Viola Scott

Some of you will have seen this Article in a recent copy of the Osprey Class Association Newsletter.  However, to give more of us an opportunity to learn something about our Vice Commodore it is repeated here.

How we got into an Osprey – Viola Scott  

After not having sailed since I was 18, in 1995 we inherited my family’s boats; a 12ft Duckling, a ‘56 Finn, a fibreglass Bobbin and a Firefly that had been dry for some 15 years. Luckily we had a barn to put them in! With some effort Michael got us all down to Kielder in the spring of 1996, to do some pootling about, with out children, in these various craft. Racing was not on his agenda and I worked very hard at trying not to tune the boat, trim the sails, etc, but just relax. Not easy but I managed. It was good.

Then chance stepped in – our Firefly was invited to the 50^th anniversary Open at Itchenor SC, Chichester Harbour. We left the boys with my parents and set off to a tremendous welcome. I was rather rusty on rules but remembered the water well enough to know which sides to take and we ended up in the prize money – and Michael was hooked! He had found that racing was FUN, and was eager to improve his skills and confidence.

Back at Kielder the Firefly proved capricious. Not enough room for Michael to comfortably manoeuvre under the boom and being small and slow meant we were always last back for lunch. Worst of all, if he got in without me, she promptly capsized. He cast wistful looks at the Ospreys far ahead and their crews out on the trapeze.

September saw our 12^th wedding anniversary – Michael arrived home towing Osprey 748,  Mistral! Celebrations at  Kielder about the expanding Osprey fleet followed by lots of encouragement and advice. For the rest of the season we got in to lunch much earlier. However we saw little other than the sterns of the rest of the Ospreys. That winter saw a lot of work in the garage – stripping and revarnishing the decks, re-arranging and upgrading the fittings. Next season we steadily learnt to sail together and occasionally did not come last We went to an educational Open Meeting and eventually won our first race. Michael enjoyed the trapeze so much he could not resist getting a Contender. (The children got a Topper – how many boats was that now?) That winter further improvements took place.  

Meanwhile at Kielder some beautiful new boats were appearing on the scene; Excalibur was built by Vic (now owned by Brian and Margaret), Alec first got Lady in Red, then Jennifer as well. Later Rob Shaw appeared with Light and Bitter. We stoutly defended elderly Mistral and went to our first Nationals in her at Pwhelli, where we tailed the fleet.  That week we gained a lot more confidence and came back determined to upgrade our mast. We got placed in a Kielder Series and started to feel we could be regarded as a threat. A light one but nevertheless a threat. Exhilarating!

That winter Michael was very gloomy about being able to improve Mistral much further. Alec was pushing Lady in Red as ideal for us (having 3 Ospreys was too much for him) but I was sceptical. I tried holding out for selling Mistral first but as that happened almost at once Lady in Red became ours. The first time we got into her I could feel a difference; the stability of the hull, the control, the power; Michael was right, we could go much faster now. At the Sunderland Osprey Nationals we finished closer to the middle of the fleet, just ahead of Alec. Intoxicating!

Every season we have done a little better against the growing home fleet as we continue to learn and improve our skills in this powerful performance boat. But what about the future? Truthfully, she is a bit much for us. If we find an alternative that offers good competition, at least one trapeze and speed we would be tempted to move.  An RS800 perhaps? But that is in the future; we will stick with Lady in Red for a few more seasons yet. See you on the water!

Viola Scott.

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