How to get the best out of your Westerly [22]

[Marakei]

Here is a link to the booklet ‘Getting the best out of your Westerly’ written by Denys Rayner, who designed the Westerly 22. The booklet was distributed with new boats. The boat is called 'Westerly' because at the time it was the only Westerly model. This transcript comes from the Westerly Owners' Association 'WesterlyWiki', although I first read an original copy on a friends' boat.

It is of course indispensable for Westerly 22 owners, but I find the notes on the gunter rig and distributing weight in the boat to affect trim of more general interest. I also like the calm way in which Rayner talks of managing the storm rig in a rising force nine. This seems an alarming scenario on a Westerly 22, but Rayner was a veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic and had dealt with far worse!

I notice that Rayner suggests the keel bolts will last at least fifty years, which means they might want checking around now. I wonder if he imagined any of the boats would still be in commission fifty years later, let alone how many.

http://www.westerly-owners.co.uk/westerlywiki/index.php?title=HOW_TO_GET_THE_BEST_OUT_OF_YOUR_WESTERLY

 

[Seajet]

Merry Girl,

Charlie Solley, the first person I sailed with ( on a Robert Tucker designed Mystic ) was also a veteran of the Atlantic, in fact the Murmansk Convoys, he described how they had to start the Pegasus engines of the Swordfish biplanes on the way up on the lift, as the windchill meant starting on deck was impossible.

I spoke at Charlies' funeral & made a bit of a fuss when the club refused to mention his obituary, ' not a committee member ' !

So printed his life story and left copies all over the clubhouse.

There are two well restored Westerly 22's at my club, one looks like or even better than new.

I said to the owner one day ' the Westerly Owners Association would love to see her surely ?! ' but his reply was that he'd approached them and the reply was on the lines of " b*****r off, we're only interested in late expensive 36' + jobs " !

While not my personal cup of tea, I agree the Westerly 22 is a little piece of history, and I think the handbook was a brilliant idea, funnily enough I'm working on something similar and for years now have offered a 14 page ' top tips ' to Anderson 22 owners.

Incidentally Peter Poland - ex MD of Hunters, I sailed with him once on a Horizon 27 but didn't buy it - has done an article about Oliver Lee - the designer of earlier Hunters, Andersons, Achilles 24, Squib etc coming out in the February edition of PBO.

As he was a little upset with Andersons and Oliver Lee taking the Hunter 701 design and updating it into the Anderson 22 - " you've stolen our boat ! " I don't know how kind he will be to my pride & joy, he was a little coy when I discussed it with him !

The MD of Andersons was Patrick Sinker, who I'm still in touch with and is a very nice guy; he still laughs about his name and once got a mention in the Telegraph, ' bloke who runs boatyard called Sinker '.

Peter Poland of Hunters and the then salesman for Andersons Nick Wright got trollied one day at Bristol boat show and came up with the idea of the ' Sinker Trophy '...

 

[Marakei]

Thanks for that, Seajet. I noticed a very smart W22 on the moorings at your club when I was around there in the summer, as well as a certain Anderson 22!

Since the original post I've found a link to an interesting article by Rayner, about the design and building of the W22s, part of a blog dedicated to the Rayner designs.

http://sailingraynersboats.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/very-first-westerly.html

Also some thoughts from Simon Baddlesley, a notable W22 sailor, posted on preloved.com reviews in 2006:

'With my university friend Sue Pulford we sailed "Young Tiger" Sail 68 from Lymington to Miami in 1965 when it was still quite original to take 4 ton bilge keel yachts across the Atlantic. We had a lovely voyage and now I'm 64 I'd like another W22. The boat averaged 100 mile a day between Las Palmas and Barbados. I atill think of my boat as the "bed-sitting boat". Good for pottering, a real little caravan, yet happy in the deep ocean. I still doubt that Rayner's idea of twin hydrofoil shaped assymetrical ballast keels has really been discredited. I'd take the W22 anywhere.'