Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo S Series

100 Years of Jack Chippendale

by Dougal Henshall 14 May 2024 04:00 NZST 11-12 May 2024
100 Years of Jack Chippendale celebrated at Fareham © Dougal Henshall

Regular readers will hopefully have enjoyed the recent 'Fine Lines' series of photos that featured some of the best examples of the boat builder's art. The tenth and best picture was timed to coincide with the centenary of one of the greats behind the golden era of the UK's domestic dinghy scene, Jack Chippendale.

For all his considerable talents as a boatbuilder, not to mention as an insightful thinker, Jack was never a great egotist but all the same, I'm sure that he would have been delighted at the incredible 100th anniversary party that was held for him at the Fareham Sailing & Motorboat Club. Jack had been a member here, plus the main premises of his boatyard had been next door.

To say that FS&MC had 'pushed the boat out' would be a major understatement, as not only had the clubhouse been dressed overall for the day, but inside there a range of exhibits charting the life of works of Jack had been put on display.

The day was given an extra layer of gloss as the surviving members of Jack's workforce all turned up to enjoy the warmth of both the sunshine and the hospitality of the club, as Eric Harvey, who had ended up as foreman of the boatbuilders, had played a major role in the planning and organisation of the day. Eric had also arranged access to the Trafalgar Quay building that had been Chippendale's HQ, so he led the visitors on a guided tour, which ended high up on the third floor.

Back in the day this had been a hot bed of Merlin Rocket building (and innovation) with the workers telling of how they built two boats, side by side, with 'planking up' becoming almost a competitive activity! Once the hulls had been completed they were sat onto a frame, with a link that came up through the centreboard base. The boat was then lifted, swung out under a loading beam and lowered down to the ground floor.

Other buildings contained metal working tools, as many of the early fittings were produced in house, with another area put aside for the 'new' activity of GRP construction.

The group was entertained by an interesting description of how a 16 year old boatbuilder, with the assistance of a 15 year old apprentice, created the 'plug' - the tooling for the GRP hull for the Fireball, with both hull and deck mould made (though most preferred the composite option: a GRP hull topped by Jack's super wooden decks)

Then it was back to the club for a BBQ, the cheery tones of a jazz quartet and a well stocked bar, though by now it was standing room only. There was more space though out on the water, as though Jack would have seen some 4,000 racing dinghies made in his yard, from Cadets to Flying 15s, N12 and Merlins, then the iconic prototypes, Osprey, Kestrel, 5o5 and Unit to name just a few, sadly only three entries turned up to go afloat.

Those that did, a pair of glorious F15s and a N12 that had been saved from a Viking funeral and sympathetically restored represented a glorious reminder of how Jack's focus on boats that looked as good as they sailed had raised the bar for the next generation of boatbuilders that would follow.

By now the tide had come in, filling the creek, which allowed a start line right in front of the packed terrace, the three Chippendale boats where joined by the home fleet of Fareham Luggers. The breeze was light and very fickle which suited the F15s who romped around the course but with the sun shining, the beer flowing and the music playing, the party atmosphere extended to events afloat, so everyone had a great time.

Nobody would have been more delighted at the day than Jack, though he too would have been saddened that so many of the great race winning boats that he'd built over the years decided to stay away. Yet for all of that, Fareham Sailing & Motorboat Club are to be congratulated for creating a brilliant day that was enjoyed by all who came along, everyone involved in the day should be proud of how their efforts combined to best celebrate 'the boats that Jack Built'.

Related Articles

A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom. Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality. Posted on 17 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun
Nick Olson on PredictWind's newest features
Nick Olson discusses PredictWind's newest features PredictWind has long been a leader in presenting high-quality marine forecasts. Nick Olson discusses the company's newest features. Posted on 12 Jun
The X-Yachts Gold Cup Experience
A celebration of sailing, of X-Yachts and, most importantly of all, people Having just returned from Haderslev, Denmark - which is the home of X-Yachts and played host to the X-Yachts Gold Cup 2025 - I was left wondering if this was a racing event, a rally or a social celebration amongst close friends. Posted on 10 Jun
Getting excited for the Van Isle 360
Quoting a famous line from Pink Floyd's "Time" As I pack for the first half of the 2025 Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race, I find myself thinking about the last time I did this race, a certain Pink Floyd song, and the great adventuring, sailing and time with friends that awaits. Posted on 3 Jun
The call of the mighty
See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action, braving the elements, and glory for the victorious. As an Australian, you have King Louie (the late Lou Abrahams), and the late Sir Jim Hardy as the poster boys. Posted on 1 Jun
Where to purchase adaptive sailing equipment
Seats, hoists, etc for sailors with a disability Several organisations have contributed their knowledge regarding where to purchase adaptive sailing equipment such as seats for dinghies and hoists for wheelchair users to get into boats. Posted on 1 Jun
Rooster 2025Sea Sure 2025sMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZ