Possibly the prettiest Kim Holman design?

[DanTribe]

I think you have to sail these boats to appreciate them properly.
I had a Stella for years and now have a Ufo 31, (not a Holman but a Pye).
I have also sailed on Fanfare, Lynx and on a couple of Twisters.
It's a bit like the old question,
"Harley Davidson, why?"
Answer.
"If you don't know, you won't understand"

 

[PhillM]

If and when the gentleman wish to pass custodianship to a other, please pass him my details. I will pay any price he asks and guarantee the next 20 years of her life.

 

[Concerto]

I have also sailed on Fanfare, Lynx and on a couple of Twisters.

Back in the early 1970's I remember racing against Harry Crocker in Lynx. She was a nice looking boat being only 30ft long and completely varnished. About 6 years ago I saw her on the hard at Burnham Yacht Harbour and spoke to the current owner. She was now beginning to show her age and he was trying to fix a leak between the coachroof and deck. Not sure why as she was reputed to be a wet boat to sail on when we raced against her.

 

[DanTribe]

Back in the early 1970's I remember racing against Harry Crocker in Lynx. She was a nice looking boat being only 30ft long and completely varnished. About 6 years ago I saw her on the hard at Burnham Yacht Harbour and spoke to the current owner. She was now beginning to show her age and he was trying to fix a leak between the coachroof and deck. Not sure why as she was reputed to be a wet boat to sail on when we raced against her.

My memory might be failing a bit. Did Harry Croker have Lynx? I remember Harry Tribe(no relation) owning her.
Harry Croker had Cheetah, a Twister, now restored and looking beautiful.

 

[Concerto]

My memory might be failing a bit. Did Harry Croker have Lynx? I remember Harry Tribe(no relation) owning her.
Harry Croker had Cheetah, a Twister, now restored and looking beautiful.

Pretty certain it was Harry Croker owned Lynx as the original owner from the late 1960's until at least the mid 70's. From memory Cheetah was one of 2 wooden Twisters built by brothers, who both worked in Chatham Dockyard, in sheds at Medway Cruising Club in Gillingham.

 

[DanTribe]

Pretty certain it was Harry Croker owned Lynx as the original owner from the late 1960's until at least the mid 70's. From memory Cheetah was one of 2 wooden Twisters built by brothers, who both worked in Chatham Dockyard, in sheds at Medway Cruising Club in Gillingham.

I'm sure you're right and my memory is at fault.
BTW, Cheetah was found, unloved, by the owner of another Twister. She was likely to be scrapped, but he couldn't allow that out of respect for Harry's memory. He bought and restored her beautifully. I saw her this weekend on the Deben, a grand sight.

 

[Daydream believer]

Harry Croker commissioned Lynx.
He had other new boats such as Clipspringer( did not have her for long I seem to recall)
He ended up with a Hustler 30 called Cheetah of Burnham which was very competitive.
As for the OP's original post I cannot agree that the boat in question looks pretty. I immediately get the feeling the owner ran out of money & could not afford a cabin. .
Being a Holman Boat I cannot help wondering if she has the "Holman Roll"
I think his better designs are the Stella ( certain interest there having had 2) & the Twister & some of the larger versions

 

[Concerto]

My family had a Northerny 34, designed by Kim Holman at a similar time) and I can confirm the roll under spinnaker was 45 degrees to port followed by 45 degrees to starboard and back again repeatedly. The Northerny 34 was a development of the Twister, Rustler 31 and his own Shaker.

I disagree, she does look pretty and does have that row away look that most yachts will never have.

 

[DanTribe]

A friend who is a Twister expert, has written to tell me that much of what is written here is fiction.
He's probably correct, a case of selective memory perhaps.
Can you put us right Ken?

 

[Daydream believer]

A friend who is a Twister expert, has written to tell me that much of what is written here is fiction.

Well let's hope your friend comes on the forum & tell us where we are wrong, instead of hiding in the wings offering scorn to others.

 

[DanTribe]

Well let's hope your friend comes on the forum & tell us where we are wrong, instead of hiding in the wings offering scorn to others.

We are working on it. Don't be too quick to judge, he is not a scornful person at all. Also, he used to have a Stella so must be a good bloke.

 

[Daydream believer]

We are working on it. Don't be too quick to judge, he is not a scornful person at all. Also, he used to have a Stella so must be a good bloke.

which stella? Names- Numbers!!!

 

[DanTribe]

which stella? Names- Numbers!!!

I don't have the info to hand at the moment. I think it may have been Atria, but will come back when I know for sure.

 

[Daydream believer]

I don't have the info to hand at the moment. I think it may have been Atria, but will come back when I know for sure.

Atria. No 33 was originally owned by Dr J Toner. It would have changed hands of course, so a different owner later on.
Not sure who that was without looking it up.

 

[steveeasy]

Whisper is on my bow

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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View attachment 116771

Whisper is berthed next to me(Helix Twister 28) ill take some pics tomorrow of her. Ive always thought she was stunning.

Steveeasy

 

[Concerto]

Whisper is on my bow

Whisper is berthed next to me(Helix Twister 28) ill take some pics tomorrow of her. Ive always thought she was stunning.

Steveeasy

Is your Helix a ¾ rigger Twister with jumpers? If so she had a dark green hull and was first owned by David Attlee. In 1965 she was moored in Queenborough. A couple of years later I sailed on her, but disliked her as she had no lifelines.

 

[steveeasy]

Is your Helix a ¾ rigger Twister with jumpers? If so she had a dark green hull and was first owned by David Attlee. In 1965 she was moored in Queenborough. A couple of years later I sailed on her, but disliked her as she had no lifelines.

Yep, but shes changed a bit. still got her fractional rig and jumper stays though. How interesting you sailed on her such a long time ago. Shes solid as a Rock and keeps good company.
Steveeasy

 

[steveeasy]

She keeps good company. Here is Whisper with her pyjamas on. shes stunning as well. Ill get some pics with her covers off when I get chance. she has good headroom inside, very deceiving.

Steveeasy

 

[Concerto]

Yep, but shes changed a bit. still got her fractional rig and jumper stays though. How interesting you sailed on her such a long time ago. Shes solid as a Rock and keeps good company.
Steveeasy

Such a small world. It is funny how some of old boats I knew keep popping up.

Recently I was contacted by the current owner of our old Nich 30 which we raced on the East Anglian circuit in the early 1970's. She is now on the Clyde and next year I will meet up with the current owners.

 

[DanTribe]

This is a bit of a thread drift, but it may interest some of the contributors. It is from a friend who sometimes views this forum but prefers to remain private.

Quote
I hope the following will add to and correct some of the observations made by others:

Harry Croker had a Stella Flamingo TB and Sonny Cole's daughter Jo Barker taught him to sail. The Stella-butt Ajay TB followed .
1967 saw Cheetah TB launched for Harry . She won just everything during 1967 and 1968.
Peter Barker and Colin Cook Cookie delivered her to Cowes in 1968 for Harry and they beat Twister of Mersea, thereby her being acknowledged as the fastest Twister.
Tucker Browns TB then built Lynx for Harry in 1969. Upside down, stripped planked. He took her to Sandham in Sweden for the half ton cup on a trailer behind a land rover. They had to be hauled out of a ditch before they finally arrived . Lynx was always painted white save for her varnished stern. Yes she was always reckoned to be a wet boat and Harry Tribe later owned her.
Holman's then designed Klipspinger for Harry. She was foam sandwich and built by Derek Kelsall. Harry was unhappy that she was built too heavily.
I watched her racing at Cowes .,
but she could never get the better of Bruce Banks in his Scampi
'Windy of Hamble'.
A small UFO/ Hustler 25 followed for one year. Also called Klipspinger, Harry referred to them as big Klip and little Klip.
Shamrocks became successful at this time and Harry had one ,"Golden Silence ".
Harry s last boat was an SJ30, not Hustler and she was also called Cheetah of Burnham.
Built at Battlesbridge ,Harry kept her for longer than any of the others.

Two Twisters were built on the Medway by the Jessup brothers in 1969. Cyclone and Spinnaway. Peter and Mike sailed them for the following 50 years.

As for the sister ship to Breeze, she is Whisperer NOT Whistler.
She was built by TB in 1966 for R.S.Wilkins. She was reserve boat for Britain s One Ton Cup team in1966.
R S Wilkins was a wealthy stockbroker from Great Hallingbury. He was extremely well connected , sharing horse racing interests with the late Queen Mother and joining shooting parties with senior royals.
He also commissioned Whiplash TB and Stiletto Whisstocks.
He was a power boat enthusiast who just liked to own beautiful yachts which he happily let others sail.

I photographed Cheetah being built in TBs shed and shared a friendship with Harry Croker. I have compiled a book entitled 'The Twister Story' and have recently completed the complete restoration of Cheetah of Burnham to save her from a funeral pyre.