I have been researching the sailing exploits of former Club officers and came across this interesting anniversary in Chapter 11 of the Club history:
'Another interesting bit of rivalry arose from an argument between Mr. Pitcher and Capt.. Mowlam at the annual dinner of 1928. Mr. Pitcher maintained that a Falcon was better than a Dolphin any day, and to prove his point undertook to sail one round to Parkstone the following season and enter it in a Dolphin race.
This he duly did, with the aid of Mr. Charles Flisher, on June 6th, 1929. The boat selected was the peerless ‘Buzzard’, and the operation – planned with military thoroughness – included lifting the boat out for two days preparation and drying at Poole. For this purpose the voyagers were met on arrival by Messrs. Gallop and Bussell, who were to be skipper and mate in the race, and much tuning-up ensued. ‘Buzzard’ met her opponents in a high wind, with Mr. H. G. Pitcher as third man, and the result left no doubt as to Mr. Pitcher’s contentions, the Falcon sailing gaily through the entire fleet of Dolphins to win easily and thus vindicate the claims of the proud sponsor of her class.'
I had the good fortune to crew for Tommy Pitcher in his Squib 'Petard', the first in Weymouth - for a Shambles race (it being a keelboat)! We left the remainder of the fleet behind very quickly, and met them on the way back, having greeted the men on the lightship on the way round. Tommy truly embodied the spirit of sailing, and was an example to all us youngsters of the time.
This spirit of nautical adventure has remained a characteristic of the Club; having heard of the exploits of John Marshall and Dave McCune, who sailed their Squibs to and from Cowes Week one year, I decided to sail my Squib 'Lady H' to Poole with Pat Dollard from WOEC {who had sailed round Britain in a Wayfarer). My photo hows us moored at Swanage on the return trip, behind Philip Jackson's boat - I appear to be in the process of returning the matches, having managed to light the portable gas stove.
The record for a Squib cruise is of course now held by Iain Jones and Celia Rushton, who sailed to Portsmouth in their Squib 'Aldebaran' - and have also won the Cimbri trophy, sailing round Portland Bill and back!
Steve Fraser
Submitted on 6th June 2023