The following comments are in the main to confirm Len Wingfield's worthy assessment of the Skipper as a sensible and very satisfying dinghy.

The 14 is now my only boat (or will be when someone buys the superfast Supernova dinghy trimaran) and except for the deep dagger board is superb for Poole harbour and nearby coasts. Its lifeboat style high and wide buoyant gunwales inspire confidence in a gust though, as Len describes it, the slippery ‘bathtub’ feel of the gunwales and sides of the cockpit is disturbing. The dryness gained by curving the upper shell of the mouldings outwards and downwards, makes the boat seem to glide at a very good rate. On my 14, this is very much due to the 121 square feet of Bermudan rig with main 88 and jib 33, which with two aboard and up to about force 4, can be carried quite safely. These areas are higher than the racing total of about 105 sq. ft. but can be reduced in a few seconds by roller-reefing the jib. Up to this stage the boat is perfectly balanced but without the jib has enough weather helm to bring it into wind. The wire luffed jib with upper swivel is detached from the spring hook on the halliard which is then clipped to the mast above the gooseneck together with the halliard downhaul. Unclip the boom-vang and turn the unstayed mast to roll the main down to zero square feet if desired. The main is cut from a 505 sail and as there are no battens, the leach is incurved. The pocket is cut to allow for a 212 inches bend in the mast over the length of the luff. It sets perfectly, thank heavens for a sail maker son. I made the mast from two jointed aircraft quality aluminium tubes, each sealed for buoyancy though I had to put an internal tube in the lower 6 ft. after alarming bending between boom and deck under full sail.

When bought, the beautifully shaped, curvaceous underhull was not only punctured in several places but was so thin it could be pressed inwards by an inch or so. I gently woodscrewed then glassed, five, inch by three quarter, strakes, one along the keel from end to end and two shorter parallel ones each side, all bar the outer two, ending at the stern. Unlike Len's 12 and other 14s I've seen, mine doesn't have twin skegs. The 'rubbing strakes' have stiffened the hull and made it happier being pulled up shingly beaches but best of all has added directional stability and lateral resistance. I calculated that the area of both sides of all the strakes is about four square feet or nearly three feet six inches length of dagger-board.

In a light wind and with little leeway it will actually sail with only six inches of board showing. I drilled a vertical row of holes for a brass pin to hold it where I will - most important in Poole Harbour which seems to have got ever shallower over the last forty years. For the same reason I modified the rudder with an uphaul, and bungee sprung downhaul. I, too, removed the rusty railings round the 'child or dog' well in the bows - perhaps they were for attaching reins or dog lead!

Though forty or sixty-five pounds, according to differing advertisers, heavier than the 12, the Skipper 14 is still easily managed especially as help for the aged always seems to materialise if in any difficulty at the slip. The double-skinned GRP hull is not the easiest for modification or extra fittings though twin circular hatches for access to the 'focsle' would allow stowage to counterbalance weight of outboard etc in the stern locker. Another easy modification I might get round to is a pair of 'leeboards' rather than the deadly daggerboard - easily knocked up and nearly half the draught.

I, too, have never slept aboard but know that it could easily be arranged. Meanwhile, as I'm used to long distance walking with a 15 lb. pack, including bivouac, three days food and a bubble wrap mattress, hauling up and camping on mother earth remains favourite.

As the great moulds for the GRP shells lie in a field near Royston, perhaps one day someone will produce a new generation of Skippers.

The Secretary of the Skipper Class Association (mainly for inland racing) is Norman Snelling, 74 North View, Eastcote, Pinner, HA5 1PS Phone 0181 8680173