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C. R. Holman and the Twister

Charlotte Wilkinson's yacht "Pouncer" is an example of C.R. "Kim" Holman'south Twister course. Betwixt 1963 and 1983 over 200 of these sturdy, capable, highly regarded and pretty yachts were congenital in a variety of materials. Nigh are withal sailing.

Kim Holman was born and grew up in Cornwall where his family unit were partners in mining equipment manufacturers Holman Bros of Cambourne, later International Compressed Air. One of 3 brothers, he lone moved away from the Due west Country, though all the brothers ended up in marine businesses.

It was the Second Earth State of war that brought him to know and love the Essex declension. He was deputed in the Navy in 1943 aged 18  and served first at HMS Ganges at Shotley, grooming recruits in the Navy's fleet of 32' cutters in the choppy waters off Harwich. Post-obit Ganges he spent some fourth dimension in the Mediterranean and so commanded a minesweeper out of the Humber. Afterwards demobilisation he attended Bristol University and in 1950 joined the yacht designer Jack Francis-Jones at Waldringfield, Suffolk, to learn yacht design and naval architecture.

Throughout the fifties he was involved in yacht racing on the east coast, becoming a nifty friend of Michael Spear (see story right) in his highly successful yacht 'Brambling'. They won most of the eastward coast off-shore silverware in the early on fifties including EAORA overall in 1950, '52 and '55. Holman likewise raced a Merlin Rocket, named 'Pink Gin', on the Blackwater.

In 1955 Holman designed a 20-ft sloop, 'Phialle' for himself with the aim of winning the Pattinson Cup at the 1956 Burnham Calendar week Regatta. 'Phialle' took the bullet with a half-dozen minute margin and later in the season she went on to win the Harwich to Ostend race. His design career had begun.

Rummer Yawl 'Tumbler' by Harry King (above)(Eastern Yachts)

In 1957 he moved to West Mersea where he bought a share in Gowens, the West Mersea sailmaker and ready upwards his own yacht design practise. An early yacht fom his drawing lath was the Rummer Yawl of which several examples were built. ('Tumbler' above is a 1962 version).

Whilst still non an established designer he was developing a skilful relationship with the Tucker Brown 1000 in Burnham and through this connectedness came to the attention of A.Due east. (Dicky) Bird in 1959.

Bird was Commodore of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Burnham-on-Crouch, and the owner of a serial of successful offshore racers. He thought, (perhaps as a reaction to Charles Nicholson's SCOD - initiated out of the ISC), that in that location was a demand for an eastward declension one-blueprint along the lines of the well established Folkboat, simply with greater initial stability and larger accommodation which would let sailors to cruise in comfort as well equally race.

Holman designed a 20ft (6m) waterline, 25ft 9in (7.9m) LOA, sloop that whilst resembling the Folkboat on the drawing lath already had a character of her own. He named the form the Stella. Dicky Bird commissioned the paradigm. Stella #ane which took the name 'La Vie en Rose' and was built at Tucker Brown’s m by Sonny Cole and George French. She was launched one day before Burnham Week in 1960.

Black Magic #fourteen model (above)
'La Vie en Rose', with Cole at the captain, took 7 handicap wins during the week and the reputation of the Stella took off. Past 1961, 24 Stellas had been built by various east coast yards and fourteen competed in Burnham Week that twelvemonth (Kim Holman competed in #2, 'Starshell'). Holman’due south reputation was made, and class success bodacious. In full over 100 Stellas were built on the east coast during the sixties and early on seventies.
Three Stella'south running (to a higher place) (Class Assoc)

The course celebrated its 50th birthday this year and the boats are still keenly raced at West Mersea. Holman remarked in 1999 on the 40th anniversary of the course that the boats were probably in meliorate condition today than ever they were when they were built. In 2009 a Stella won the BCYC Circular the Island race on handicap past a significant margin.

Trevor Spero'due south Stella, and his Jowett Jupiter (above) (Spero)

In the early sixties

Holman continued to receive commissions for 1-off racers, (including another 'Clair du Lune' for Dicky Bird), and for cruisers  simply in 1963 he came upward with a scheme to design a 'big sister' to the Stella. A longer and beamier small racer/cruiser with more than draft than the Stella that would optimise the RORC dominion such that it would charge per unit the same... Thus ‘twisting’ the rules the Twister was built-in in 1963.

He commissioned the outset gunkhole for himself and for blood brother Jack. 'Twister of Mersea' was built ( of mahogany on oak frames) at Uphams yard in Brixham where Jack was managing managing director. In her first season she virtually carried all before her, winning EAORA overall in 1964. But every bit with the Stella, racing success was apace converted into orders. Some xxx wooden Twisters were built â€" many at Uphams â€" only likewise at the main east coast yards. Twister #2, Bandit of Mersea, won EAORA in 1965 for L. D. Brook was built at Cardnells of Maylandsea and is yet berthed at Suffolk Yacht Harbour.
Cardnells Yard at Maylandsea (above)

Three Holmans (above) (Paul Anstey) Demand for Twisters proved very stiff and it was clear that a series gunkhole could be made out of the design. In 1964 Don Pye joined forces with Holman and i of his commencement tasks at the partnership was to adapt the Twister for GRP. He worked with the Tyler Gunkhole Company in Rochester. Tylers had pioneered GRP production in the tardily forties and were the leading moulders of the mean solar day. The design was modified slightly to suit the moulding process. The length was increased by 6â€, the draft reduced past 3†and the bow department was made slightly fuller. The offset Tyler hulls were produced that year.

Hull form: GRP version (to a higher place)

But whilst Tyler’s produced the hulls, Pye's conversion plan called for the cockpit and coachroof to be of traditional timber construction. Uphams finished many Tyler hulls but a number were also finished by other builders or by enthusiastic owners. The ‘composite’ Twister was an appealing mix of the mod and the traditional and these boats are now amid the nigh bonny to owners today every bit the thick layup of the Tyler hull did not suffer from osmosis.

Composite vs. GRP (above) (Form Assoc)

Although attractive it was articulate that in that location was a market for a full GRP version. The debut of the first all GRP version in 1969 showed a marked price drop compared with the composite boats and for a while both versions were bachelor. However it was not long earlier the composite was dropped in favour of the cheaper all GRP version. Whilst the majority of Twisters were built in the 60s and 70s Tyler’south connected to produce hull mouldings through into the belatedly 80s when the business ceased trading. More than than 200 Twisters had been congenital by that time.
Twister Rally at Bembridge (above) (Class Assoc)

Twisters present are more than likely to be cruising yachts though they accept made some global passages. In improver to the 14,000 miles sailed by ‘Pouncer’, Miles Horden sailed his Twister ‘Gordian’ from Auckland, New Zealand to explore the Pacific Northland declension and wrote an account of his voyage called ‘Voyaging the Pacific’. Twisters also still make capable double-hander racers with yachts like Criona and Brigand Master competing in the RSYC series.

Crionna racing double handed (in a higher place)

Whilst originally an east coast yacht. Twisters are at present found all round the British Isles. LSC archivist Ian Stewart owns a 1967 composite Twister finished at Uphams.The original Twister of Mersea is now endemic by RSYC fellow member Alan Beswick. It can be found moored in the Beaulieu River opposite Gins Farm and is regularly cruised on the south declension in RSYC rallies and raced in the classic yachts serial.

Twister of Mersea in 2007 (above)

According to the Form Association:

“All Holman’s designs were expert looking and the Twister is arguably the prettiest. By today’s standards she is a heavy yacht with a large wetted expanse and a relatively pocket-sized canvass area. One you might expect only to get well in a accident. Surprisingly the Twister still outperforms many much lighter ‘modern’ designs in calorie-free arrogance too and e'er with impeccable manners and a ‘finger-light’ helm.â€

Whiplash - A North Sea 24 (above) - Paul Anstey

If the Twister is the Stella’s big sister and so she besides has 2 even bigger sisters herself. Inspired by the success of the Twister in GRP, Holman redrew his ‘North Body of water 24’ design in 1964 for GRP production. This became the Rustler 31 (sometimes referred to every bit the Twister 31) and the first ones were built by Anstey Yachts in Poole in 1965.

Building Rustlers (above) - Paul Anstey

Russell Anstey had been sailing the North Bounding main 24 ‘Whiplash’ during the previous season. Whiplash had been a successful RORC racer and was used as the epitome for the 31. All the same full keeled and with a transom hung rudder she actually did look like a big Twister. Reviewing her in Yachting Monthly, Dec l965 Bill Mison had this to say:

“From the same blueprint stable as Class Three winners 'Whiplash', 'Golden Samphire' and 'Casino', this masthead Bermudian sloop has the lines and performance of a Kim Holman thoroughbred and will charge per unit most xx.0 in RORC Form III. Of ane-piece moulded glass fibre hull with encased and glassed-in 2.v ton pb keel, and one-piece deck and superstructure, she is exquisitely finished with an all teak atmospheric condition trim and internal furniture. Moulding and completion are to Lloyds 100A1 specifications and supervision.â€

Maltings cut-abroad brochure (above)

Superb offshore capability and racing pedigree coupled with comfort below was beginning to be the Holman & Pye trademark. Over 50 Rustler 31s were congenital by both Anstey and subsequently by Maltings Boats.

'Rustler of Arne' was co-owned by Russell Anstey and Kim Holman and together they sailed her to from the Canaries to Barbados from where she went to Grenada to chartered. Anne Hammick of course did 2 Atlantic circuits in 'Wrestler of Leigh' and taught us 'Ocean Cruising on a Budget'. The vessels go on to be sought after on the secondhand market both equally coastal cruisers and past budget-conscious liveaboards.

Rustler 31 in 2009 (above) (Yachtsnet)Throughout the seventies the Holman and Pye office designed a succession of production yachts besides as one-offs. The arrival of the IOR  and advances in GRP product brought nigh a different style of yacht. The office was particularly involved with the commencement decade of Oyster Marine.

UFO 34 Specification (above) (Landamores)

In 1973 Richard Matthews commissioned Holman & Pye to pattern him a new racing yacht. This was done for his newly formed visitor Oyster Marine. 'UFO' became the very first Oyster product. She was built during the winter of 1973/74.

She was very successful in her first twelvemonth, winning the Purple Yacht Squadron Da Maas Trophy at Cowes. 'UFO' too competed in the Commodores Cup at Burnham Week in 1974, but she did non win.

30 years later with 70 per cent of the original crew she won the Commodores Loving cup at Burnham Week 2004 with Richard Matthews again at the captain.

UFO racing in Burnham Week 2004 (above) (Oyster Yachts)

The UFO 34 was based on a successful IOR three quarter ton cup racing yacht 'Unidentified Flight Object' of the late 1970s and moulded past Colvic in Witham, Essex and mostly fitted out by Landamores. Whilst many IOR yachts of the period had a reputation for poor treatment, the UFO34 was both fast and almost fault gratuitous, and the form became successful both as racers and equally fast cruisers. The 34 was followed by the UFO 31, rated a half tonner, as well as the showtime four Oyster badged versions of the marque.

Oyster 37 - Original brochure (above) (Landamores)

It was not until 1979 that the final big Twister came to market place. The Rustler 36 was originally built by Orion Marine, today it remains in build with Rustler Yachts in Falmouth, U.k..
Rustler Yachts deck and Interior diagram (higher up) (Rustler Yachts)

In one case once again featuring a long keel and transom hung rudder, the design was by and then looking quite dated. However, demand was still there for an bounding main-going vessel that could be managed short handed and bargain with whatever the weather gods would deliver. Over 120 boats have been built and the yacht is renowned for its performance and sea-going qualities. Many owners accept crossed the Atlantic, several take completed circumnavigations. The Princess Imperial owns a Rustler 36 berthed at Ardfern Marina.

A Princess and her Rustler (above)

Holman died in 2006. In a brief obituary in Oyster News, Richard Matthews, Oyster chairman said this:

“A brilliant designer, Kim was an inspiration, with so many beautiful yachts coming to life from his drawing lath. Product yachts similar the Stella, Twister and Rustler were interspersed with one-off racing yachts like Fanfare and Cyclone, all the very best of their twenty-four hours.

E'er maintaining a sense of way, things were never wearisome effectually Kim who was the get-go guy to exercise 130mph in his E-Blazon across the causeway onto Mersea Island.â€

Holman's legacy is a fine a serial of yacht designs that live on and put him among the greats of twentieth century yacht blueprint.

Chris Smith, LSC web editor

gallegosqueng1989.blogspot.com

Source: https://littleshipclub.co.uk/holman-and-twister

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