner, Derek Jolly.
No1 Amira, No.14 Windard III, No.10 Capella. Photos by Tony Houlihan, 16 August 2008.
Click here for Class Records and Averages
Brief History of the Class
It was in 1903 that there was a growing feeling that the Una Class yachts which had been introduced as a junior class to the 20ft w.l and 22 ft w.l Yachts ought to be replaced. There was also concern that if the first class yachts of the 22 ft Class did not succeed in attracting more entries its future was also in doubt.
During the season, Percy Crossley, a prominent member of the Club and a yacht designer, proposed a new second class yacht to replace the Una class. The question was referred to the Sailing Committee who appointed a sub-committee comprising T D Lingard, Herbert Crossley, who had taken lessons in yacht design from Alex Richardson and G L Watson, and Alfred Sladen and Percy Crossley to consider the matter. By November 1903 they had drawn up the measurement rules for the 17 foot Class. They were seeking to provide a small, easily handled yacht which could be sailed by amateur crews of two, easily rigged, cheap to maintain and suitable also as a cruising yacht.
The principal measurements of the original rule were 17ft waterline length, 25ft 6ins length overall, 5ft 10ins minimum beam, 3ft 6ins draught and the minimum lead ballast keel weight to be 16 cwt. Measured sail area not to exceed 300 sq.ft In 1914 a rule change increased the draught to 4ft, and in later years rule changes allowed bermudan rig, restricted the cockpit area, required the minimum weight of the hull excluding ballast keel to be 63/4 cwt and permitted modern methods of construction.
Herbert Crossley designed the first 17ft Class Yacht to be built in 1904 and Percy Crossley who was Herbert Crossley’s cousin had trained with the well known firm of naval architects Linton Hope. He was the principal designer of yachts for the class over six decades, his first yacht being Audrey in 1904 and his forty-third design for Whisper was his last in 1963.
The rules, by not taking a one-design approach, have resulted in a restricted class of yacht with the benefit of allowing latitude for the yacht designers skill within the confines of the principal measurements without the possibility of any radical hull form which may have destroyed the success and long life of the class. The modifications to the rules made over the years allow yachts to be built using modern materials and techniques and adopt improvements in spars and sails without outclassing older boats. Many noted yacht designers have contributed to the development of the Class some of whom have designed challengers for the Americas Cup, and coincidentally, one of the major trophies competed for each season is a half size replica of the Americas Cup itself.
The introduction of the 17 foot Class to the Club racing scene had begun a period of change culminating in a decision in 1920 to no longer arrange racing for the 22 foot Class and adopt the 17 foot Class as the Club Racing Class. Although no new yachts had been built since the 1914 - 1918 war, the Class continued to be the only Club Class until 1923 when the 19 foot waterline class was adopted. It was also decided at this time that no more building in the 17 foot Class should be allowed with a view to the class dying out in four or five years and the 19 foot Class becoming the only Club racing class. In 1926 the 17 foot Class was still very popular in spite of the prohibition, only six of the 19 foot Class had been built and there was no sign of any more. The situation was very unsatisfactory for both classes and it was decided that both should be recognised as Club Classes and that building should be allowed to the 17 foot Class again. With the 1914 measurement rules adopted and the draft increased to 4 feet the class started on a road that would soon lead to a superior class of yachts which would eclipse the old seventeens and the 19ft Class too.
The revised measurement rule was producing much more powerful yachts, and with the introduction of the new rig the older and smaller seventeens were outclassed. Memory was built by Shepherds to a Percy Crossley design for Miss Barbara Hall and the first of the fleet to be designed and built for bermudan rig. Her success, winning both the points and average prizes in 1931, set the trend for all future boats to be built for the new rig.
In 1932 the new more powerful yachts were eclipsing the ageing pre-war fleet. Chip was fitted with bermudan rig , as was Viking, but the old seventeens with their shallow draft could not successfully carry the new rig and Viking was the only one to try. The first four yachts in the seasons results were all built to the new rules although it was some time before they all carried the new rig. Memory again won the points and average prizes.
It became clear in 1933 that the 19ft Class were never going to achieve popularity sufficient for them to become a fitting replacement for the 22ft Class and displace the 17ft Class. 1934 saw their final demise and the 17ft Class became the Clubs principal racing class of yachts. By 1939 the entry list was down to 16 yachts. The International uncertainties culminating in the outbreak of War brought racing to an end apart from a few scratch races until 1946.
After the end of hostilities in 1945 a few yachts were launched and some scratch races held but the following year a programme of sixteen races was arranged, eleven yachts entered and the average turnout was ten. The rivalry between Charles Hall and Barry Smith for most of the years since Wind’ard III was built in 1935 continued in 1946 with Wind’ard III winning the Average Prize and Caprice the points trophy.
By 1947 the Club was getting back to normal with an entry list of twenty yachts, four of which did not race at all that year but the average turnout rose to fourteen. No new yachts had been built for eight years. The first yachts built in 1904 had been built for around £100. In 1934 Shepherds account for the building of Deva was £316 4s 3d. In the late 1930’s the cost had risen to something in the region of £400 and concern was mounting that the cost of building which was estimated to be well over £1000 would limit the future popularity of the class. However three yachts were ordered for the 1949 season, two of which were completed in time to race in the August races,
No more new yachts were built until 1955 and in the intervening years several yachts changed hands and the tussle between Wind’ard III and Caprice continued unabated. Caprice comfortably won the points and averages in 1951 and 1952. By the end of the 1955 season the future of the class was well established, seven new yachts had been built since the war and there was talk of more to come - the building boom of the late fifties and sixties commenced.
Fifteen yachts were built during the years from 1956 to 1967. Amendments to the rules permitted new construction methods and in 1962 Capella was the first yacht in the class to be rigged with alloy spars. Apart from six yachts to Percy Crossley designs several boats were built to David Boyd designs, two very successful yachts were designed by Arthur Robb and one based upon a design study from Olin Stephens.
It was sixteen years until in 1983 Ian Howlett designed his first 17ft Class Yacht for David McCann. Freedom was immediately successful winning the average and points prizes in 1983 and 1984. During the next ten years ten more yachts were commissioned to Howlett designs, notably Chameleon X in 1990 for Charles Ingham in which he has succeeded in winning the points and average prizes for the class on many occasions. Fathom, a new Howlett design is due to be launched for the 2008 season and it will be interesting to see how it performs against the leading boats in the coming year.
The success of the class is evident in the eighty yachts that have been built since its adoption in 1904 and the keenness of the 30 owners entered for the racing programme in 2008.