The Windermere 17 class celebrated its 120th anniversary this year and is remarkable in the fact that it is not only one of the oldest classes in the world, but also a real rarity in that modern boats race against bona fide classics and competition remains fierce. The class history dates back to 1904 when the Royal Windermere Yacht Club (RWYC) commissioned the new class as a smaller alternative to existing racing classes already on the water. The RWYC itself has a long and fascinating history, having been founded in 1860. The club is based in the lakeside town of Bowness on Windermere and was not set up by locals but by wealthy industrialists – mostly from neighbouring Lancashire, where their dark satanic mills had helped Britain become an industrial powerhouse. At weekends, these industrialists were ready for a little rest and recuperation and yacht sailing was becoming de rigeur. The early classes of yachts were often crewed by professional sailors from Morecambe Bay who fished for most of the year and decamped to the Lakes for the summer racing season. Interest in the sailing was further amplified as there was no racecourse nearby and betting on the sailing was a useful alternative to betting on the horses. To this day, race results for the 17s are hoisted on a flagstaff (each boat having its own flag) at the end of every day for the benefit of those who have had a flutter on the race.
The early boats were mostly designed by Percy Crossley, although it was his cousin Herbert who designed hull number 1, Naiad. Percy Crossley was the son of Halifax businessman Louis Crossley, who was a founding member of the RWYC. Percy learnt the trade of yacht design by working with designer Linton Hope, known for designing the Thames Raters and the International Canoe Class among others. The original boats had a high peaked gaff which can still be seen on the 1908 built 17, Merlin. This was later changed to the Bermudan rig we see today.
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