Hi there,
Going thru the production list there are a couple of ??possibilities...
Most notably is that a Mr Day bought a 'kit boat' Huntress way back in 1962. The list shows it went to Wolverhampton. Sadly it doesn't say whether it was a 25' hull. This one was hull 59 and nothing has ever been seen or heard of since. Maybe Mr Days' father bought it originally? and his son then owned it for the last 27 years??
Maybe someone around Henley can throw some light on her past?
Possibly Alan Burnard might remember the name - will ask him next time I speak and WHO KNOWS? ANy chance you can send me photo to...
tonyh-h@tiscali.co.uk
Will keep you posted
Tony
Fairey Huntress
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Den
- Able Seaman
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Hi there, sounds like you've bought yourself an interesting boat. I've seen "Camden" on the river many times in the past, sporting her pilot boat colour scheme but had not realised her Fairey heritage. Last seen moored just above Henley bridge opposite Hobbs. She is certainly a one off with a non fairey superstructure, and the black hull goes a long way to diguise the hull lines - well thats my excuse for not spotting it! No doubt the new colour scheme will transform her appearance. An interesting point is that if I remember rightly she used to have a pair of enfield outdrives with smallish engines, definitely unusual for a Fairey. I wonder if she might be based on a christina? Anyway, enjoy your new boat and hope to see you around.
Den
Den
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tonyhh
- First Sea Lord
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Hi again,
Still would like to see a photo as Justin Birt sent me a pic of an unusual Huntress around 15 years ago near York with twin petrols driving Volvo outdrives and I wonder if it might be one and the same. I have a feeling this may have been 25' as well. This one had an unusaual cabin roof and a wheelhouse. If you can send me a photo to tonyh-h@tiscali.co.uk then I'll try and dig this photo out that I have and see if they match.
As regards Volvo outdrives I do know Mike Wills down in Poole has a workshop full of them waiting for rebuilds and I think he's your man..his number is on the reference page under engineers...he's a busy boy but knows his stuff
Tony
Still would like to see a photo as Justin Birt sent me a pic of an unusual Huntress around 15 years ago near York with twin petrols driving Volvo outdrives and I wonder if it might be one and the same. I have a feeling this may have been 25' as well. This one had an unusaual cabin roof and a wheelhouse. If you can send me a photo to tonyh-h@tiscali.co.uk then I'll try and dig this photo out that I have and see if they match.
As regards Volvo outdrives I do know Mike Wills down in Poole has a workshop full of them waiting for rebuilds and I think he's your man..his number is on the reference page under engineers...he's a busy boy but knows his stuff
Tony
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tonyhh
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Hi,
Think you must have read the number wrong. Concerned I had put the wrong number of the Ref page I called it, it rang and MW answered it. Mike had been working today and was just closing up. He does have a spare 200 leg - best chat to him as he needs to know the gearing etc and what you need.
His e-mail is mikewills2@aol.com or try his mobile after lunch tomorrow.
I am told by them that know that normally the hull number is either stamped on the inside of the keel close to the transom or on the outside of the keel just forward of where the rudder would be.
Would very much like to see a photo whether in or out of the water just to see if it's the same boat as I saw advertised back in 1990
All the best
Tony
Think you must have read the number wrong. Concerned I had put the wrong number of the Ref page I called it, it rang and MW answered it. Mike had been working today and was just closing up. He does have a spare 200 leg - best chat to him as he needs to know the gearing etc and what you need.
His e-mail is mikewills2@aol.com or try his mobile after lunch tomorrow.
I am told by them that know that normally the hull number is either stamped on the inside of the keel close to the transom or on the outside of the keel just forward of where the rudder would be.
Would very much like to see a photo whether in or out of the water just to see if it's the same boat as I saw advertised back in 1990
All the best
Tony
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tonyhh
- First Sea Lord
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Bill Walden
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Hello P Maple,
Mystery solved. Your boat is not a Huntress at all, but a Christina 25, produced by Bruce Campbell. Only the first very few Christina 23 hulls were produced by Fairey and supplied to BC to complete. The later 25 footer was, I believe, produced by a firm called Walter Lawrence of Sawbridgeworth. The still later GRP Christina 27 was based on a hull by Halmatic. They all owe their original design to Ray Hunt, the designer of the Huntress. Just as a point of interest, the very first Cowes-Torquay powerboat race in 1961 was won by a Christina 25 called "Thunderbolt", driven by T.O.M. Sopwith, with 4th place being taken by "Christina" a Christina 23 driven by Bruce Campbell himself. Diesel Huntsman a H28 was third, and another Ray Hunt designed boat "Yo-Yo" was second.
Bill.
Mystery solved. Your boat is not a Huntress at all, but a Christina 25, produced by Bruce Campbell. Only the first very few Christina 23 hulls were produced by Fairey and supplied to BC to complete. The later 25 footer was, I believe, produced by a firm called Walter Lawrence of Sawbridgeworth. The still later GRP Christina 27 was based on a hull by Halmatic. They all owe their original design to Ray Hunt, the designer of the Huntress. Just as a point of interest, the very first Cowes-Torquay powerboat race in 1961 was won by a Christina 25 called "Thunderbolt", driven by T.O.M. Sopwith, with 4th place being taken by "Christina" a Christina 23 driven by Bruce Campbell himself. Diesel Huntsman a H28 was third, and another Ray Hunt designed boat "Yo-Yo" was second.
Bill.
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Bill Walden
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I think you'd probably be better off asking Tony H-H for the historicals on this, but as I understand it the story goes something like this.
Fairey's decided to expand their range from the sailing boats that they had been producing and commissioned the American designer Ray Hunt who came up with a design for a 23' open launch, which for some reason best known to Mr Hunt had a large centre plate which could be raised and lowered. Fairey's built (I Think) 4 of these and their (I think) sales director, Bruce Campbell took them off to the South of France to sell them. There were no takers for them, possibly due to the fact that the centreplate produced a built in fountain at speed. Bruce Campbell then left Fairey, taking with him an agreement for Fairey to supply him with the 23' hull. He had someone design a superstructure for it and the Christina was born. Sales blossomed and Fairey's, realising that Campbell had seen the potential of this design, decided to follow suit by designing a sleek, and now very familiar, superstructure for the 23 footer, which they named the "Huntress". I may well be wrong, but I believe around 9 of the first 20 hulls went to B.C. for Christina production. After that B.C. made other arrangements for supply of hulls. As I understand it, Campbell was a victim of his own success. Following victory in the 1961 Cowes-Torquay race orders flooded in for the Christina. Unfortunately, at some point B.C. overestimated the market and produced far more boats than they were able to shift. Later boats were "Bruce Campbell" in name only.
As I say this isa probably full of inaccuracies, and I'd be delighted if those who are in the know correct me as I for one would like to know more of the Christina story.
Bill
Fairey's decided to expand their range from the sailing boats that they had been producing and commissioned the American designer Ray Hunt who came up with a design for a 23' open launch, which for some reason best known to Mr Hunt had a large centre plate which could be raised and lowered. Fairey's built (I Think) 4 of these and their (I think) sales director, Bruce Campbell took them off to the South of France to sell them. There were no takers for them, possibly due to the fact that the centreplate produced a built in fountain at speed. Bruce Campbell then left Fairey, taking with him an agreement for Fairey to supply him with the 23' hull. He had someone design a superstructure for it and the Christina was born. Sales blossomed and Fairey's, realising that Campbell had seen the potential of this design, decided to follow suit by designing a sleek, and now very familiar, superstructure for the 23 footer, which they named the "Huntress". I may well be wrong, but I believe around 9 of the first 20 hulls went to B.C. for Christina production. After that B.C. made other arrangements for supply of hulls. As I understand it, Campbell was a victim of his own success. Following victory in the 1961 Cowes-Torquay race orders flooded in for the Christina. Unfortunately, at some point B.C. overestimated the market and produced far more boats than they were able to shift. Later boats were "Bruce Campbell" in name only.
As I say this isa probably full of inaccuracies, and I'd be delighted if those who are in the know correct me as I for one would like to know more of the Christina story.
Bill
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tonyhh
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Peter,
I would like to see any pics you have if you can send them to me at
tonyh-h@tiscali.co.uk
Many thanks
Tony
I would like to see any pics you have if you can send them to me at
tonyh-h@tiscali.co.uk
Many thanks
Tony
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Bill Walden
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Peter,
I would be interested in seeing your jpegs of the boat. Could you email them to me at melwalden@bonjour.totalserve.co.uk please?
Bill
I would be interested in seeing your jpegs of the boat. Could you email them to me at melwalden@bonjour.totalserve.co.uk please?
Bill