OUR STORY
The Story of The Menai Straits One Design Yacht - their Historical, Cultural and Contemporary Significance
Original Plans (Fig 1 & 2)
In the early 1930s plans were prepared for the building of a 20ft Sloop yacht. The design was for a boat capable of being raced and sailed within the Menai Straits, the famous stream of water separating the Isle of Anglesey from the Welsh mainland.
The area is subjected to significant tidal conditions, with a wide expanse of water at high tide to a narrow channel at low water characterised by hectares of sandbanks, rocky coves and the famous ‘Swellies’. Rumour has it that Nelson described these as the ‘most treacherous waters in the world’. Whether true or not Nelson certainly said that ‘if you can sail here, you can sail anywhere!’
A tow through the Swellies in 1953
The recently wrecked HMS Conway in the background (Fig 3)
Between 1937 and 1952, Seventeen Menai Straits One Design boats were built with racing taking place at weekends. Initially, the starts commenced in Beaumaris with the firing of a poacher’s gun from the sinisterly named Gallows Point. More latterly by the use of cannons using blank cartridges.
The MSOD Logo (Fig 4)
Yachts 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17 and 18, have remained in the North Wales area throughout their life with 5 being used for many years by HMS Conway as training yachts and No 4 likewise by the Beaumaris Seas Scouts.
The ethos has been reasonably consistent throughout the life of the fleet, set with two basic values. Firstly, boats must be prepared and sailed with no modifications to how the original boat first came out of the shed in 1937. There have been gradual practical amendments to this but in the main it is adhered to.
​
Secondly, no boats ought to be sold to owners who show an intention to take the boats out of the area or adapt them for alternative use. Sadly this has been adhered to less rigidly which caused the class to weaken, boats to be adapted and some sold away. By the mid 70’s the demise in the fleet resulted in few still sailing and on occasions only one or two out ‘racing’.
​
In 1948 No. 1 was sold to be a launch on the Thames where she had an engine installed. Likewise, No. 2 had an engine installed in 1948 (but fortunately removed in 1952), No. 5 was believed to have been destroyed following irreparable storm damage, No. 11 was lost at sea and No. 14 had disappeared.
​
The ‘fight-back’ against this demise probably commenced in the late ’70s when No. 1 was purchased and returned to Anglesey nearly 30 years after she left. The engine was removed and she was soon racing again. Buoyed by the success of this, owners of the time encouraged others to join the fleet and refurbish the boats requiring work of them. As enthusiasm increased the history of the fleet was duly challenged.
​
The framework of a sloop was found submerged having cleared herself of the mud that had engulfed her and was identified as Ceris (No. 11). She was brought up in 1985 and after a couple of failed attempts to rebuild was stored by David Gallichan with restoration to be commenced on his retirement in 2004.
Around the same time and after sleuthing work from Ray Beer it was established that Sudy (No14) had last been seen in the early 60s in a boat yard in mid-Wales. Visits to the boatyard identified an elderly boat builder who had worked on her in the 1960s covering her wooden hull below the waterline with fibreglass.
As the investigation went on, it was established that (apart from briefly being a hen-house!) a cabin had been fitted in 1964 and twin ‘bilge’ keels fitted in 1977. She was eventually found in west Wales in 1985 and returned to Anglesey. She was completely renovated over 3 years and launched in 1989 as per the original specification.
Sudy as found in 1984 and racing in the early 2000’s after a complete restoration
(Figs 5 & 6)
Meanwhile, work began on rebuilding Ceris. Despite her ordeal, most of the hull planking had survived. She too was rebuilt and eventually re-launched in the 90’s. So, by the mid 80’s the whereabouts of all but one original Menai Strait One Design boats were known.
‘Ceris’ leading the fleet in 2017 ahead of the previously almost unbeatable ‘Playmate’
(Fig 7)
So, what had happened to Aderyn No 5 – a boat of mystery with far-ranging stories? The last ‘robust’ reports were either the late 50’s or very early 60’s. She had been variously ‘stolen’, ‘gone down and lost in a storm in ‘58’, or ‘smashed to pieces’ against the sea wall and subsequently burnt due to being beyond repair. It was a real shame because as far as we knew we were one boat short of being the only ‘complete class’ from that era in the world!
​
In 1985 an RNLI Engineer from Beaumaris was travelling in Northumberland. While on Lindisfarne he noticed what looked like him to an MSOD being used with an outboard motor engine. On his return home, he mentioned this to Ray Beer.
​
After several calls, the owner of the boat was identified and contacted. He’d bought the boat as a small fishing vessel about 3 years previously but didn’t know what sort of boat it was. While he had a mast, he’d never had cause to put it up so had never sailed her. After much describing, the excitement increased during the call as the more the dimensions and characteristics of Aderyn were explained to him the more seemed likely that this was indeed our lost yacht. Remarkably the owner did have a set of sails, so retrieved the bag. He emptied it to find a mainsail with the MS 5 on it. We had finally completed our search!
Aderyn (left) and Ceris circa 1948 before their ‘disappearances’ away from Anglesey (Fig 8)
In the ensuing years, all 17 boats have been on the water, and all raced within the last 12 years. On one occasion we managed 13 boats for a race where magically the first and second boats were accompanied for the final two miles of the race by a family of visiting Bottle Nosed Dolphins.
Aderyn 2018 on a very calm day following her restoration with Snowdonia in the background (left). Suzanne enjoying the fresh breeze in 2014 (Figs 9 & 10)
Menai Strait’s Heritage Sailing has been created with the intention of keeping these boats sailing and local. They are we believe, to be the oldest complete One Design Fleet of 17 or more yachts in the world.