On the 19th September, 1952 The Sailing Club Sub-committee met to discuss dinghy racing and to try and resolve the weakness of the existing handicap system.
The system previously adopted was that boats under 13ft were grouped in C class, 13ft- 15ft came under B class and over 15ft were A class. Usually A class consisted of only three boats, Harold Norton’s “Lorna”, Ricky Gardner’s ”Jobisca”, and Wally Beach’s; Flying Fifteen “Nemo”. It was an impossible task to create a handicap basis which would take in to consideration every aspect of tide, wind strength and direction.
Evening races, which were usually sailed over a course from the club starting hut to the Barrel buoy and back, would often start with a fair breeze prior to evening high water. The first boat to reach Barrel would turn and carry a favourable tide while the tail end of the fleet would often have to contend with the ebb. Therefore the first boat around the bottom mark was more often than not the first boat home.
After some discussion it was agreed that a new one design class should be started. The objective was to find a boat that was light, fast, able to plain, cheap to produce, of a new design and preferably a recognised National class so that owners could race on equal terms.
A number of designs; were considered and eventually it was unanimously decided that the 16ft. Jack Holt designed Yachting World Hornet would fit the bill. This was an important decision for The Club, because dinghy racing was then the main activity. There were no large sailing boats or motor sailers, the only other boats were cabin cruisers and a few motor boats used on the estuary.
Wally Beach, who had been elected as Commodore in 1952, was the driving force behind the Hornet project and put forward the idea that a kit should be obtained as well as drawings and that these should be copied and station frames made.
It was estimated that the cost of boats, including sails, built by volunteer labour would be something under £1OO each. They were actually finished at £69 per boat including sails! It was agreed that each member should contribute £10 so that the first purchases of timber, plywood, glue and fastenings could be made. There was sufficient room in the Green Shed to build four boats at a time and still leave room for a carpenter’s bench, tools and raw materials.
The purchasing of all materials was organised by the Commodore while the machining of various components, including stemheads, centre boxes, chines, gunwales, rudder centreboards, plywood hull panels, sliding seats, frames and deck beams were machined in the Commodore’s factory. Construction started on the evening of 1st October, 1952 with the setting up of the first four moulds.
Somewhat to the Commodore’s surprise no less than 16 members were prepared to join the scheme and thus a very necessary feature was that the allocation of boats to members was to be decided by drawing lots after completion. It was clearly important that members actually working would not know which boat would eventually be theirs.
As work progressed more money was required to keep ahead with the flow of materials. A letter of undertaking was suitably drafted and each participant signed a copy. In addition a diary of attendance was kept to keep the momentum going.
Eventually when the first four hulls had been completed storage room had to be found for them. The Abbey hall, White Street, Topsham, was found to be big enough to take seventeen boats and this was generously loaned to The Club free of charge for the Winter of 1952/53.
Work proceeded so well that by the time the Annual Dinner and Prize Giving in December 1952 came round The Club was able to have a hull on the stage of The Matthews Hall, Topsham, where the Dinner was held.
Work continued right through the Winter and surprisingly the construction of seventeen Hornet Dinghies was completed just after the Coronation in June 1953, when the draw for boats took place. They were duly successfully launched and trial sailing’s were completed.
The Hornet was very different from any dinghy previously sailed, particularly when planing. It was not surprising that there were a number of capsizes during the first year. The record for the greatest number of capsizes was held by Jim Norton sailing “Blue Tango” No. 90. However, the sailing characteristics were soon mastered, Topsham Sailing Club then had the largest Hornet fleet in the U.K. and a Hornet Open Meeting was arranged to celebrate the event.
A Series of races and open meetings were organised starting on the 6th July, 1953. The first prize was the Cyder Cup given by Messrs. Whiteway Ltd., of Whimple and was won by Michael Pollard sailing “Hullabilloo”
In 1954/55 Trevor Greenslade had built a new Hornet No.297 “Scorcher”, with what was then a revolutionary self-draining open transom. After coming third in the 1955 International Championship at Cowes he went on to scoop the pool at Falmouth in 1956 and becoming World Hornet Champion together with his crew Roy Coombs.
Nineteen fifty-six was a vintage year with well attended open meetings in May and June and excellent results achieved by many members of the Hornet fleet,
In 1957 Trevor Greenslade took “Scorcher” to the International Hornet Championships in Edinburgh and again came back as World Champion for the second year in a row, putting Topsham Sailing Club and its Hornet fleet well and truly on the chart. Undoubtedly the all time high occurred in 1962 when the R.Y.A. National Hornet Class Association selected Topsham Sailing Club for the Seventh Open National Championships. The racing dates were fixed for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the week commencing 22nd July.
1962.
Eventually thirty-five entries were received to compete in the five fairly long races. A considerable amount of preparatory work was required. The Club premises had to be completely cleared of all boats,
Members were selected for Flag Officers, Yard Marshals, Launching Officers, Race Liaison Officers as well as for such tasks as Class Certificate Receiving Officer and several other jobs.
Of the thirty-five boats entered no less than nine came from Topsham with some from as far afield as Burnham-on-Sea, Hayling Island, Folkestone, Herne Bay, Christchurch and the Royal Windermere Yacht Club.
The Club was congratulated on its organisation by the Secretary of the R.Y.A, National Class Association and the occasion was a tremendous success, not only in terms of the racing but also in terms of the well attended social events that took place on every evening.
It was a disappointment to many members when eventually the Hornet Association agreed to change the one design status of Hornets to a restricted class allowing expensive alterations to be accepted to the detriment of the original boats. The Club continued racing Hornets well into the l970ts but regrettably there are no Hornets now racing at Topsham.