is a restricted class, as many new ideas as possible should be experimented with, always of course endeavouring to learn from the previous boat.  Compared with Proctor or Morrison, relatively few examples of his designs have been built.  Although few in numbers, their influence on the Class's direction in recent years has been outstanding. 

Most designers start by making minor modifications to the designs of others.  Ian, a professional Naval Architect, started with a clean sheet and an open mind.  Not only did he refuse to copy anybody, his designs have had such an influence that others are beginning to copy him.  His first three designs were all for himself.  At the time everybody was ordering NSMs and Summer Wines, and a typical potential owner would not take a chance with an unproved design or designer.

Nice Legs
Rudely described as a cross between a Ford Sierra and an aircraft carrier, this boat was a complete break from the current fashions in the fleet.  Very full in the bow, high freeboard and a huge foredeck created by having the maximum beam well forward where the crew sits, finished off with a bustle in the run aft had the rest of the fleet scratching their heads in disbelief.  This was not helped by having a large radiused traveller on the foredeck for a self-tacking jib.  Initially slow, the boat became gradually faster throughout its life and had a good championship at Whitstable in 1989 in the hands of its builder, Guy Winder, six years after its launch.  Like most of Ian's designs, it did better in strong winds.

Once Bitten
The lessons learnt with Nice Legs resulted in Once Bitten, at the time the most extreme hull shape being built.  Characteristic of Ian's designs have been the very flat forefoot, a hard shoulder just above the waterline near the midships section and a chine in the run aft.  These were retained, but reduced slightly compared to the original design, and the bustle significantly reduced in the run aft.  Sold within a few months of being built to Alan Warren, this boat has come 6th, 3rd and 3rd again in the 1986, '87 and '89 Nationals respectively.

Diamond Smiles
There have been two near sister-ships to Once Bitten, both taken off the same frames.  The first is Diamond Smiles, designed over a telephone conversation between Norway and Bradford, when Ian Holt was working over-seas.  The only differences

between Once Bitten and Diamond Smiles are an increase in the rocker both just behind the bow section and in front of the transom in an attempt to carry weight slightly more successfully.  This boat finished 6th overall at the 1985 Championship and won a race at the Championship in 1987 - the first Holt design to do so and the first sign of a threat to the "Morrison monopoly".

Niane
Holt was convinced that he still had not found the solution to the heavyweight's problem, and further talks with Jackson in 1989 led to a new design for 1990.  Based on Canterbury Tales, this design has a fuller stern and slightly deeper midships section.

Dangerbat
Dangerbat was commissioned by Dick Batt for 1987 having watched the performances of Once Bitten and Diamond Smiles in the previous seasons.  Dick wanted to take the design concept to its logical extreme and went to Guy Winder with a number of modifications.  The most significant was to straighten out the run aft to eliminate any hint of a bustle.  Another, more obvious but of less significance, was to incorporate a rounded transom, removing some weight in the stern of the boat.  This boat, after being sailed with slightly too much weight on board for its first season, finished tenth at the '88 Nationals before winning the championship in 1989, proving devastatingly fast both upwind and down with the correct crew weight on board.  Definitely not a boat for heavyweights!

Riders on the Storm
Riders on the Storm was the first boat to be commissioned from Holt, and was a result of discussions at the 1985 Championship when a heavyweights' answer to the NSM 4 was being sought.  It was further development of the Once Bitten/Diamond Smiles concept, but an attempt to find more buoyancy somewhere in the underwater sections without losing what was considered to be an extremely fast and powerful planing hull design.  The design won the 1986 Inland Championship in a mixture of heavy and medium wind strengths and came fourth overall at the Nationals in 1987.

Who's a Pretty Boy
Simultaneous to the design work being carried out on Riders, a Southern Eastern version of this idea was being put together with Alan Jackson, aimed at the pond sailor and Salcombe Week.  This design won a race at Salcombe, but thereafter never received the time and effort to assess the potential of the boat.  The changes were basically to tuck in the transom to

Go to page 13   Back to index