The Solent X-Boat One Design

<BODY BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" LINK="#FFCC99" ALINK="#FF9966" VLINK="#FF9966">  <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#CC3300" FACE="Arial" ><B>History & Homes of the Sunbeam One Design</B></FONT>     |   <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="History Homes of the Sunbeam One Design"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14">        <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mermaid One Design"><IMG SRC="0430e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A>    <A HREF="id184.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Victory Z Class"><IMG SRC="0440e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A>        <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="History Homes of the Sunbeam One Design"><IMG SRC="0450e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="04658020.png" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Solent X-Boat One Design </div> <bR> <div> The Solent X-Boat</div> <div> by</div> <div> T.  Harrison Butler</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The Solent X-Boat - a small sound boat of good pedigree. This excellent little craft is the direct descendant of the Bembridge boat designed over a quarter of a century ago [really, pre-1903?] by Westmacot <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Book Antiqua" >(sic)</FONT> and built by Messrs Woodnutt at St. Helens.  She was expressly planned for beginners and was regarded as foolproof.  The original boats were clinker-built and had a small centre-board.</div> <bR> <div> The present X-boat is carvel-built and the centre-board has been discarded.  The keel has been dropped somewhat to make up the lateral resistance, and to give greater stability.  Through the kindness of Messrs Woodnutt I am able to publish  the lines and sail plan of :</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#bembridge_boat_lines__pre_1903_" TITLE="The Solent XBoat One Design ">The original </A><A HREF="#bembridge_boat_lines__pre_1903_" TITLE="The Solent XBoat One Design ">Bembridge boat</A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="#bembridge_boat_lines__pre_1903_" TITLE="The Solent XBoat One Design "> </A></FONT></div> <div> and of,</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="#lines_of_the_x_one_design_class_boats" TITLE="The Solent XBoat One Design ">The present X-boat</A><A HREF="#lines_of_the_x_one_design_class_boats" TITLE="The Solent XBoat One Design "> </A></FONT>which races in the <B>Solent</B>, at <B>Poole</B>, and at <B>Weymouth  </B></div> <bR> <div> Over 100 yachts have been built to the design, which, with the exception of the American <I>Star</I> class, must constitute a record, an eloquent witness to the all-round excellence of the boats. </div> <bR> <div> My own X-boat <I>Moyezerka</I>, Arabic for <I>Blue Water</I>, although bought as an X-boat, ultimately turned out to be an imposter.   Until I saw her alongside <I>Stepaside</I>, I could not tell where the difference lay.  <I>Moyezerka</I> was an improvement on the standard design.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>She was originally the </B><I><B>Shullach</B></I></FONT> and had been fitted with a centre-board.  A subsequent owner removed the centre-board and dropped her keel to the standard draught of three feet. She then came into the hands of Mr. Taylor as the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><I>Belle Bellere</I></FONT> who, with his wife, carried out an adventurous cruise in 1922 from Southampton to Teignmouth and back.  Those who remember the strong winds of 1922 will realise this was no mean achievement, and it speaks volumes for the seaworthiness of the type. </div> <bR> <div> When she came into my hands, I used her on the reservoir on Barnt Green, near Birmingham. She is fitted with rings in the keel for lifting with a crane.  After sailing at Barnt Green S.C. for two years, she was placed on a lorry and taken to Burlesdon at a cost of £15.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Moyezerka</I> has now been re-rigged with Bermudian sails.  The mast is raked [ 7 degrees] and the foresail has a good overlap to gain the "funnel effect" and increase the vacuum on the lee side of the mainsail.  I have abolished the roller foresail because i do not think it ship-shape and because the roller disturbs the even flow of air over the sail and diminished the vacuum on the lee side.  The mainsail is fitted with my own reefing gear.  The mainsail runs on ordinary mast hoops, and the upper part on a jackstay.  A ring on the mast-head carries a leader of manilla which passes through a cringle at the head of the sail.  When the sail is reefed this leader keeps the head close to the mast and takes the strain off the mast-head.   In a boat of this size, I am not sure if a well-designed tramway of ample size would not be better. </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1c67ce40.jpg" border=0 width="380" height="484" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="1c8a4e40.jpg" border=0 width="420" height="484" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The sail area was originally: Mainsail 150, foresail 35.  It is now, mainsail 145, foresail 45.  </div> <div> The new rig has 5 sq. ft. more area.  </div> <div> The plan shows the old arrangement in dotted lines.  </div> <div> It is obvious there is a great saving in weight aloft.  The gaff has disappeared with its span and blocks.  </div> <div> The new mast is 6 ft. longer than the old, but the top part is very this and weighs less than the gaff.</div> <bR> <div> If a runway is fitted on the mast and boom, the mainsail can be taken off and stowed below. This takes less time than coating the sail and preserves it better.  The West Solent One Design boats adopt this method.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> [ <U>Excerpts </U>above are from The <I>YACHTING MONTHLY</I> No.269 published in September <B>1928 </B> ]</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="bembridge_boat_lines__pre_1903_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Lines of the Bembridge boat</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c480ad0.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="429" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="lines_of_the_x_one_design_class_boats"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Lines of the X One Design Class boats</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c280ba0.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="442" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> "The dimensions which I have taken off the tracing are LOA  21ft.; LWL 17ft.; beam 6ft.; and draught 3ft.</div> <div> The price of a new boat is £175.  A new suit of sails costs about £10.  [<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Book Antiqua" >1928</FONT>!]</div> <div> Fitted up with a tent, the X-boat can be used as a cruiser and at once re-converted to compete in her class." </div> <bR> </BODY>