Solent Sunbeams, based at Itchenor, adopt GRP,
to race alongside our wooden and splined and expoxy-coated hulls.

On 5th April 2011 a team of Sunbeamers collected from Mark Downer' factory at Sandown, I.O.W., three new GRP Solent Sunbeams. Their hull colours are Pigeon Blue (V62), Turquoise Pastel (V63), and Cream (V64). The last of these will be called "Maisy", named after Jacky's and my pet spaniel, and has been built as a direct replacement and look alike for V31 "Daisy".  I intend to have her fitted out during the summer and to race her next season. The other two boats will also be completed and should be ready for Cowes Week this year. They will be available for sale or charter, and moorings have been reserved for them at Itchenor. The first of the GRP boats, V61 "Betty", will be raced throughout the coming season by Nick Leech and his family, who we are all delighted to welcome back into Sunbeams, and Becky Wickens.
Roger Wickens

The Solent Sunbeams have now formally approved the building of new boats with GRP hulls and decks, but in all other respects they are identical to the existing wooden Sunbeams. "Betty", the trial boat built this year, has been accepted into the Fleet with a new sail number V61, having completed 36 races following her launch on 8th July, with an average place of 3.4 out of 8.9 starters. She has been built to a high standard, looks fantastic, is indistinguishable externally from the existing Sunbeams, and has been proven to perform on level terms with the best of the existing wooden boats. She has fore and aft bulkheads and successfully passed a half hour flotation test when fully flooded.
Meanwhile five complete sets of stainless fittings are being sourced in order to fit-out a further three new boats, in addition to these two. "Betty's" hull colour is Cobalt Blue, V62's is Pigeon Blue, and V63's is Turquoise Pastel, all with Cream decks and interior gel wash. The colours of the next three have still to be chosen! 
 For 2011 V61 "Betty" has been made available on for charter on the basis of just paying for a season's running expenses: with her GRP hull and deck and epoxy coppercoat below the waterline her maintenance costs will be minimal - just a hull anti-UV polish and varnish on the teak.  

 
Betty at Cowes in 2011

Taking part in Cowes Week for the first time was a new thoroughbred with exquisite lines and superb sailing characteristics.  Alfred Westmacott designed the Solent Sunbeam in 1922 and many believe it was his masterpiece.
The first boats raced at Cowes in 1923 and earlier this year the
Sunbeam Class approved the building of a trial boat with a GRP hull and deck. The new boat was launched and raced on 8th July, just 20 weeks from the cutting of the first timber moulds to create the hull plug - is this a record? She was moulded by Mark Downer on the IOW and then fitted out by Haines Boatyard at Itchenor.
She has been christened "Betty" in memory of the late Betty Moore, who owned and raced her Sunbeam for 61 years.
"Betty" will be racing in Cowes Week with sail number V61 as part of her trials to ensure that she sails level with the existing wooden built
Sunbeams. Her successful adoption by the Class has allowed the expansion of the Solent Sunbeam Fleet based at Itchenor on Chichester Harbour, as the cost of new wooden Sunbeams has become a major deterrent to the commissioning of new builds.
The GRP hull and deck should also simplify and reduce the cost of annual maintenance. As for "Betty", she looks fabulous with her navy hull, cream deck, and varnished wood trim.
The aim of the project is to enable you to own and race either a new composite or a traditional wooden Solent Sunbeam - based at Itchenor, Chichester Harbour.

V64, Maisy, has now been brought by Sue Smith and Peter Goddard. Sue has had a part share in Honey V43 for a few years and we are delighted to welcome her and her partner Peter to the racing fleet. It is especially good that we have another regular lady helm.
V62, named Firefly is being chartered for the 2012 season by Stewart Reed and John Mawdsley. She is pigeon-blue and beautifully fitted out. We look forward to racing against her next year

V63 has yet to be named as this is reserved for her new owners / charterers, whoever they may be!... could this be YOU?! The proviso is that her name must end in a "Y" and be approved by Roger Wickens and the Class Captain. She is a stunning turquoise blue and will be fitted out ready for the 2012 season with a suit of sails, ropes, dolly trolley and even a protest flag! For more details speak to Roger Wickens or the Class Captain

 

"Betty" greeted at Itchenor by Thursday evening sailors.
Now Haines will be adding the shipwright work, rigging and Coppercoat.

Roger, Alan and Ryan, Haines showright

Ryan making the covering board

Proud Owners, Alan Stannah and Roger Wickens

Photo Sue Kent

Solent Sunbeams move to Epoxy Coating

Over 80 and looking forward to a bright future

Harmony and Fay being epoxied at Haines “Blue Gates” boat yard

Following the decision of the Solent Sunbeams at the end of last year to allow epoxy coating of the outside of the hull 4 boats including Fay V24, Harmony V11, Sugar Daddy V29 and Query V25 are having the work carried out over the current winter layup period. 
The use of epoxy has the following advantages:

The epoxy process adopted can be divided into 4 phases:

The epoxy process is particularly important to the older boats in the Class which are now over 80 years old, which while still remarkably sound, will give more certainty to present owners and future buyers of boat structure and ongoing cost of maintenance.
The Sunbeam Class at Itchenor now includes 3 boat options Traditionally Maintained Wooden, Epoxy Coated Wooden and GRP all racing on equal terms.
The following pictures show progress towards epoxy coating to date

 
                Fay and Query at Bosham after owners and crew have completed phase 1 

 
Harmony and Fay at Haines “Blue Gates” boat yard in phase 2

 
Fay  with garboard repaired by Haines

 
Query in Andrew Oliver’s boat shed at Emsworth commencing phase 3

 
Splining completed on Query’s Port side and routing to fit splines on her Starboard side

These photos were taken on 11th May and show the deck in place, dry fitted at that time to mark the position of the deck beams and size the bulkheads.
Mark has since taken the deck off to glass onto the deck the beams, and install in the hull the fore and aft bulkheads. The aft bulkhead is a complicated moulding that includes the new boxes below the helm seats, the purpose being to boost the volume of the stern buoyancy compartment and at the same time provide a simple base upon which to fix the helm seats and the crew quadrant seats.
As the photo shows the hull below the coloured gel-coat is currently translucent but will be treated with epoxy coppercoat antifouling by Haines.
The keel, being made by Irons Bros in Cornwall, is due to arrive this week
.Roger 

STANNAH / WICKENS were delighted to announce the birth of "Betty" at 10.56am on 7th May 2010 at Mark Downer's works at Sandown Airport, IOW. Many anxious men were in attendance and after the use of hammer, chisels, and forklift she emerged from her mould and weighed 419kg

Some of the Sunbeam Team visited the Mark Downer's factory today, Wednesday 21st April, and as you will see tried out the cockpit !

Monday 19th April was the day on which the gelcoat, topsides colour RAL 5013, underwater colour clear, was placed into the hull mold. In the succeeding two days "Betty" has now progressed to nearly being a complete hull. The deck plug has been finished and so the deck mold should follow very soon.

An intense exercise has taken place to replicate the weight and weight distributation of existing Sunbeams in the new hull, and when the frames and bulkheads have been installed the new hull will be weighed and any correction judged necessary will be made

The Completed Mould is complete, ready for laying up.

THE PLUG COMPLETED

Available for ownership, share holding, syndicates crewing and charter

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