Possibly the prettiest Kim Holman design?

Concerto

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This is Breeze, a sister ship to Whistler a 36ft designed by Kim Holman in the mid 1960's I remember racing against Whistler in the late 1960's. Breeze was built in light mahogany to save weight by Whistocks in Woodbridge, Suffolk. She is in the Woodbridge Tidemill Marina for a short while before she returns to her mooring further down river.

The second photo shows the owner doing some painting. He is 79 and now only goes sailing with his wife on settled days. He is not in the best of health having had a stroke some years ago and currently suffering from bladder cancer. He still feels life is still worth going sailing and unbelievably he also owns 2 much older wooden boats in need of some TLC.

Strangely he used to own Whistler, but had to sell her to pay school fees. Later he found Breeze and bought her. She is in pretty good condition, but he complained that he could do little maintenance last year and as she was out of the water for too long due to the lockdown, she dried out and her varnish suffered. She is very original with hanked headsails, halyard winches on the mast, etc. She is a real stunning looking yacht and has real Row Away Looks. The owner said he gets many complimentary comments about her looks.

Surprisingly, I cannot find any details or photos on Whistler or Breeze anywhere online.

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Bajansailor

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Breeze is mentioned in my 1975 edition of Lloyds Register of Yachts. She was called Breeze of Yorkshire then, and was owned by M. J. W. Hall.
She was registered in Hull, and her home port then was Brough.
LOA 35'2", Beam 9'6", Draft 6'0" (fairly deep!), Sail Area 578 sq ft.
Her IOR rating was 24.7', sail no 1718.
Her engine in 1975 was a 10 hp 2 cyl petrol Volvo, and her sails were by Gowen (1966) and Hood (1968).

There are a few Whistlers in my Lloyds, but none designed by Kim Holman.
 

Stemar

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A classic. Just as you don't buy a classic car for its performance or road holding, so you don't buy a classic boat for the performance or the wide open spaces down below. They were deliberately designed without them so you didn't rattle around the saloon like a pea in a tin.

All the same, I'll bet she'd show many a modern boat the way home when things get properly nasty.
 

jamie N

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I know that I'm biased, but that's what I'd imagine a ''Folkboat 35'' to look like.
She's beautiful, but after a real Folkboat, I'd suffer from agoraphobia I think.
 

johnalison

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We used to see the smaller Lynx years ago when we were in Heybridge Basin and Terry Swan owned her. Very much the same lines.
 

Jan Harber

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Breeze and Whistler are very similar to their bigger sister Fanfare of Essex, another Holman design, 48ft loa, built in 1964 by Berthon, owned, according to 1967 LLoyd's, by Mrs Mary Pattinson. In those days she was based at West Mersea. In recent years she has been at Suffolk Yacht Harbour and sometimes on her mooring on the Orwell near Clamp House. In her time she was a successful RORC and EAORA racer. The Pattinson Cup is one of West Mersea YC's best known trophies.
 

Buck Turgidson

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The Hull looks very Strider 35 like but the coachroof is atypical for a Holman design. She's a beauty but then again Kim had quite the eye.
 

Laminar Flow

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A classic. Just as you don't buy a classic car for its performance or road holding, so you don't buy a classic boat for the performance or the wide open spaces down below. They were deliberately designed without them so you didn't rattle around the saloon like a pea in a tin.

All the same, I'll bet she'd show many a modern boat the way home when things get properly nasty.
I think way too much fuss is made about the supposedly much superior performance of "modern" boats.

In moderate conditions, F4 or less, when the chances of a contemporary design, never mind a cruiser, would not be likely able to get on a plane, if at all, I would be quite happy to bet money on the fact that the "modern" boat would not be showing this beauty it's broad transom. This based on a comparable effective waterline, similar sail quality and the likelihood that this old girl has a SA/Displ ratio approaching 20 (based on the numbers kindly provided by Banjansailor).

I doubt that a raked stem with plenty of reserve buoyancy is any wetter than the narrow straight stem on a "modern" design.
 

john_morris_uk

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I think way too much fuss is made about the supposedly much superior performance of "modern" boats.

In moderate conditions, F4 or less, when the chances of a contemporary design, never mind a cruiser, would not be likely able to get on a plane, if at all, I would be quite happy to bet money on the fact that the "modern" boat would not be showing this beauty it's broad transom. This based on a comparable effective waterline, similar sail quality and the likelihood that this old girl has a SA/Displ ratio approaching 20 (based on the numbers kindly provided by Banjansailor).

I doubt that a raked stem with plenty of reserve buoyancy is any wetter than the narrow straight stem on a "modern" design.
I was assessing its ‘wetness’ from the fine entry, relatively low buoyancy f’wd and the ease with which any wave you plough into will sweep the deck and end up over you in the cockpit.
The only thing in its favour against such behaviour is its size. The Contessa 26 which is a similar shape in some ways has a reputation for ‘going to windward like a submarine’.
I’m not denying she’s pretty but I’m delighted someone else is maintaining her and sailing her.
 

Tradewinds

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Breeze and Whistler are very similar to their bigger sister Fanfare of Essex, another Holman design, 48ft loa, built in 1964 by Berthon, owned, according to 1967 LLoyd's, by Mrs Mary Pattinson. In those days she was based at West Mersea. In recent years she has been at Suffolk Yacht Harbour and sometimes on her mooring on the Orwell near Clamp House. In her time she was a successful RORC and EAORA racer. The Pattinson Cup is one of West Mersea YC's best known trophies.
Fanfare is for sale here - owned by Chris & Jenny Mummery for many years - Chris is a fine woodworker (retired now I believe).

Fanfare
 

DanTribe

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This is Breeze, a sister ship to Whistler a 36ft designed by Kim Holman in the mid 1960's I remember racing against Whistler in the late 1960's. Breeze was built in light mahogany to save weight by Whistocks in Woodbridge, Suffolk. She is in the Woodbridge Tidemill Marina for a short while before she returns to her mooring further down river.

The second photo shows the owner doing some painting. He is 79 and now only goes sailing with his wife on settled days. He is not in the best of health having had a stroke some years ago and currently suffering from bladder cancer. He still feels life is still worth going sailing and unbelievably he also owns 2 much older wooden boats in need of some TLC.

Strangely he used to own Whistler, but had to sell her to pay school fees. Later he found Breeze and bought her. She is in pretty good condition, but he complained that he could do little maintenance last year and as she was out of the water for too long due to the lockdown, she dried out and her varnish suffered. She is very original with hanked headsails, halyard winches on the mast, etc. She is a real stunning looking yacht and has real Row Away Looks. The owner said he gets many complimentary comments about her looks.

Surprisingly, I cannot find any details or photos on Whistler or Breeze anywhere online.

View attachment 116770

View attachment 116771
She is truly gorgeous.
I knew the owner 30 + years ago, I don't think he has trimmed his beard since then!
 

Blueboatman

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A boat that really, really GOs to windward , eating up the miles , what’s the problem with a bit of salt ? It is pure sailing fun . Get it in the groove and slicing along nimbly and eating up the miles ?
I think that boat gives much pleasure to sit in sail on and look upon ?
I have paid my dues at the saloon of hard wooden boat maintenance over the years too !

I have a bit more modern Holman(Pye) design of about that size and with two slabs in and stuffing it through wind over tide , the sharp bow cuts through the top of each wave, the water can be made to swoop down the decks and over the low coach roof , some of it pouring over the windward cockpit coaming into the cockpit , some squirts through the rope apertures at the front of the dodger so you have to keep the companionway hatch slid shut, but -BUT - it just plain sails flat out to windward , no hobby horsing , no slamming , just forward forward , getting a bit of a move on, a real fair tide saver , windward passage maker , let the helm, autopilot or vane do the steering and hang on and enjoy the ride !
Of course being plastic, I do like knowing that the sea isn’t able to work its way down below through all those wooden boat seams and joints and lovingly varnished bits..
Thanks again to the OP , fab pics
 
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