Flotsam & Jetsam 06.03.26
Paid to Go Sailing!
And what’s more, on a beautiful looking boat!
Windsong Boats is looking for two experienced dinghy sailors to tour the east and south coast of England showcasing two new Windsongs through June/July/August. The programme is to raise Windsong brand awareness and will include a comprehensive list of harbours and sailing clubs where we can find new customers.
This is a paid role and a vehicle and 2 boat trailer will be provided. Applicants should be experienced, enthusiastic and resourceful dinghy sailors who will be good ambassadors for Windsong.
Windsong is a new 14ft wooden hulled planing lugger featuring the best of the old and the best of the new. She featured last year on the cover of Wooden Boat Magazine in the USA and Classic boat in the UK wrote an six page article called her ‘Possibly the coolest wooden boat ever built’.
More details of Windsong online at www.windsongboats.co.uk.
If interested please send a brief CV by email to harry@windsongboats.co.uk
STOERTEBEKER III
We recieved this email from one of our readers in Germany, Andreas Reuner, asking for infomation about STOERTEBEKER III, a near sistership to Melbourne’s TANDANYA
Hi Mark,
We are searching for the maritime estate of British Dr. I.J. Franklen-Evans, who sailed mainly in the Pacific with STÖRTEBEKER III from 1948 to 1954. He was also known as Tahiti John in the round-the-world sailing scene and died in New Zealand in February 1989. He also had many sailing friends in Australia and, after 1954, sailed several regattas to Tasmania with KOCHAB I, among others with his sailing friend and boat builder Noel Barrott from New Zealand. He was acquainted with David and Kerry Beard. David is known by the nickname "SKAFFI". Unfortunately, he had been suffering from severe dementia for years, so he couldn't remember anything, as Kerry wrote to us.
May be, you have some information about fellows / maritime estate of Dr. I.J. Franklen-Evans
Regards,Andreas
If you know anything about this story, GET IN TOUCH WITH ANDREAS
The 2x25 Review
If you can get past the relentlessly soporific corporate speak in this survey on discrimination in sailing conducted by The Magenta Project, you will come across some important findings. The aim of the survey was…
“to create a comprehensive, contemporary evidence base, examining progress since the 2019 Women in Sailing Strategic Review, with particular attention to ageism, racism, ableism, and intersecting forms of discrimination.”
The full findings are in a 71 page document HERE,
But here are a three paras from the summary that caught my eye.
There is clear evidence that female representation in sailing has improved over the past five years. Most respondents (83%) believe that female representation has increased, and 36% perceive greater opportunities for women and under- represented groups in recreational sailing.
More than 50% of respondents think that sailing clubs are not inclusive to people of all backgrounds. At a more granular level the data shows a clear trend across genders with more than 35% of male participants, almost 60% of female and more than 60% of non-binary participants believing sailing clubs are not inclusive or welcoming to people of all backgrounds.
High-profile progress across elite sailing is evident. Events such as the Women’s America’s Cup, The Ocean Race, SailGP, and the Women’s Match Racing Tour demonstrate that inclusive competition is both achievable and commercially compelling. More than 60% of women and under- represented groups report not feeling welcome in yacht clubs, with many describing the need to adapt their behaviour simply to feel accepted. This disconnect suggests that visible progress at the top is not being matched by meaningful change across the broader community.
Pittwater ‘Celebration of Sail’ Regatta
Larry Eastwood of “Restoration of Petrel” fame, writes
As I just love to keep 'knocking my head against wood’ - (mainly my boom! ), I am once again going to try and entice at least some of you to join the Coutas and Rangers in a ‘Celebration of Sail’ Regatta this 21 / 22 March hosted by the ASC. (Avalon)
As most of you already know the SASC is ‘Home’ to most of the Harbour timber classics and celebrates that with regular weekend racing and Gaffers Day biannually in October. The RPEYC, home to the Harbour Coutas, has now added a Classic Regatta in April. Meanwhile the WPYC (woody Point) has firmly supported Wooden boats for many years in the Wednesday Twilights on Pittwater . Despite all this love and care we have not managed to support an annual regatta weekend for Gaffers and Classics on Pittwater which was first started by the RMYC (Royal Motor) and lately supported by the ASC.(Avalon)
So what’s the problem? Wrong date?. Boat too old ? Crew too old? Don’t get out enough to have regular crew? Don’t have a Cat 7 Safety certificate? Excuses, excuses!!. If you own a wooden boat , it’s because you a hopeless romantic and you love it! …….despite being questioned by your partner! …..And you need to get your sh** together !
So please try and let us get together at least once a year to support our folly and passion. Support this regatta.! Oppps …..'Celebration of Sail!'
The Perilous Deep
We haven’t read this recently published book yet, but SWS has ordered a copy and it looks pretty good!
The vast expanse, unknown depths, dangers and mysteries of the sea have led mariners to create fantastical stories of ghosts and monsters for centuries; it is a world strange and ‘other’ to the experience of land dwellers. This body of lore has served to bond nautical communities together around the world and throughout history, with international stories fusing with local tales. The Perilous Deep explores why these stories were told, how they were repeated and mutated and what fears, anxieties and desires they helped to express. This is a fascinating exploration of the supernatural history of the Atlantic Ocean and some of its neighbouring seas, showing how seafaring peoples have developed knowledge and a sense of control over nature through myths and legends.
Eight Bells: Keith Taylor
Keith Taylor, who lived a life under full sail, died February 25, 2026 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was 87 years old.
From a blue model yacht on a Christchurch mantelpiece to the helm of SAIL magazine, the world’s leading sailing publication, Keith’s life was shaped by wind, water, and words. He documented America’s Cups, ocean races, round the world attempts, and the evolution of modern yachting with rare authority and elegance. His reporting combined technical mastery with narrative grace; he didn’t just describe boats – he understood them.
As editor of SAIL during its golden era, he elevated sailing journalism to a global standard, blending innovation, storytelling, and editorial integrity. He believed deeply in the separation of advertising and editorial “church and state” and stood by that principle.
Beyond the printed page, Keith was a seaman of instinct and feel. From living on Klang II with Karen, iced into the Connecticut winter to Newport summers and Sydney Harbour afternoons, he lived the life he wrote about. Adventure was not an assignment.
Keith believed that life (like sailing) should be navigated with skill, integrity, a great story, and a well-stocked bar. An Appleton’s man to his core, he favored Jamaican rum, perhaps because Kingston was a honeymoon stop with Karen – one stop in a lifetime of adventures together, joined eventually by son Stephen and daughter Kate.
He was urbane, erudite, mischievous, a generous host, and a master storyteller, frequently found holding court at a dinner table. Keith and Karen’s parties were legendary, the bar thoughtfully stocked, and his stories impeccably told. Keith’s friendships in the sailing fraternity ran deep and spanned decades.
He leaves a wake that stretches across oceans – in print, in memory, and in the countless sailors who learned something from his words.
The family has planned a gathering at Swashbucklers (Auckland, NZL) on March 15 from 2pm to 5pm to toast his memory.