Any other Brits heading to Alexandra Palace?

[John Meachen]

If any British forumites are going to the dinghy show at Alexandra Palace and think there is any merit in a chat over a cup of coffee or a beer,there is time to sort it out.

[Mrleft8]

The Ali-Pali has a dinghy show?

[John Meachen]

To be strictly accurate the RYA are responsible for the organisation of the show and the venue chosen for quite a few years happens to be Alexandra Palace.The classes displayed at the show have changed over the years and there are fewer opportunities to see some of the gloriously crafted wooden dinghies that used to be common.The wooden Merlin-rocket shown on Gareth's thread might have a cousin present and if it has been built by Rowsell or Jon Turner,it will be a splendid piece of woodwork.I hope to see some nicely built and finished Scorpions and Solos and will hope to gain some inspiration from the International 14s,Moths and Canoes.

[Hwyl]

It's rather a long way. I just tried logging on their website, but my connection won't handle it.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

I had intended to go...but my car was written off for me by a very apologetic lady on Monday evening.....
.....

Ouch - sorry to hear that.
You can get there by train -which might make an interestingly different sort of trek.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

I attended a "Ten Years After" gig - and have a dim recollection of a short walk to Wood Green.

I've just done the sums on the dates - and now feel really old - that was over half a lifetime ago.

[John Meachen]

I had intended to go...but my car was written off for me by a very apologetic lady on Monday evening...

Grateful if you could take a look at the Firefly and Albacore stands for me... and the CVRDA...

Sorry to learn of the car's fate,hopefully the occupant(s) were unscathed.If so,there could be few better times to be in the market for a replacement vehicle.
I will cast an eye over the stands mentioned,the Albacore normally justifies a look on the basis of the quality of the woodwork and finish they commonly have.I normally take a camera and I really must get to grips with image posting.

[Dick Wynne]

I attended a "Ten Years After" gig -

Good god - I think I saw them at Bath '68...

[John Meachen]

Some pictures can be seen in my new photobucket album http://s578.photobucket.com/albums/ss226/John_Meachen/ and if I have managed to get it right,this is the Merlin-Rocket that Gareth showed in an almost complete state http://i578.photobucket.com/albums/ss226/John_Meachen/S4201781.jpg .

[Hwyl]

This looks nice, what is it?

http://i578.photobucket.com/albums/ss226/John_Meachen/S4201778.jpg


and this

http://i578.photobucket.com/albums/ss226/John_Meachen/S4201783.jpg

[rbgarr]

Gareth,

Could the white one be a Contender?

[Hwyl]

I think you're right. Not sure about the shroud/ rigging screw angle on the yellow one.

[John Meachen]

The yellow boat is a beautiful example of how well Kevin Gosling can build a Solo,it was difficult to find the join between the two halves of the foredeck.The white Contender was an all wood boat,apart from the acres of Pro-Grip on the decks and while nicely built it was not quite as exquisite as the Solo.I learned that the current vogue is to use very low rig tension on Solos and the show boat used high tech fibre rather than wire standing rigging.
There was a display of International 14s from bygone eras;an early twentieth century lugsail dinghy next to the Uffa Fox design that won the 1929 Prince of Wales cup and which had been nicely restored.Which was just across from a post war hot moulded Fairey,again in excellent order and this was next to Phil Morrison's first venture into the class.This was memorable in a number of ways,not least the memory of racing against it when it was new and mildly revolutionary.It was Phil Morrison's dissatisfaction with the then current 14 foot I measurement that led to the class implementing a fairly major rule change,one of several since that have contributed to the class remaining at the forefront of dinghy development.
I also enjoyed the opportunity to take a close look at the variety of foiling Moths on display,even though they were built of "other stuff".

[Hwyl]

I'd never have guessed it was a Solo, really nice. Their resurgence is interesting. Clearly when JH drew the Streaker, he fixed a lot of things that were wrong with the Solo, but shot himself in the foot with that name and sail logo. I bet he enjoyed it though.