This photo was taken at the 1962 National Boat Show at Earls Court, London. The dinghy on the left is an example of the Wineglass class, designed in the late 1950’s by Trevor Kirby, and built by a number of different yards, including Stebbings.
The other boat is a Crystal class sloop designed by Alan Buchanan that would later be produced by Offshore Yachts Ltd as the Halcyon 23.
Photo by Fox Photos Ltd.
This picture was taken at the 1965 International Boat Show at Earls Court, London. The show ran from the 6th to 16th January.
In the foreground is a Crystal class and behind is a Diamond class yacht, both Alan Buchanan designs based on GRP hulls. After some modifications to the accommodation these designs were produced by Offshore Yachts Ltd as the Halcyon 23 and Halcyon 27 respectively.
Photo by Sport and General Press Agency. Programme excerpts Copyright of National Boat Shows, reproduced with kind permission.
Stebbings stand at 1961 London Boat Show
This photo is from the 1961 London Boat Show, held at Earls Court.
The yacht on the left is a Brabant class sloop and the smaller boat to the rear is a Crystal class, both designed by Alan Buchanan. I’m not sure what class of boat the upturned hull is from. Fortunately one doesn’t see boats from this angle too often. It might be a Bonito class GRP hull from Seamaster. More research needed.
Photo by Fox Photos Ltd.
The show ran from December 30th 1959 to January 9th 1960 and was organised by the Ship and Boat Builders’ National Federation and sponsored by the Daily Express.
Stebbings took three boats to the show and a selection of spars. The three yachts in the leftmost photo are, from left to right, a 21′ Holliwell class clinker sloop with lifting keel and tabernacled mast; a 31′ Brabant sloop, Marcasite; and a 42′ Albatross class steel ketch, Ceol Mara, all designed by Alan Buchanan.
Photos by Robelus. Programme excerpts Copyright of National Boat Shows, reproduced with kind permission.
The second National Boat Show, like the first, was held at the Empire Hall, Olympia, London. The show ran from December 29th 1955 to January 10th 1956.
Up until the Second World War, sailing was very much a sport for the rich, but in the post-war years, with the launch of more affordable boats, sailing became accessible to the middle classes and so there was demand for a show which could satisfy this trend. Sir Max Aitken, with the sponsorship of his newspaper the Daily Express, was one of the show’s founders.
Jo Barker recalls as a little girl, going to the second Olympia show. She says the town took on a stand for the local boat businesses to share the exhibition space, including Tucker Brown, Kings and others. Prior’s and Petticrow’s were also represented, as were Cranfield and Carter sails and naval architect Alan Buchanan.
The Scow in the foreground is Seamew, built by Stebbings and still sailing at Burnham. The yacht with the pale blue hull is Paprika, designed by Oliver Lee of Alan H. Buchanan Ltd and built by Tucker Brown’s. The larger yacht on the right was a Yeoman class, designed by Alan Buchanan and built by Prior’s.
Thanks to Clea Rawinsky and Jo Barker from the Royal Burnham Yacht Club and Bill Davies for helping to piece together the history of this picture.
Photo by Terence Wilson and Partners. Programme excerpts are Copyright of National Boat Shows, reproduced with kind permission.
Stebbings Archive 