Des Sleightholme, who died recently, was to my mind the greatest of all the yachting journalists. Older readers will remember his challenging illustrated quizzes on practical sailing situations, but even more memorable was his merciless humour in penetrating the various foibles of the yachting fraternity. We will all have had a ‘Percy’ on board at one time or another, but it was his favourite creation ‘Old Harry’ that reminded one of some of us DCA members. (Some believe that I was the original Old Harry but that is quite incorrect; he was much more heavily built!).

Old Harry’s boats and gear were always heavy and old fashioned. Searching around for a dinghy to suit his needs, Old Harry found his ideal boat in an ex-Coal Board huffler’s skift. The next problem was to find a trolley strong enough to carry its immense weight, but Old Harry found the answer in an ex- British Rail track bogey. Unfortunately when on the launching slip, the heavy contraption took charge, and lifeboat-launching itself shot into the fairway where it sank. Unable to raise its remains, Trinity House have now marked it as an isolated danger.

I am sure our President greatly appreciates the helpful interventions of the DCA’s various Old Harrys at our AGMs. (The illustration is from Up the Creek with Old Harry. This, and Hove to with Old Harry are in the DCA library. Perhaps some benefactor will present our library with an old copy of Old Harry’s Bunkside Book?)