There was a class at The Royal Bombay Yacht Club still RBYC despite 1948 and name change to Mumbai for Bombay! Does anyone know anything about it? O'Brien Kennedy was believed to be the designer of the boats which has UK sail no's. They've lost their records, it's a super club with amazing archives, but a few holes in them of which the MR class is one. Sadly J J Jehangir the former Commodore died a couple of years back taking his knowledge to the Tower of Silence (A Parsi) with him.

I don't know about the Ryl Bombay YC but the year books between 1962 and 1974 show the class rep at the Bombay Sailing Association as J Reece. 
In the 62 book his/her address is shown as Glaxo Laboratories India (Private)Ltd, Worli, Bombay 18, India but by 1974 it was 57 Hill Park, Pawai Rd, Bombay 6, India. He/she owned boat no. 426 'Trold'. 
All the boats numbered 420 to 429 inclusive were registered at the Bombay S.A. but by 1974 no. 425 'TIKI' is shown as at the Ryl Bombay Y.C. 
The boats 420 to 427 were all Jack Holt Banana design and built by  AFCO Ltd, Lakri Bunder of Bombay. The design of 428 was not recorded and she may not have been built. 429 'Nick' was
designed, built and owned by G. O'Brien Kennedy.
I can give you the names of the other owners form the YBs if you want them.

Thanks for this. At Colobar Boatworks where "Suhali" Robin Knox Johnsons world circler was built there is a collection of MR's in store in remarkably good nick. Sailing is really taking off in Bombay and it would be good to think they'll be restored which might even encourage some new builds. India builds some very good GRP Enterprises and oppies so why not?

You've seen em? Where are the pics?

Seen em only last week, didn't have my camera but I'm back there in Jan-Feb for a bit of yottin'  and I'll photograph them together with the Tigers at Ranthambor and the Naga Headhunters. (Main purpose of 5 week trip.)

No 419 Name Soo Too, 420 - Oppit, 421 - Sita,  422 - King Beer,  423 - Wave Hopper, 424 - Sprite, 425 - Tiki, 426 - Troid  but Trold in the boat name list!!), are the ones last known in Bombay according to the 2004 yearbook.  This seems strange as Tony Lane (see above) reports 420 - 429 as being registered in Bombay but in the 2004 book it it nos 419-426.  These numbers are just bracketed so maybe the brackets got a shift but clearly something went awry. None of these numbers has a member allocated to them in the 2004 book.  It would be good if you can tally up the numbers as they should be on the thwart if still there.

The bracket in the 2004 YB is inaccurate.
419 Soo Too was built by Chippendale and was at Bala SC according to the 1962 YB from there she went to Earlswood Lakes. She may have visited Edgbaston but I think it unlikely she went anywhere near Bombay.
427 Smyd is recorded as being at Bombay S.A.together with 429 Nick.
I was wrong about the design of nos 420 to 427. They were probably built to a Jack Holt design but were unlikely to have been Bananas.

Further correction. They were built to an early design by Ian Proctor. The first boat of that design was 290 Cirrus in which Ian won the Championships with Cliff Norbury at Poole in 1952.

Would SOO TOO have been a Mike Pruett boat originally?

Possibly. 419 Soo Too would probably have been built either in late 52 or early 53 when Mike was sailing at Cheddar and we know he won the 1954 Chsmpionships in 503 Soo For. Unfortunately although I have the 1951 and 1962 YBs I don't have the years in between. Anthony Evans has offered to try and find the BCYC records of those times. John or Robert Harris may also be able to confirm.

Soo Me won in 1956 at Whitstable sailed by J.Oakley - surely out of the same name stable and also built by Chippendale.

Forgot to add that Soo Me was 564

Whilst speaking to Anthony Evans about the Soo named boats and the 1950s at BCYC he told me a nice story about a coronation race in the Bristol docks where Mike Pruett lived and had a company. Apparently the organisers used rather large guns on top of the high wharf wall. One boat was a premature starter and had the scorch marks on the mainsail to prove it.

As with grouse and pheasant shooting it's considered to be damn dangerous to shoot down or swing through the line.  I'm sure that Merlins are a protected species!!!!  However if it prevents the general recall problems perhaps there is something to be said for it ...............................!!!

I stopped the wadding from a starting gun in 2002 in my right eye, fortuately we managed to pursaude the hospital  Not to report a gunshot wound to the police! It wasn't that bad I did sail the race but a bit swollen, that particular West Country Club now points its guns upwards! There have beens lots of tales over the years of holes in jibs etc.

The inventory of the Naval Sailing Club (Mumbai)for the late 50's shows that the club owned a Merlin Rocket. No name of boat unfortunatly. They also owned an Ajax and an Eagle!

In response to Tony's post of the 26th October, I've talked to my brother John Harris who has no knowledge of 419 'Soo Too'. 

John crewed for Mike Pruett in a Nat. 12 'Soo ...' in Burton Week probably in 1956.

Then Mike lent John the 1956 M/R Champion boat 564 'Soo Mee' for Burnham Week which he sailed with John Vickery of Minima Y. C. John (18 years old at the time) remembers telling Mike Pruett that Proctor boats were useless on the river and that you had to have a Holt boat which was probably true at the time.

Mike Pruett was charismatic, handsome, friendly and generous but his bright star shone only briefly in the Merlin Rockets.

Mike turned up at Banbury in 1967? With a new Chippendale Mk9 with a deck stepped revolving mast!(A Proctor "D" Section with diamonds so my notes say.)(A step back or very advanced thought?) As Robet Harris says a great character who did everything in style but without hurting any ones feelings a novel talent. He also had an Ocean Racer called "Black Soo", those who sailed on it will never spend a night at sea again!

I owned 419 Soo Too from 1973ish until around the early eighties when I donated her to my old sea scout troop. I am trying to find out about her as I have heard on the grape vine that she was burnt when the scouts had to move and lost their storage space.