Ten years ago today, May 20th 2015, RBYC took delivery of a new start boat, subsequently to be named the Harry Tedstone after our legendary Race Officer of the previous twenty plus years. Harry’s wife MaryAlice continues to this day as a regular volunteer every Saturday without fail.
The boat selected was a Cougar Cat purchased from a private owner in Queensland and shipped to SYC where it was slipped and berthed ever since at RBYC. After some additions with flag hoists the boat was put into active service and has been an extremely reliable addition to the fleet since then.
With the additional beam of a catamaran the boat provides a stable platform for volunteers to effectively start races week in week out for both RBYC races plus other key events such as the Cock of the Bay and regular ORCV races.
At the time, our trusty start boat Tarni was getting to the end of its useful life and then Vice Commodore Paul Jackson and volunteer Paul Pascoe were charged by the General Committee in finding a replacement. They travelled extensively looking at boats of all shapes and sizes, but the Cougar Cat came out as the clear winner and has been a reliable and extremely cost effective replacement ever since.
With twin outboards the boat is both able to move around the course quickly and is also extremely manoeuvrable at slow speed in the marina. Due to its stability it has also made it a comfortable boat for volunteers resulting in a much easier recruitment for the long season of racing.
An excellent addition to our fleet and we look forward to the “Harry Tedstone” providing another ten years of reliable service.
