Niche sail number question: Express Pirate

[macthemaths]

My Express Pirate has sail number K 316 underneath her Express Pirate emblem (Red Cross/Blue Cross). Other Express Pirate pictures seem also to have a three digit number after a K.

At first I thought that it was a K as in an issued sail number from before the GBR but it seems unlikely that all of these 40 year old boats should have such a low number. I wonder whether anyone knows if these boats were given h class numbers starting with K or whether these really are an 'issued' number. I contacted the RYA and they don't appear to have a record for K 316.

I recognise this is a pretty inconsequential question but I am intrigued and know that some forum members have owned Pirates and might therefore be able to help out.

Thanks!

 

[dunedin]

Most cruising boats, if they had a sail number at all, had one issued by the builder not an "official" RYA one.
Sometimes the sail was bought second hand and the number could be from a different boat.
It doesn't matter unless doing international racing - which seems unlikely

 

[macthemaths]

Thanks for the speedy reply. My query is less about the propriety or otherwise (!) of my boat and its number and more of a historical nature about this class of boat.

It is interesting to note that cruising boats would be issued with a builder's number - it looks like this is likely the case with the K- number here?

 

[Egret]

That is just the class sail number with the K indicating United Kingdom, before national identity changed to GBR, If it had originally been sold, to say the Netherlands it might have an H number starting H1 or F1 for France.

I had a boat from the same manufacturer which had, still has, a K number - rather nice. It was quite the fashion at the time, made it more wizzy.

Ian Proctor design so quite good for type - little sailing boat with cabin - Originally built by Rydgeway Marine Lowestoft but other builders later. At least 316 so quite a few.

Doubt it was ever measured for IOR but if it was it might have been a bandit!

If you can, take it back to its home on the Broads and do the three rivers race.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I had a Seawolf 26 that had a Y sail number. I was once asked if it was a Yugoslavian boat

But the Y was at the end of a 4 digit number. As I think only a hundred or so seawolf 26s were built I don't know how it has a number in the 5000s with a Y suffix

 

[PeterV]

I think it’s most likely that the builder supplied the sail number and applied the K for a British boat.

 

[dunedin]

I had a Seawolf 26 that had a Y sail number. I was once asked if it was a Yugoslavian boat

But the Y was at the end of a 4 digit number. As I think only a hundred or so seawolf 26s were built I don't know how it has a number in the 5000s with a Y suffix

The Y suffix was a previous version of an official RYA numbering scheme. See https://www.rya.org.uk/racing/technical/offshore-sail-numbers

I think one could buy a chosen number, if not already in use. Hence numbers often not issued consecutively.

Our last two boats had meaningful sail numbers, albeit C suffix ones.

 

[oldbloke]

It is normal for dinghy and keel boat classes, and sometimes for cruiser/ racer classes, to have sail numbers issued by their organising body, builder class association, RYA fot National Classes, World Sailing for international classes. The K was the United Kingdom signifier before it changed to GBR. In theory only International classes should use the national letter but that is often ignored.
To complicate the numbering , builders often start with a number much higher than 1 so yours is not necessarily the 316th built

 

[macthemaths]

Thank you everyone for the answers: this has helped me scratch a little itch.

 

[macthemaths]

That is just the class sail number with the K indicating United Kingdom, before national identity changed to GBR, If it had originally been sold, to say the Netherlands it might have an H number starting H1 or F1 for France.

I had a boat from the same manufacturer which had, still has, a K number - rather nice. It was quite the fashion at the time, made it more wizzy.

Ian Proctor design so quite good for type - little sailing boat with cabin - Originally built by Rydgeway Marine Lowestoft but other builders later. At least 316 so quite a few.

Doubt it was ever measured for IOR but if it was it might have been a bandit!

If you can, take it back to its home on the Broads and do the three rivers race.

Thanks, Egret. She's berthed in Stalham - this year's learning is getting the mast down (she came to me with an A-frame fitted) so that I can escape the Ant and explore a little further than our tree-lined haven. I'm not sure my river sailing (or sailing in general) is up to the 3RR but I do have a desire to enter one year soon.