Monday 26 July 2010

Troy Class

We spent a week down in the Cornish town of Fowey again recently, having a early evening drink in the Royal Fowey YC we had the opportunity to see the local fleet of Troy Class keel boats turn out for their Wednesday evening race.




Local boat builder Archie Watty drew the original Troy design, influenced in part by another local class the Falmouth Restricted One Design (18ft). He built the first Troy - Jocelyn over winter in 1928/9, commissioned by Sir Charles Hanson for his daughter Clare.

After Watty’s death in 1949, other local builders continued to produce Troy’s right up the present, maintaining the class rule that boats must be built “on the banks of the River Fowey”.



A set of Troy builders moulds now hang down from the roof beams in the club house at the Fowey Gallants Sailing Club, there are also reported to be two more sets of moulds owned by local boat builders.



Heavily ballasted with almost 1500lbs of lead in the keel, the Troys are sailed under full canvas in the often fresh conditions and as a result, spend a lot of time with a rail down, making a good cockpit coaming essential.

With fleet numbers in the twenties and a couple of new boats being built in the last couple of years, enthusiasm for the Troy appears even stronger after 80 years.

Hardly surprising, given the idyllic sailing ground of the Fowey River and the suitability of the boat for those conditions. I’d love one!

9 comments:

  1. I second that emotion! I want one too. 1500 pounds of lead! I'd sail her myself. What a gorgeous boat. Love the bowsprit. Thanks BB

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  2. Upon further inspection, that's a good amount of sail area. I'd love to sail one with my wife, my favorite crew.

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  3. They look great: I'm off to Fowey myself in the near future so will keep an eye out for them.

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  4. Very keen racing there with the Troys. Shame we missed our timings at Fowey.

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  5. Hello! I think that's me and my brother on T17... when did you take the photo exactly?

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  6. Also I just found this Video Nation video I made a few years ago I hope you'll all find interesting:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/articles/2007/07/11/videonation_racingtroy_video_feature.shtml

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  7. Matt,

    first week of July, Wednesday night

    max

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  8. Troy sailing wet arse no fish and bail ,bail bail.
    Over canvased and no two boats the same, but on the same handy cap.Sails twice a week ,wed and sat,
    " Oh look at me I'm a Troy owner"..been there done that, when it was a family thing. (from father to son)..now ,Yuppie Ville essential

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  9. I was in Fowey today - a fleet of Troy out on the river and a pod of dolphins to complete the picture. Beautiful :-)

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