GP14 (dinghy) - Vintage Boats

Vintage Boats

A creditable number of the very earliest boats of the class are still in existence, several of them still sailing, and others under restoration. The Class Association are very proud of this part of their history, and are now deliberately fostering interest in the vintage boats, both through specific events for them and publicising news of them. As of the date of editing (March 2011), of those boats with sail numbers less than 100 (all dating from 1951 or earlier) this Editor knows the whereabouts of no less than 19 of them, and 6 of those have sail numbers less than 10. Of those nineteen boats with sail numbers less than 100, at least eight are currently sailing, at least four of them having had restorations of varying degrees; at least one (no. 2, no less) is still sailing and is understood to be in completely unrestored original condition, while two more are known to be either currently undergoing or at least scheduled for full restorations; the restoration of no. 47 is well in hand, while no. 3 has just been saved for restoration (which it is intended to start in 2012). No less than four (nos. 2, 7, 28 and 64) were sailing in company at the inaugural Aberdovey Vintage and Cruising Weekend in July 2010, and it is hoped to double that number for the 2011 event. Sadly no. 10 is understood to have been lost in a workshop fire.