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Post by solent on Jan 12, 2012 15:22:18 GMT
Hi Guys, Thought we'd share some photos of the internal structure of Fundi which is currently being restored. Very interesting to see what was cutting edge technology back then. Eric sadly passed away late last year, but hopefully Fundi will return sail this years nationals. (more pictures of the inside structure to come) Pictures and obituary here: www.johnclaridgeboats.com/#2593059/Eric-Willis |
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Post by Meat Pie ... on Jan 13, 2012 10:14:17 GMT
Nice pics of "Fundi" and notes on Eric Willis....
Great news that such a famous boat in our History is being restored and that Keith Willis may bring her to this years Nationals.
Great strength/stiffening and weight reduction efforts.
Particularly like the top spine running thro from the C/Board capping to the bow and transom.
See that "Fundi" is in good company alongside "X-Moth" and the new deep-cockpit Boat.
Will look forward to seeing her restored...
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Post by godfrey on Jan 13, 2012 17:33:11 GMT
I remember it well and surprised how well it went for such a battleship. Very heavy but served as the template for the 'Solent Supermoth'.
So what has happened to Janet Gulland who raced it for so many years with such success? Never any sign of her at her old club of Wraysbury when I have been down there to the Solo open meetings...........
Sad that the founder members of the class are gradually leaving us. If anyone wants to ask any questions of those who remain, get asking them now.
G
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Post by gbr440 on Jan 13, 2012 21:06:23 GMT
Great to see work start on Fundi, in his time my father built many many good boats, but fundi was the only boat that he never stopped talking about and always considered to be a great boat.
I discovered an advert from Janet looking for a good home for the boat a week or so after his death (aged 97). Janet bought the boat off my dad in the late 50's after he won the nationals in her, and sailed her uptil 4-5 years ago when unfortunately she picked up some bug which has upset her balance, fundi has been garaged ever since.
Along with the boat I have quite alot of the original kit, her orignal, mainsail, mast, boom, rudder. As has been commented earlier she is a bit over weight but I think/hope John should be able to shed some of it. Certainly the initial inspection looked as though there were a couple of repairs which has added to the weight. Originally I had hoped that we could keep her as original as possible but sadly there were was a bit of rot in the bottom which suggested that it was worth a fairly major refit.
The more I see of her the more I am looking forward to getting her back on the water!! Also hopefully my son will get to race herr as well, as he wil soon begrowing outt of hiss RS Tera so that will make 3 generations that will have sailed her!!
Hopefully I will get to do a few of the opens with her and also one way or another get her to the nationals although whether it will be me driving or somebody else is yet to be worked out.
Keith Willis
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Post by robwilder on Jan 14, 2012 8:57:34 GMT
Keith I hope you can bring her to a few opens and the Nationals this year as it would be great to see a boat out on the water with such history.
Chairman Rob
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Post by gbr440 on Jan 15, 2012 20:12:59 GMT
Here is the only photo I have managed to find so far of Fundi when my father built her!! Keith Attachments:
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Post by casablanca on Jan 15, 2012 21:01:47 GMT
I'm facinated by the cockpit in 2 halves, I really can't imagine how difficult she must have been to sail!! Obviously worked tho. Good luck with the restoration.
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Post by gbr440 on Jan 15, 2012 21:18:12 GMT
As I understand it originally the cockpit had some form of slow drain system between the halves that allowed you to carry water in the windward half of the cockpit once it had drained to leward you tacked and had the weight to windward agin, a sort of form of water ballast!!
Keith
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Post by gbr440 on Apr 29, 2012 16:45:03 GMT
Just been asked to post the following by Janet
|"Good to hear from Godfrey, who together with Claire did so much for the class. You wouldn't see me recently at Wraysbury, I only ever sailed my Solo there. Fundi's "home port" was always Desborough, to which I still belong. Yes she is heavy, but people tend to forget that when she was built the minimum weight was 145 lbs. It was several years before it was reduced to (I think) 45 kgs, or 99 lbs in old money. 238 Juniper, which Ted Hicks sailed so successfully, had the same problem until Ian completely rebuilt her.
Someone suggested that Fundi must have been difficult to sail, because of the divided cockpit, but I never found it so. Both feet under the toestraps and the rest of me outside! (Very good for the tummy muscles) Not quite so comfortable in very light winds, but then I never much liked them anyway.
The other great myth concerns the self-draining system, which in fact was very simple, although I used to find people gazing up the drain holes. There were two quarter-round holes in the aft bulkhead of the cockpit, one each side of the central division. From these trunking about 2.5 inches high lead straight aft and then fanned out to the drain holes in the transom. The central division stopped just aft of the bulkhead so it was just one channel and the water whooshed out. Much easier to draw than to describe. It was of course built on the hull before the deck went on, and unfortunately when the stern of the hull started to rot and needed fixing the chap who did it didn't understand what he was dealing with and ripped the trunking out. After that I only sailed her at Desborough, not on the sea."
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Post by solent on May 9, 2012 8:28:15 GMT
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Post by gbr440 on May 19, 2012 13:22:43 GMT
Just been and looked looks like John and Pete have done an awesome job, can't wait to get her back out on the water now!!!
Keith
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Post by gbr440 on Sept 6, 2012 13:46:20 GMT
Just to let you all know, Fundi finally made it back on to the water last night for the last race of the Lymington Town SC Evening series.
John has done a really awesome job of restoring the boat and it was really special and quite emotional to get to sail her last night, wind was about 10knots and the sun was out so ideal for a very pleasant trip round the western solent and a 7th out of 24 starters beating all via 1 of the lasers (Full, Radial, 4.7 and 2000) Tasar, Finn, RS100's etc despite my weight!!! Added to the fun.
Thanks again John for all your work.
Keith Willis
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Post by robwilder on Sept 7, 2012 9:19:10 GMT
Keith,
Great to hear she is back on the water.. Do you have any pictures?
I'm sure Christina would like an article if possible to go into Chrysalis..
Chairman Rob
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Post by gbr440 on Sept 10, 2012 17:24:00 GMT
Will see what I can get together.
Several people were taking piccies.
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Post by gbr440 on Aug 18, 2017 11:12:27 GMT
For anybody who followed the boat or her restoration I have just posted the following on the class facebook page.
Does anybody have any thoughts for a possible suitable home for the multiple championship winning British Moth Fundi, recently beautifully restored by John Claridge she is in full sailing condition and currently stored indoors with knew foils little used sails an Ali mast and a carbon mast also some of her original kit inc sails foils etc. Also she is on a nearly new trolley.
PM me if you know of a worthy cause or want to make me a suitable offer I am not necessarily looking for a lot for her. I would like to see her back sailing again regularly and I would like to see her looked after!!!!
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