UK Cherub

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

2009 Cherub Nationals

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

2009 Cherub Nationals

These are pictures taken by the staff of babbacombe sailing club.

*:boats

please feel free to add any photos not shown via the photo uploader with the upload name as “babbacombe-[file name]”

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 May 2023 19:19:22 +0000

2021 Nationals, hosted by Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

 Photos were taken by Richard Bowers.

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 18:08:46 +0000

2022 Nationals, hosted by Mumbles Yacht Club

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 20:22:38 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

This page exists solely to catch the newsreader in case there is no news!

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

bog A mix of epoxy and filler. Bog A mix of epoxy and filler.

Copyright

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Copyright

This site has been located on the Sailing Source since the middle of 1995, and is probably one of the longest running Class Association sites! It has changed over the years. Originally it was intended as a reference site for the casually interested and occasional browser to get a feel for the boats and the mind set that makes people like to sail, build, and design them. I hope that still applies. Class (Unofficial) Rule 1 - Have Fun!

However with time its developed, and there are now significant sections on home boatbuilding and design, the history of the class, and now areas where members update their own areas with narratives about their own experiences. If there are other things you'd like to see in these pages let us know and we'll see what we can do. The material has developed over the years, but the foundation was a Class handout put together in the mid 80s by, I think, Will Perret, for which much thanks. Old newsletters have been raided, various people round the world emailed and contributions come from many other sources. Those who have helped out have, I hope, been credited in the various articles.

About the Service Provider Space provided by www.boats.com, for which much thanks.

About Copyright Photographs are © the photographer unless otherwise stated. Cherub Designs are © the designer unless otherwise stated. Individual pages are © the U.K. Cherub Class Owners Association unless otherwise stated. Class Associations affiliated to the UK Cherub Class Owners Association or the Cherub Class International Organisation may reproduce U.K.C.C.O.A. material without further reference, all others are required to seek permission by email from the Cherub Class association, c/o the webmaster. Permission to use other material must be sought from the copyright holder.

Downloads

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Downloads

Wallpapers

1080 x 720 pixels

(click the images to see a larger version, then click that image to see it full size to save as wallpaper)

Cherub Encyclopedia

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Cherub Encyclopedia

A

Addictive

Cherubing is highly addictive and can have many side-effects, these may include great boredom if sailing a lesser class of boat, spending whole days in work thinking how can I modify this to do that or where can I get some cheaper pro-grip. Later stages of the addiction may also involve taking an angle grinder to parts of your beloved cherub followed by plenty of carbon in an never ending quest to get little bit more from the boat.

Angle Grinder

One of the three essential power tools (see Belt Sander and Dremel). The angle grinder is usually the first step in any repair or modification job. We probably aught to warn you to keep you fingers, pets and small children out of the way when using it.

Ass of Fire

This is the technical term for the feeling experienced after a Cherub social. Particularly bad cases are caused by the annual chilli challenge at the dinghy show.

B

Bog

A mixture of epoxy and filler which can be used for fillets and sticking carbon or foam. When using medium density filler you end up with something the consistency of chocolate spread.

Belt Sander

One of the three essential power tools (see Angle grinder and Dremel). Pretty much any job on the boat that was started with the angle grinder can be finished with the belt sander. Especially useful for removing decades of horrible paint jobs and trapeze hook injuries. Be warned: most belt sanders tend to have violent reactions to carbon dust eventually, and many have gone up in smoke. We advise operating them near to an wide open space (like a garden) so you can get them a long way from the boat before the flames get too bad.

C

Cable Ties

You'd be stupid not to have a variety of assorted length and size cable ties in your kit bag as they are one of the most versatile items known to man.

Carbon

Carbon is the wonder material which has revolutionised modern skiff sailing. It is available in a variety of weights and cloth patterns but at the moment is disturbingly expensive. Big savings can be made by ordering in bulk so email the list before ordering as there will always be someone to share an order with.

Code Brown

A state of emergency whilst sailing which seems to happen more regularly in Cherubs than other classes. Code brown incidents have ranged from letting go of the mainsheet whilst twin wiring to hitting the wake of the Red Jet at Weston. The alarm should be raised by loudly shouting 'CODE BROWN' so as many other sailors can turn and watch you in your moment of terror as it will more than often result in getting wet!

Coffee

One of the essential food groups.

Colloidal Silica

Colloidal Silica is a thickening compound which is added to epoxy to help prevent epoxy runoff in vertical and overhead joints. It can be used in conjunction with other fillers to improve strength, abrasion resistance, and consistency of fairing compounds, resulting in a tougher, smoother surface.

Curry

The staple diet of a cherubber while on the road at events. Hotter the better! (see ass of fire)

D

Dremel

One of the three essential power tools (see angle grinder and belt sander). The dremel is a great little gadget that can be used for sanding very hard to reach corners, precision cutting of small plates of carbon and stainless bolts. Priceless.

Down the mine

When travelling at high speed a capzize can be caused by the bow going down and the boat flipping over. Maximum style points can be achieved by the mast tip hitting the water first, directly in front of the boat. (ask Patrick Cunningham for details!) (also known as Pitchpoling)

Ductape

Another one of the kit bag essentials. There are very few things which can't be fixed using ductape.

Dagger Rudder

The favoured design of rudder in the cherub fleet. All the benefits of a fixed rudder but none of the hassles of a pivoting rudder. When leaving the beach you can lower the board enough to give steerage but the helm remains neutral as the board is vertical at all times.

D2

The shrouds which attach to the mast just below the lower spreaders. These are used to control the bend in the central section of the mast.

E

Epoxy Resin

Epoxy is the resin of choice for laminating for the majority of cherubby tasks. It is a 2 part adhesive comprising of a resin and a hardener and is available in various 'speeds'. Working times vary from around 90 seconds up to 12+ hours for some laminating resins depending on which type you buy.

Save all your icecream tubs, yogurt pots, mixing sticks etc as buying all the consumables can be an unnecessary and expensive business.

F

Fillet

A rounded join between 2 faces made from bog (see above) which is used to increase the strength of a join by increasing the surface area for bonding and also making the final laminating more aesthetically pleasing. Tactics employed for making regular and smooth fillets have included using magnum icecream sticks to smooth the bog

Flip-Flops

An almost standard form of footwear worn by the enthusiastic cherubber all year round.

Foam

Fetal Position

If all else fails then assuming the fetal position can be the only answer. Be this on the floor of the cherub in a squall or on a sofa the morning after the night before!

G

Garage

The place where Cherubs are born. Don't worry your car was designed to be waterproof.

Genium

The material from which a Genius is made. Also, the act of near Genius. Many acts of Genium have taken place in the cherub class, such as using the wonder material Genium for many structual applications and quick repairs.

Glass

Grin

This will be near impossible to remove once you get off the water from a days cherubing

H

Heat Gun

Heat guns are an industrial form of hair drier which are an essential part of any serious cherubbers kit. They can be used to help heat resin when the conditions are sub par to enable the resin to go off quicker. They can also give the resin a thinner consistency but beware as they will go from runny to set in a very short period of time!

Heat guns are also very useful when it comes to removing paint from older cherubs. Paint is heavy and therefore slow and many old cherubs have gained many layers of unwanted paint over the years. This can be heated using a heat gun and then scraped off easily. *Beware of not getting it too hot as it is possible to deform laminate and cause considerable damage!

Heat Shrink Tape

Heat shrink tape can be used alongside peel ply to help consolidate a lay up (especially when using a boom or pole mandrel). Laminate in the same way that you would normally with peel ply, but then wrap tightly in heat shrink tape. You can then heat the tape with a heat gun which will tighten down onto the mandrel and consolidate the laminate.

Be careful when wrapping the peelply and heatshrink tape to make sure that you don't disturb the laminate. Any wrinkles will cause weak points when sanded and can't be easily rectified once the epoxy has gone off.

I

J

Jelousy

This is what many non-cherubers experiance when they are left behind on a windy day as you shoot past them

K

Kevlar

L

Laminate

M

Mandrel

A cylindrical mould to aid the production of masts, poles, booms etc. The class currently has access to Mast, Pole and Boom mandrels. Enquire for details.

Mast Head

The majority of cherubs hoist their kites from the mast tip… go BIG or go home!

N

Nomex

O

Oh!

The noise made by a SMODy when he helps you lift your boat. It helps to warn the uninitialed that your boat is very light or you can find that a helper has hit himself in the face wth your hull.

P

Peel Ply

Peel Ply is the fabric used when laying up composites to ensure that the laminate is thoroughly wetted out with no excess resin. A Peel Ply layer also applies pressure to the composite structure during fabrication and curing allowing any air to escape eliminating the chance of any air bubbles. Where Peel Ply fabric is used, the laminate will be smoother and will achieve a higher fiber to resin content thus increasing strength. When the peel ply has been removed it provides a distinctive pattern finish which also works as a non skid feature.

Pro-grip

Pro-grip is often used by the cherubber to help keep their feet planted to the side of the boat when sending it (see also toe loops)

Parcel Tape

Brown parcel tape is another essential piece of laminating kit that every cherubber should have in their artillery. Epoxy resin does not stick to brown parcel tape so it is hugely useful when making mandrels. It can also be accompanied with release agent and wax for improved effect.

Pasties

The essential breakfast for any serious cherubber after a big social event. These come in many varieties, favourites including cheese and onion or a simple cornish. Teamed with a couple of litres of water they comprise a true hangover cure!

Procrastination

How Cherub sailors use the Cherub Encyclopedia.

Q

Queue

You may experience one of these to get to the bar after a hard days cherubing.

R

Resin Infusion

S

Sending it

Travelling at extreme speeds, usually offwind and out of control. You might hear bystanders shouting “Wow, look at that Cherub, they are really sending it”

Spreader Vision

The art of gaffa taping a waterproof digi-cam to your spreaders and filming to produce some unique footage. As demonstrated by Gav Simms on the video page.

Scratch

Cherubbers have really excelled in using scratch and have managed to make everything from hulls to spars using this wonder material. Also see Genium.

Stacking it

Its not very often that a cherub capsizes in a standard fashion and 'stacking it' is one term used to describe a wipeout. eg. Tim Stacked it at the gybe mark.

Skint

This is a technical term used to describe most of the student class members due to enthusiastic cherubbing and excessive beer drinking.

Stump

SMOD

Single Manufacturer One Design: 'nuff said.

T

Toe loops

Also known as fruit-loops these hold the cherubers feet to the deck in even the most extreme cases of sending it, most are constructed from either a rubberiesd webbing or a piece of hosepipe with a strong elastic through them to allow the loop to stretch/snap preventing foot damage when the cherub goes down the mine (see down the mine)

T Foil

Trapeze Wire

Outdated sailing technology that saw boats fitted with sufficient capacity to support a baby elephant standing on the deck. Most modern cherubbists now use dental floss or unicorn hair (2.5mm hertzog / lightening)

U

UD

Unstable

Most Cherubs do not float unaided in an upright position; even on a still day most Cherubs will roll over if not held onto. Please do not be alarmed if the Cherub at your club enters the water on it's side, falls or is pulled over once the trolley is taken away. After you have seen a Cherub sailing for a bit you'll realise the mast is very happy on or under the water.

V

Vacuum Bagging

Vinegar

It's a little known fact but vinegar can be used to remove epoxy from a multitude of materials before it goes off.

W

Wagon Wheels

One of the essential food groups when cherub sailing. Stu Hopson is the current record breaker consuming roughly 3 multipacks a day.

White Water Reaching

The now common term used to describe 2 sail reaching in a cherub. Aptly named due to the extreme levels of spray.

Wetting Out

Wetting out is the term used to describe putting resin onto the fibres in a laminate. It is essential that this is done correctly to ensure that there are no dry patches, but also that there is no excess resin. Recognised techniques of achieving this include using a trimmed paintbrush to allow stippling of the cloth, a small paintbrush roller to really work the resin into the fabric or some people use squeegees for a similar outcome.

To achieve thoroughly wetted out fibres it can be useful to apply the resin on a flat board. This allows the fabric to be worked vigorously without disrupting the main article that is being laminated. The fabric can then be moved and placed onto the area that is being laminated.

Whooping

The technical term for the shouting noises made by cherubbers when sending it offwind in a force 4!

X

Xylophone

Musical instrument of graduated wooden bars struck with hammer(s). A strange fact is that few cherubs (even of the same design) sound alike when tapped. Please do not try to test this statement with a hammer as it may result in serious personal injury.

Y

The least common Chromosome amongst nationals winning crews over the last twenty years.

Z

Zealot

Cherrubing can be totally consuming and great fun (see Addictive).

Past Events

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 19:01:35 +0000

Past Events

Events in 2022

Open Meetings

* March 19/20 - Rutland SC

* May 21/22 - Weymouth Skiff Open

* July 2/3 - Lord Birkett Trophy (Ullswater)

* July 9/10 - Weymouth Regatta

* September 24/25 - Isle of Sheppey

* October 15/16 - Plymouth Final Fling

Currently 3 out of 5 to count with Inlands non-discardable.

For further details please see the events section of the Forum

The Nationals

The 2022 Nationals will be held at Mumbles Yacht Club between August 18th - 21st

Events in 2014

23-26th August - UK-Cherub Class National Championship - Weston SC

Traveller Series:

22/23 March - Inland National Championships - Rutland SC
12/13 April - Isle of Sheppey SC
17/18 May - Weir Wood SC
14/15 June - Weston SC
12/13 July - Weymouth Regatta

Other dates

There are a number of other events where the class arrange to meet to blast or race, some maybe listed below or in the forum Calendar.

15 March - Draycote Water SC

Events in 2010

Nationals - 2010

UK Cherub National Champions 2010 will be held at Largo Bay SC from Wednesday 25th - Saturday 28th August. Forum link
NOR and entry details are Here
A list of those thinking of comming is shown Here

Travellers - 2010

2010 sees the return of the traveller's trophy. The general gist of the scoring, mutli million pound prize, trophy and champagne sponsorship deal will be announced shortly - more discussion on the forum list.

For now the following diary dates are below

	Where	When
East	Whitstable	5th-6th June
South	Poole	3rd-4th July
West	Thornbury	17th-18th July
North	Sunderland	21-22nd August
The Nationals	Largo	25th-28th August
The Inlands	Queen Mary SC	9th - 10th October

Other events - 2010

As wells the events listed here it is worth looking at the Forum Calendar and the Forum events posts

Some of those you can expect to see some Cherubs at are:

Hoo Freezer - 27th February
Try a Cherub Weekend - Blast - 20th-21st March
Weston Grand Slam - 2nd -5th April
Kielder Water SC W.Ward/L.Ward Open and Dam to Dam Race - 1st - 3rd May
Tenby SC Regatta and Round Caldey Race - July 10th - 11th
Weston Open - 14th -15th August
Largs Round Cumbraes - 29th August

Events in 2009

We suffered a Wiki meltdown in June. There is still some data missing form this section. Most are discribed on the forum .

2009 Nationals at Babbacoombe - It happened and it was good. A write up is here
Royal Lymington YC Open Meeting, Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th September 2009 - Forum link
UK Cheurb Inland Championship, Corus SC, Port Talbot, S.Wales Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th September 2009 - Forum Link
Sticky weekend 14th and 15th of November. At The Yeo Valley Joinery workshop, Weston-super-Mare. See Forum for agenda.

Events in 2008

Dinghy Show - London - March 1st & 2nd
Weston Grand Slam - March 21st - 24th
Kielder Water Open Meeting - April 12th - 13th
Tartan Trophy - Prestwick SC - May 3rd - 4th
Weston Open Meeting - May 17th - 18th
Bala Whit Regatta - May 24th - 26th
Weston Skiff Regatta - June 21st - 22nd
Sunderland YC - July 19th - 20th
Nationals Pembrokeshire Yacht Club - August 27th - 30th
French Eurocup - 5th-7th Sept (note: Racing on Friday 5th)
Corus Sailing Club Regatta - October (tbc)

Events in 2007

Sticky Weekend January 20th and 21st - Weston-super-Mare

RYA Dinghy Show March 3rd and 4th

Sticky Weekend Part Deux March 10th and 11th - Hertfordshire

Draycote Training Weekend March 24th and 25th

Weston Grand Slam April 6th-9th

Weston Open Meeting May 5th and 6th

Bala Whit Regatta May 26-28th

Weymouth Town Regatta June 2nd and 3rd

Weston Skiff Event June 16th and 17th

Velocitek Cherub Nationals Report Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy - July 21st-26th.

Round Cumbrae August Bank Holiday 25th and 26th

Carnac Eurocup and French Nationals September 8th, 9th and 10th

Brightlingsea Blast September 29th and 30th

Corus sailing Club Regatta October 6th and 7th CHERUB INLANDS

Blasting League

Events in 2006

Bloody Mary

Starcross Steamer

Dinghy Show

Draycote Mini Blast

Weston Grand Slam

SSR at Keilder Water

Inlands Queen Mary

Weston Open

Stone Blast

Castle Cove

Largs SC Round Cumbraes Race

2006 Nationals Largo Bay

Eurocup YC Carnac (France) 9th-10th September (unofficial)

Corus (Port Talbot) - 7th 8th October

Eurocup YC Granville (France) 14th-15th October

Events

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Events

25-28th August - UK-Cherub Class National Championship - Babbacombe

Some of next year's travellers dates are below. More dates and rumour of a revision to the SI's allowing a discard or two comming soon! Keep an eye on theforum

16/17 Feb - Training weekend

Traveller Series:

16/17 March - Chew Valley
13/14 April - Isle of Sheppey
13/14 July - Weymouth Regatta

Events 2012

Check out other parts of this site and the forum for more information. Some of the important dates for your 2012 diary are below.

18/19 February - Valentines Blast Chew Valley sailing Club
3/4 March - Dinghy show
21/22 April - Blast at Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club
Awaiting date - Class Training Queen Mary SC (TBC)
03/04/05 June - WSC 60th ANNIVERSARY REGATTA
09/10 June - Thornbury Open (Traveller Series Event)
16/17 June - Royal Victoria Regatta (Traveller Series Event - CANCELLED)
13/14 July - http://www.weymouthregatta.co.uk/ Weymouth Regatta (Traveller Series Event)
21/22 July - Weston skiff open (Traveller Series event)
21/24 August - 2012 UK Cherub Nationals - Pwllheli Sailing Club
01/02 September- Stokes Bay Open (Traveller Series Event)
10/11 November - Inland champs Queen Mary SC (Traveller Series Event)
Date to be set - Sticky Weekend (Weston Super Mare)

Other dates

There are a number of other events where the class arrange to meet to blast or race, some maybe listed below or in the forum Calendar.

The Blasts

A Blast is a cherub event a bit like an open meeting, but without racing to get in the way of the sailing. If you would like to try a Cherub this event is organised to give you the chance to get your heart racing. Contact before the event and we'll have a boat waiting for you…

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here

Events 2013

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Events 2013

25-28th August - UK-Cherub Class National Championship - Babbacombe

This year's travellers dates are below. SI's allow one discard for the series, with the exception of the Inlands ¹⁾.

Traveller Series:

16/17 March - Chew Valley
13/14 April - Isle of Sheppey
11/12 May - Weston
29/30 June - Thornbury Regatta
13/14 July - Weymouth Regatta
26/27 October - Inlands - Queen Mary SC

Other dates

There are a number of other events where the class arrange to meet to blast or race, some maybe listed below or in the forum Calendar.

The Blasts

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here

¹⁾

i.e. Inlands score to count

Events 2014

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Events 2014

23-26th August - UK-Cherub Class National Championship - Weston SC

This year's travellers dates are below. The SI's for the series are posted on the forum here

Traveller Series:

22/23 March - Inland National Championships - Rutland SC
12/13 April - Isle of Sheppey SC
17/18 May - Weir Wood SC
14/15 June - Weston SC
12/13 July - Weymouth Regatta

Other dates

There are a number of other events where the class arrange to meet to blast or race, some maybe listed below or in the forum Calendar.

15 March - Draycote Water SC

The Blasts

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here

Events 2022

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 22:36:06 +0000

Events 2022

Open Meetings

* March 19/20 - Rutland SC

* May 21/22 - Weymouth Skiff Open

* July 2/3 - Lord Birkett Trophy (Ullswater)

* July 9/10 - Weymouth Regatta

* September 24/25 - Isle of Sheppey

* October 15/16 - Plymouth Final Fling

Currently 3 out of 5 to count with Inlands non-discardable.

For further details please see the events section of the Forum

The Nationals

The 2022 Nationals will be held at Mumbles Yacht Club between August 18th - 21st

The Blasts

2022 - April 23/24 - Grafham

If you could host one at your club in June or October please get in touch.

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here: here (Pre 2015 here)

Events 2023

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 17:52:03 +0000

Events 2023

For more details please see the events section of the Forum

Open Meetings

Find Out Who's Who

Class boat is available to be borrowed for events. Please email us on link below.

1. March 4/5 - Rutland SC, Skiff Open Enter Here Notice of Race Sailing Instructions

2. May 13/14 - WPNSA, Weymouth Skiff Open Enter Here Notice of Race Sailing Instructions

3. June 17/18 - Isle of Sheppey SC, Cherub & B14 Open Enter Here Notice of Race. Sailing Instructions

4. September 16/17 - Bassenthwaite SC, Great Northern Asymmetric Challenge 'The Inlands'

5. October 14/15 - Royal Western Yacht Club, Plymouth Final Fling Entry & NoR

Currently 3 out of 5 to count with 'The inlands' non-discardable.

The Nationals

The 2023 Nationals will be held at South Shields SC between 21st - 23rd July. Enter here Notice of Race

The Blasts

A blast is a cherub event a bit like an open meeting, but without racing to get in the way of the sailing. If you would like to try a Cherub this event is organised to give you the chance to get your heart racing. Contact before the event and we'll have a boat waiting for you…

If you can host one at your club in April or August please get in touch.

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here: here (Pre 2015 here)

Events 2024

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:26:17 +0000

Events 2024

For more details please see the events section of the Forum

The Nationals

The main event for the year, the 2024 Nationals will be held at Dale Yacht Club between the 5th - 8th of July, camping is available and there is limited accomodation in the nearby area. Joined by the very lovely International Canoe fleet.

Entry Form

The entry form is set up to be filled in electronically. If it does not work and you're on a phone please save it to icloud files or g drive first.

Important paperwork:

Notice of Race

Sailing Instructions

Helpful info from the club

Cherub Social calendar:

Friday the 5th - Day 1 - AGM - Aiming for 1900 start with order in food/pizza - Location: the town hall or somewhere in the yacht club (Unknown which the IC fleet is taking so we will take the other)

Saturday the 6th - Day 2 - Meal and band in the town hall - Price and time to be set by the club

Sunday the 7th - Day 3 - subject to weather a walk up the the forts/airfield/pub maybe beach games

Monday the 8th - Day 4 - Prize giving - location and time TBC - Pack up and go home

Open Meetings

Find Out Who's Who

The class boat 2699 Antidote to Panel Games, is available to be borrowed and raced for events. Please email us on link below.

1. March 23/24 - Rutland SC, Skiff Open

Enter Here Notice of Race

2. April 27/28 - Grafham SC, Inlands

Enter Here Notice of Race

3. May 11/12 - WPNSA, Skiff Open

Enter Here Notice of Race Sailing Instructions

4. September 7/8 - Itchenor SC

More to follow.

Currently 3 out of 5 to count with 'The inlands' non-discardable.

The Blasts

If you can host one at your club in April or August please get in touch.

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here: here (Pre 2015 here)

Events 2025

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 17:13:35 +0000

Events 2025

For more details please see the events section of the Forum

The Nationals

The main event for the year, the 2025 Nationals will be held at Paignton between the 4th - 7th of September. Notice of Race Sailing Instructions

Open Meetings

Find Out Who's Who

The class boat 2692 Natural Born Skiffeurs, is available to be borrowed and raced for events. Please email us on link below.

1. April 12/13 - Poole YC, Shared open with ISO and International Canoe Results

2. May 10/11 - WPNSA, Skiff Open Results

3. June 28/29 - Grafham SC, Multi skiff event - INLANDS Results

4. July 19/20 - Datchet SC Shared open with B14 - Cancelled

More to follow.

Currently 3 out of 4 to count with 'The inlands' non-discardable.

The Blasts

If you can host one at your club in April or August please get in touch.

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here: here (Pre 2015 here)

Events 2026

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 21:09:03 +0000

Events 2026

For more details please see the events section of the Forum

The Nationals

The main event for the year, the 2026 Nationals will be held at Castle Cove SC between the 6th - 9th of August.

Open Meetings

If you would like to borrow a boat for an event, contact us and we will try our best to connect you with one.

1. April 18/19 - Poole YC, Shared open with ISO and International Canoe

2. May 9/10 - WPNSA, Skiff Open

3. June TBA

4. July 11/12 - Grafham SC, Multi skiff event - INLANDS

More to follow.

Currently 3 out of 4 to count with 'The inlands' non-discardable.

Have a blast!

1. March 28/29 - Rutland SC

If you can host one at your club in April or August please get in touch.

Reports from previous Year's events can be found here: here (Pre 2015 here)

How to get one

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

How to get one

To get hold of a Cherub, you've got three options:

Option 1: Buy second hand.

For your first Cherub this is you best option. It gets you into the class, where a wealth of information can be found from the members. You'll learn how to handle the boat, what makes it tick and what you want from your next one. Most of all you'll understand why a 12 foot boat is so much more fun to sail than any other!

Second Hand Boat List

Option 2: Buy new or part new build.

We have 3 professional class builders-
www.hartleylaminates.co.uk
www.bloodaxeboats.co.uk
www.aardvarkracing.co.uk

Hartley Laminates are based in Derby and are building the Cherub Daemon. Bloodaxe are based in the Isle of Wight, and are world renowned for Olympic winning foils.
Andy is a 5 times National Champion, so he knows what he's doing! Aardvark Technologies** are a top class builder in N12's as well as Cherubs
with leading boats built in both fleets.

Option 3: Build one from plans or design one yourself.

This is probably the most challenging option, unless you're used to big lamination jobs. Bloodaxe Boats supply plans for a small sum. And again, other designs can be found by contacting the class technical officer. Or if you are really game, you can design and build one all yourself. If you decide on this, please take full advantage of the class' huge library of online information and technical support.

Back to homepage

Image archive of 2002/3

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image archive of 2002/3

This page automatically pulls all the images we have of boats taken in the 2002/3.

*:boats *:boats

Image Archive of the 1950s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image Archive of the 1950s

This page automatically pulls all the images we have of boats taken in the 1950s.

boats

Image archive of the 1960s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image archive of the 1960s

This page automatically pulls all the images we have of boats taken in the 1960s.

boats

Image archive of the 1970s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image archive of the 1970s

This page automatically pulls all the images we have of boats taken in the 1970s

boats

Image archive of the 1980s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image archive of the 1980s

This page automatically pulls all the images we have of boats taken in the 1980’s.

boats

Image archive of the 1990s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image archive of the 1990s

This page automatically pulls all the images we have of boats taken in the 1990s.

boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

Image archive of the 2000s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image archive of the 2000s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

*:boats

Image archive of the 2010s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image archive of the 2010s

This page automatically pulls all the images we have of boats taken in the 2010s.

*:boats

Twin Wire Image Archive

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Twin Wire Image Archive

*boats

Image Archive

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Image Archive

This is a huge page which automatically shows thumbnails of all the images we have.

*:boats

Image Gallery

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 20:21:32 +0000

Image Gallery

2023 Nationals Pictures

2022 Nationals Pictures

2021 Nationals Pictures

2009 Cherub Nationals

2005 nationals pictures

2005 Rules

Wallpapers

1997 Rules

Classic Rules

Image Archive

Image Archive. Warning: This is a huge page and may take ages to download, or may not come down at all. If thumbnails do not load try clicking and the photo should load
Image Archive of the 1950s
Image archive of the 1960s
Image archive of the 1970s
Image archive of the 1980s
Image archive of the 1990s
Image archive of the 2000s
Image archive of the 2010s

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Links

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Links

Cherub Pages

Australian Cherub Association Pages - See what our Aussie namesakes are up to.
Dangerous Strawberry - The site for this well known Bistro.
Comfortably Numb - Another Bistro with her own site.
Loco Perro - The site for this widestyle successful Cherub.
Queenie SJB resoration - Queenie SJB is a significant boat.
Peanuts - top boat of the 70s still active on the Clyde.

Other Sailing Sites

Development Boats

12 Foot Skiff Class (New Zealand) - Check out some of the videos on this site.
12 Foot Skiff Class (NSW) - The Australian Twelve footer site. Often got some great photos.
12 Foot Skiff Class (UK) - The UK Twelve footer site.
International Moth - A Cherub for lonelyhearts!
New Zealand R Class - Another Kiwi development class, the R is 3.9m (12'9“) with two trapezes and around the same sort of sail area as a UK rules Cherub. The “beginners guide” to R class sailing is strongly recommended as being highly applicable to Cherubs.
International 14 - Two trapeze development class, sailed mainly in UK, US, NZ and Australia.
International Canoe - Slender hull, sliding seat, and often nowadays an asymmetric spinnaker. A long and illustrious development history.
The Australian NS14 Sailing Dinghy - An interesting Aussie two-hander and close relation of the Tasar. (although another twenty years development makes the NS look quite different!)
New Zealand Javelin - skiff type, 14ft long, and, like the Cherub, founded by John Spencer. A very influential class in Antipodean dinghy development.
++ Singlehander - designed and part built by a previous website editor, who's too heavy for a Moth!
National 12 - 12ft two person “sit on the side” UK based restricted class. No spinnaker.
16 foot Skiffs - Three hander skiff class.
Flying Ants - A Johnm Spencer designed full-on skiff for juniors.

Sailing Sites

Bloodaxe Boats - Long time Cherub and Moth sailor Andy Paterson's company site has some tremendous material about his Cherub and Moth designs over the years, as well as commercial information about their foils, boats and Building plans for both Cherubs and Moths.
Murray, Burns & Dovell - Iain Murray has long been associated with the Cherub Class, having designed, among others, 1980 and 1995 Worlds Winning Boats.

Farr Yacht Design Ltd. - It's many years since 1970 Cherub World Champion Russ Bowler or Bruce Farr set their pens to designing a Cherub, but for those of you whose sailing has moved on to bigger and more expensive things this is their web site. On site biographies indicate how much importance they place in their early years in the NZ development classes like the Cherub.

Marten Yachts - 1972 World Champion Steve Marten started Marten Marine building small boats. They are now surely the world's premier large yacht builders, having built, amongst others, seven America's Cup yachts.

Bethwaite Design - 1976 World Champions Nicola and Julian Bethwaite are heavily involved in the business, which covers one design skiff types like the 59er, 49er and 29er as well as consultancy.
MacKay Boats - 1978 World Champion Dave Mackay's New Zealand company builds 49ers, 29ers and medal winning 470s.

Christian Stimson Yacht Design - A leading light and innovator amongst the new breed of U.K. Yacht Designers.

Aussie Angels - 1976 World Champion Nicola Bethwaites campaign for the Yngling medal at the Athens Olympics.

Materials & Equipment Suppliers

Bloodaxe Boats - Builder of Superior Foils, boats and Building plans for both Cherubs and Moths.
Red Eye Sails - Sailmaker who made sails coming 1st and 2nd at the 2005 Nationals.
Aardvark Racing - New boats, foils and bits.
C-Tech New Zealand - Twelve footer and R Class Ace Alex Valling's company makes boats, spars and other carbon bits and pieces.
CST Composites - CST Composites from Australia design and manufacture a full range of filament wound carbon fiber tubing and are popular and successful spar makers in the Australian Cherubs.
Superspars - Superspars have been involved with Cherubs for years with a lot of Championship wins.
Proctor Masts - Proctors have also won a good number of Championships
SP Systems - Epoxy resins & other boat building materials.
Matrix Composite Materials - Long history of suplying materials to the class. Highly recomended.
Batt Sails - The Womble Man's brother has made many successful Cherub sails in recent decades.
Fastacraft - Australian Supplier of foils and other carbon parts.
C2Marine - Hand made extensions for the perfectionist.
Carbonology.com - Suppliers of composite materials and tubing in the UK

Magazines & Information

Dinghy Sailing Magazine - The only magazine in the UK dedicated to Dinghy Sailing.
TheDailySail - Also featuring frequent news updates, and gives plenty of opportunities for on-line feedback.
Yachts and Yachting - Website for this sailing Magazine.
Breizhskiff - A Breton group promoting Skiff sailing in Brittany, France and the www. They love Cherubs!

Random Links

Meira's Voyage Will Lee and Lucy McGavin (now Lee) went yachting around the Atlantic in a Wharram Catamaran in 2000 and 2001. Here's a diary.
Firebug 2.4 Sailing Dinghy - 8ft John Spencer designed training boat, good for homebuilding and with tons more “Beach Cred” than an Oppie!
Farr 3.7 (New Zealand) - The Farr 3.7 is a twelve foot trapeze singlehander. It bears a distinct relationship to Farr Cherubs - of that era which I think should make it a very pleasant boat to sail.
Sailshots Marine Photography - Have provided us with photos for this site.
Davas Design - Another supplier of photos for this site.
FluidFotos Marine Photography - Have also provided us with photos for this site.
FOTOACTION Sports and Action Photography (Australia) - Have also provided us with pics for the site.
Reed Books (NZ) - Book publishers (and sales). Thanks for permission to reproduce some of your material in the John Spencer page.
Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust - And now for something completely different. The Trust owns and hires out a fleet of truly magnificent 1930s wooden yachts on the Norfolk Broads in the U.K. A week round the rivers in one of their boats makes for a a very pleasant and relaxing break. Mods from the original specification are minimal - oil lamps and no engine!
Surfers against Sewage - Much of our coastal water resembles a microbiological culture. SAS are an organised, responsible and effective pressure group doing something about it.
Total Coverage - Design Consultancy - These nice people are running the Cherub mailing list.
WB-Sails Ltd Oy - An interesting technical analysis of a number of aspects of sailboat rigs.
Clearthinking Creative - Our publicity officers business website and designer of UK Cherub website.

Copyright Notice

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 20:44:01 +0000

moved to Lucy Lee

Cherub Class Mailing List

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Cherub Class Mailing List

The Cherub mailing list is run to promote discussion on Cherub sailing and related topics. Please feel free to contribute to the discussion. New subscribers may feel wary about posting their thoughts or comments to the list, but we are a friendly group so don't be bashful. This list has already shown itself to be an excellent method of sharing ideas and information between Cherub sailors from all around the world. If you have questions, ask them; if you have ideas, air them.

<html> <P> Click to <a href=“mailto:cherub-request@freelists.org?subject=subscribe”>subscribe to the list</a> or send an email to cherub-request@freelists.org with 'subscribe' in the subject line. </P> <P> Click to <a href=“mailto:cherub-request@freelists.org?subject=unsubscribe”>unsubscribe from the list</a> or send an email to cherub-request@freelists.org with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line. </P> </html>

The List Provider

This list is provided by Freelists. Many thanks.

Guidelines

The subscribers are not vetted in any way, membership is open and voluntary without any restriction. The views and comments expressed on the Cherub list should be regarded as coming from the original sender only. There has never been the need to remove anyone or anything like that, and if conduct is kept gentlemanly and ladylike then there will never be such a need.

Using The list

How to Post Messages to the Cherub List

To post messages to the list, you first need to be a subscriber. As a subscriber you not only get sent copies of all postings to the list, but you can also send your own postings. To send a posting all you need do is address your email message to: mailto:Cherub@freelists.orgYour email posting will automatically be copied to all the people who are subscribers at that time.

Replying to Messages

If you receive a message from the list, and want to reply to it, take a moment to think about who the reply is for. If it is for the whole list to read, then by all means send the reply to the list address (with most email software, this will be the default address that comes up if you hit the Reply button). Alternatively you may be aiming your reply solely at the author of the message, in which case be careful to ensure that your addressing is correct. Sending emails to the wrong address, especially when that address is a mailing list with lots of people subscribed to it, has been known to cause embarrasment to the sender and recipient, and sometimes also amusement to everyone else on the list. There was a good example on the Cherub list a while back where someone accidentally posted a message to the whole list that concerned, shall we say, Après Après Sail activities…

Members' Area

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Members' Area

From here on in it is members only.

Members can login by hitting the button on the bar at the bottom of the page.

Not a member yet? Join instantly at the Become a Member

Proceed to the Members' Area

NOTE Some browsers seem to log you off periodically. Going to this page directly to login solves the problem.

Older News

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Older News

changelog

Back to newest news

Camping option for nationals

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Camping option for nationals

A kind friend to the class has offered to make his cricket pitch available as a camping option for the Nationals. The deal is as follows;

-The suggested donation is £25 for the week (discounted to £20 PH for shared tents) towards the “new pavilion fund”.

-Camping is on the edge of a cricket pitch, with access to running water (probably cold only), a toilets and a communal dry area in the pavilion. Note:- the academy has ample showerage…

-Cost of camping INCLUDES leaving the field as it was found (i.e. remove litter/leave no junk)

-Pavilion has no electrics, but we have found something to run a kettle/pavilion lights from.

-The pitch is about 20 minutes by from the academy* and Weytax quote £25 for a minibus taxi from centre of Weymouth at 3am…

-The aim is that this will be a “sleeping base”, with largeness and much beering conducted in town and cab sharing the order for late night travel. Leaving the campsite as a quiet serene place, suitable for those wanting an early night. As an aside it would be good not to disturb the locals in the farm as they are heavily armed.

-This is NOT a campsite and as such we are the only occupants.

-To book a slot please email Roland Trim.

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 21:02:55 +0000

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Spring News Report

New Zealand Rules Cherub Project

There are currently eight glass-skinned wooden boats under construction based on the popular Dan Leech design. They are single trapeze, with a wider hull than the UK 2005 rules boats. They have a total sail area that sits midway between our UK 1991 and 1997 rules designs, making them an ideal boat for adult-and-child combinations or those not wishing to twin-wire. A CNC-cut plywood kit and full instructions are available. Drop us a message at UK Cherub if you would like further information.

RYA Dinghy Show

We had lots of interest at the dinghy show, from elderly past class members reminiscing about the early days to new young sailors drooling over the shiny carbon “Marmite” display boat. We’ve received numerous emails from sailors wishing to have a trial sail at the upcoming Rutland Blast, others who can’t make Rutland but are being set up with trials elsewhere, and people requesting further information on the NZ Cherub kits. Thanks to all who helped make the show a success.

Rutland Blast / Trial Sail Weekend 28/29 March

A weekend of socialising, tuning, blasting, boat swapping, and sailing with people wishing to try out Cherub sailing. If you would like to join us, get in touch at UK Cherub.

2026 Racing Events

To better cater for the NZ and single-wire UK Cherubs, we plan to run two racecourses this season (numbers permitting). The aim is for twin- and single-wire boats to finish at similar times. There will also be separate results and prizes.

See the events page for dates.

This year’s National Championships will mark our 75th anniversary! Get the dates in the diary now and let’s make it a bumper year!

Playground

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Playground

3 dedicated Cherubs, E-numbers, Riot Van and Ronin turned up at Sunderland YC as an excuse for a stop on way to their Nationals at Largo Bay. On Saturday the wind was blowing around 25 knots gusting 30 knots. The 3 Cherub crews made a tactical decision to hold fire on going out for the first race. The decision was justified as the Musto Skiffs, RS300s, an RS800 and Topper went out, stuck their noses out of the harbour capsized repeatedly then nearly all returned to shore apart from 3 boats, who did a 2 lap race. Racing was then canned for the day allowing for an early start in the bar and copious amounts of food. The wind was a little more reasonable on Sunday, although still gusting up to 20 knots with some real lulls and sharp wind shifts. The asymmetric class were sailing a straight forward windward-leeward course. All 3 Cherubs were late for the first start E-numbers crossed first followed by Riot Van, who made good ground upwind, and Ronin. E-numbers lost their lead to Riot Van after a capsize on a gybe. They chased Riot Van for a lap before getting their comeuppance when Riot Van capsized on the next run. E-Numbers held her lead, Ronin caught up with Riot Van but missed an opportunity to pass them on the final beat to the line due to some simultaneous capsizing. Unfortunately this was the end to Ronin’s day as their mainsheet was becoming unsheathed and they headed for shore. In race 2 E-Numbers followed Riot Van over the line and made an early tack into clear air. Riot Van got a good lift after tacking later and got round the windward mark well ahead of E-Numbers. E-Numbers made ground on Riot Van throughout the race and were right on their tail at the last mark. Riot Van tacked early for the line and crossed E-Numbers, however they had got headed off and had to put in a second tack for the line. E-Numbers tacked later, onto a lift and crossed the line comfortably ahead of Riot Van. The start line for race 3 was very port biased and many boats struggled to cross the line, E-Numbers tried to tack onto port and cross behind the fleet but they went into the tack with little speed and went for a swim! Consequently, Riot Van stormed ahead. E-Numbers made lots of ground downwind managing to sail very low in a gust then stole the lead from Riot Van who over-stood the start/finish gate. These positions held till the end of the race. Only E-Numbers stayed out for the final race, got a good start and stayed with the Musto Skiffs up the first beat. Yet tiredness was starting to get the better of them and they capsized on the first downwind leg on a gybe then again not far up the second beat on a tack to avoid a lobster pot! They did manage to keep the boat upright from then on till the finish. E-Numbers was rewarded for her endurance and won her first bit of glassware winning the asymmetric fleet of about 6 (discounting the Musto Skiffs who’s results were separated out). Many thanks go to Sunderland YC for their friendliness and a super sail.

Random

Attention Dokuwiki-ists

Send me an email without knowing my email by clicking there »»admin««

For Paul

Here is Steve Irish + Paula sailing Suicide Blonde. The mainsheet starts at the end of the boom, then goes down to a block on a bridle from the transom, then back to the end of the boom, then forward to a ratchet about half way along the boom. Then it goe to the helmsmans hand (if it wasn't busy with more urgent matters)

You can see the forward bit a bit better on this one.

Backlinks

backlinks

My Name

I started sailing a few years ago in a number of different boats and have

now ended up sailing a cherub after I saw one blasting about somwhere at

high speed

The picture is inserted using curly brackets with the size restricted by the number after the question mark * The people gives the folder or namespace * shadow.jpg gives the name of the file * ?350 restricts the horizontal size to 350 pixels(The whole site is 600 pixels wide) * Having a space before and after the brakcets centers the picture

I have sailed in a number of boats bulleted list of the boats

Wayfarer

Mirror

Int 14's http:\\www.i14.org if you write out the URL in full it will turn into a link and the small globe shows it is an external link

LaserII's

Cherubs listed bellow in a numbered list

9999 9999 This page does not exist so it is a red link

2681 AquaMarina The link is for boats:2681 the text you see is Aqua Marina

2686 Primal Scream The link is forced to display 2686

My older Cherub

My first cherub was AquaMarina and here are a number of pictures taken

automatically from the gallery of me sailing the boat in various years

2004

boats?showname?3

An automatic gallery that can be adjusted to show only one boat or only pictures taken on a certain day or any combination of the above

My newer Cherub

My current cherub is Primal Scream and below is the summary of the boat

taken from Primal's own page.

2686

Name: Primal Scream
Designs: Easy Wan
Builder: Dave Low and Phil Alderson
Construction: Foam Carbon to the 2005 rules with C-Tech/RMW Marine rig and T-Foil rudder
Location: France

What this means is that I can have the same info displayed on different pages and I only have to edit the original source page to update all the other pages.

Contact Info

You can use Phil Alderson to get in contact

it lets people contact you without having to reveal your email address. just replace my name with yours

Back Links

backlinks

generates a list of pages that link to this one, helps with navigation.

Include a picture from facebook

Stu's Bit

Whilst visiting his grandparents in Cornwall this weekend, Stu Hopson was surprised to find out about a poem, his grandad wrote about a race in the mid to late 1960’s on the river Crouch, featuring a cherub (The Wizard of Oz). After much digging through the many poems which he has written over the years, the poem ‘The Jinx and the Wizard of Oz’ was found, and Jack Hopson (Stu’s grandad) has very kindly given permission for the class to read and enjoy this poem.

THE JINX AND THE WIZARD OF OZ

Regatta day, and lots of boats

Trevor Austin was doing well . . .

But then the wind got up a bit

(In fact it blew like Merry Hell)

Whilst leading on the final leg

His Cherub on a flat out plane

Quite unprovoked his well-known Jinx

Did raise its shaggy head again

The nearest rival, not in sight—

(But many boats were moored about)

While planing for the final mark

A puff did lift the Cherub’s snout—

With extra speed she shot ahead

But there was no real space in view

There did not seem to be a hole

Quite wide enough for boat and crew

“Our Hero” looked with urgent haste

To try and find some sort of space

(Apart from lots of moored up craft,

He’d caught up with another race)

The reaching spinny flew well out

Mounted on extending boom

A Cherub in a wind like this

Really needs a lot of room!

Just then appeared a slender chance

Not much, but then was ‘twas all he’d got

Two moored up boats lay “end-to-end”

Between the two our helmsman shot

He had to luff up quick and hard

A tricky move, as all could see

His crew made comments rather like:

“There are places I would rather be.”

A loop-the-loop, or similar

Quite a feat at such a speed

Assisted p’raps by desperate strength

That sometimes comes in times of need.

Then a rush to get the spinny down

The turning mark is quite close by

But in their haste, a minor slip—

And whoops, the halyard was let fly.

The sail went flying out in front

The boat still holding on a plane

The famous Jinx did raise its head

And problems reared up strong again.

A cruising craft on engine slow

Had not been noticed up ‘til now

Until it loomed up strong in view—

A stainless pulpit on its bow.

Too late poor Trevor spotted this

And all could see, he was aghast

A violent swerve just got him by

But the flapping sail could not get past.

It caught the pulpit fair and square

And then it wrapped so well around

It brought the Cherub to a halt

As if he’d run the thing aground.

With instant action Trevor leaped

Upon the deck where sail was caught

With fevered haste the lad did work

As with the straining cloth he fought

The owner of the boarded craft

Did watch the while and quietly curse

And all could see he was incensed

For now his craft moved in reverse.

With wind behind the Cherub’s main

The forces pushing her were strong

Despite the cruiser’s powered strain

She by her stern was forced along . . .

At last the clinging sail was freed

But still it seemed the Jinx would win . . .

The boat pulled off—left helm behind

His only option . . . jump and swim

He caught and held the Cherub’s bow

Crew still aboard—the boat pressed on

Ahead, a tender tied to buoy,

The Jinx’s work was not yet done . . .

A spinnaker halyard dragging out

Did catch around the mooring chain

Helm in water—crew in boat

The Cherub snagged up fast again.

They tugged and heaved to no avail

’Til in the row-boat climbed the crew

From vantage point, he now enjoyed

He soon could see just what to do—

The Cherub freed, and moved away

And quite unmanned, before our eyes

She slewed around with force of wind

Her boom went down, the boat capsized

The helmsman still held on the bow

To right the boat he set his mind

Then clambered in prepared to sail

And found he’d left his crew behind

Still standing he, in dinghy tied

(And hadn’t even wet his feet)

So back he sailed to get his lad

Single-handed on a beat

Meanwhile a cruiser had arrived

To collect their tender left afloat

The crew on board was much surprised

At this intruder in their boat

Their mooring picked up nice and neat

They helped this fella in their craft

And standing there with still dry feet

He must have felt a little daft.

The Cherub (not a stable beast)

In such a wind could not close in

But sailing near as he could get—

This time the crew must jump and swim . . .

Now re-united—crew of two

Continued on and finished race

And such a lead they had before

That still they finished in first place!

WRITTEN BY JACK HOPSON (MID TO LATE 1960s)

The poem just goes to show that Cherubs have always been entertaining to watch and race against!

the sunis a mass of incandescant gas

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/midi/whysunshine.mid

2547

boats?1

Ignore me

http://www.sailingsource.com/cherub/rich_taylor/Cherub Training.mov

Tony right click here and Save Target As

Velocitek GPS track

Gallery

news?showname

Develop Top Boat Handling Skills

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Develop Top Boat Handling Skills

Learn to really handle a boat well in a Cherub. Iain Murray, Amanda Wilmot, Rob Brown, Simon Daubney and numerous other top Antipodean sailors spent their teens sailing Cherubs. Why is it countries as small as Australia and New Zealand produce such a large proportion of the world's best Sailors? Because they learn racing and boat handling in Cherubs and other similar boats.

Find out what Makes a Fast Boat Fast

The Cherub is a class for designers and builders as well as sailors. One of the aims of the class is to provide an inexpensive platform where prospective designers can try out ideas. A large number of the folk at the top of the Sailboat Industry have a Cherub background. Russ Bowler (Partner, Farr Associates) 1970 World Champion. Steve Marten (Marten Boats, New Zealand) 1972 World Champion. Julian Bethwaite (top dinghy designer) 1976 World Champion. The list goes on. The majority of boats have always been homebuilt, and the class has pioneered home building in foam sandwich in the UK. Perhaps an ultimate achievement in sailing is to win a championship in a boat you have designed and built yourself. The list of people who have done that is both short and distinguished. If you are considering a career in the marine industry then sailing Cherubs and a building project will give you an awful lot of real world experience that's hard to find anywhere else.

Have Fun!

Finally, and most important of all, its great fun to sail, especially if you aren't afraid of getting wet.

Back to homepage

Electrifying Performance

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Electrifying Performance

Cherubs are really quick offwind, having an excellent power to weight ratio and not too much wetted surface. Video footage has shown boats hitting 25 knots, which is pretty fair! Even more important than the raw speed is the handling. Ultra light, ultra responsive, ultra quick. Nothing else comes close!

The Equal Opportunity Boat

No other performance class has had as many women helming and crewing on equal terms at the top level, including National & World Championship Winners. Husband/Wife Boyfriend/Girlfriend Brother/Sister combinations of crew are common. Perhaps the best known of these was Nicola Bethwaite crewed by Julian Bethwaite, World Champions in 1976.

The boat has evolved to need skill and speed to sail it fast, not weight and brute strength. Despite this the boat suits a reasonably large range of crew weights, with combined weights from 16 to 25 stone having been seen at the top in recent years. The ideal is probably 17 to 23 stone. With the current rash of boats with the mis-named “weight equalisation” it is interesting to note that, like most development classes, crew weight is not as significant a factor as in a one design, and some of the lightest crews are the fastest in heavy weather.

UK Cherub Class Rules

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 12:01:16 +0000

UK Cherub Class Rules

Current Class Rules

UK Cherub Class Rules 2024

Historical Class Rules

The class rules have changed over the years. Here are some older rulesets and the years they were voted in.

It may help to read these with reference to Equipment Rules of Sailing 2021-2024

Second Hand Boat List

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:25:43 +0000

Second Hand Boat List

Not all the Cherubs that are available make it to the for sale list, if you are looking for a boat it is worth saying hello on the forum as well as viewing the adverts below. In addition to helping you find the correct, a post on the forum is also the easiest way of find a test sail at a club near you.

Which boat should I buy?

Which boat should I buy?
Check the Classifieds section of the forum first as this is most up to date
Some other available boats are below.

For Sale

2688 Atum Bom

Atum Bom 2688 is reluctantly for sale. Been garage stored for the last 6 years but it's time she moved on to be sailed again.

Double nationals winning Slug design 05 rules boat. Built by Bloodaxe and the Lee's

Comes with:

C-Tech Carbon Mast
3 Jibs (training, better, best)
3 Kites (2 original Fyfes, 1 North VGC)
3 Mainsails (training, better, best)
T-foil rudder
Bloodaxe Carbon Centerboard (small repair needed to the bottom)
Road trailer and Launching trolley
Top and bottom covers
Carbon Boom

Great package ready to race and go fast in a decent breeze.

Located Hampshire £3,500

ben@therushtons.me.uk

2700 Dans Boat

Dans Boat

Very quick boat, Inlands overall and winner of Nationals races. Aardvark carbon/foam, very light hull with lots of correctors, recent 2 pack respray, Ctech spars - mast, boom, bowsprit. GP sails main & jib, Hyde kite. Carbon rudder stock, high aspect carbon T foil rudder, carbon/foam professional build daggerboard. Combi trailer. Under and over covers (tatty). Mast has been repaired but well proven racing record post repair.

Located Hampshire £6,500

07395-541937

When you've bought your Boat...

Join the Class Association.

Become a Member

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 18:19:37 +0000

Become a Member

Please complete a membership form and email it to ukcherub@gmail.com. You can pay for your membership of the Class Association either using the card payment option on this page or via bank transfer to the class associations bank account.

Item	Cost	Form
Full Membership of UKCCOA (1st January - 31st December)	£40	Membership Form
Student Membership of UKCCOA (1st January - 31st December)	£22	Membership Form
Event Membership of UKCCOA (per event to a max of 3)	£10	Membership Form
Upgrade Membership from event to full	£30
Sail Number	£25	Contact Treasurer

Membership renewal by card (SquareUp)	Renewal by bank transfer (BACS)
Full Membership	Account Name: UK Cherub Class Owners Association
Student Membership	Lloyds Bank Plc
Event membership	Account No. 33870260
Upgrade membership from event to full	Sort Code: 30-99-50
Donations

Full Membership

The most important thing about joining your class association is that you are supporting your class. You also get invited to Cherub specific training events for improving on the water skills, Sticky Weekends for improving boat repair skills, and Blasts for improving your fun having skills. You can take part in class racing events. You also get access to the members of our website and forum both of which are full of topical tips, technical hints, amusing stories about other cherub sailors, in-jokes, reports from events, news from members, etc etc. With membership comes the opportunity to make and edit pages on the website, this lets you build a page about your boat, and it's exploits, or add tips to the technical pages. Quite apart from that, you get a say in how the association is run and a vote in any ballots that may occur!

For the nationals all sailors must be full members.

Special Offer

If you are new to the class and join after the end of August you get the following year free!

Student Membership

At a reduced fee this is for bona fide students. Don't cheat, or spankings will be handed down without mercy! Student members do not have voting rights, should they wish to vote they will be required to upgrade to full membership.

Event Membership

All participants (helm and crew) must be a member of the UKCCOA for Open Meetings. For those that are not already full members we will be implementing an Event membership. This will cost £10 respectively per event. Once a person has paid this at 3 events they will become either a Full or a Student member. This amount can be paid to any committee member at the event. For the nationals members must be full members.

Sail Number

When you are building a new boat, before you can get it measured and compete you need to have a sail number you can put on the sail. Your 25 quid gets you the next available sail number and it will belong to your boat forever.

Latest news

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:30:23 +0000

The UK Cherub is a two-person 12 foot racing dinghy with asymmetric spinnaker and twin trapezes. Just twelve feet long, weighing around 70kgs fully rigged for sailing, the UK Cherub combines spectacular performance with the “on the edge” handling characteristics only found in true lightweight skiffs.

The UK Cherub rules are simple and allow for maximum flexibility for designers, allowing boats to be created to incorporate sailor's own ideas. Also meaning the class develops over time as techniques, materials and ideas improve. All this makes the Cherub one of the most interesting and innovative of all dinghies: The challenge extends from the sailing skills to setting up the boat to suit the sailor, and maybe even designing and building, too.

Latest news

Spring News Report

New Zealand Rules Cherub Project

RYA Dinghy Show

Rutland Blast / Trial Sail Weekend 28/29 March

A weekend of socialising, tuning, blasting, boat swapping, and sailing with people wishing to try out Cherub sailing. If you would like to join us, get in touch at UK Cherub.

2026 Racing Events

See the events page for dates.

This year’s National Championships will mark our 75th anniversary! Get the dates in the diary now and let’s make it a bumper year!

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

another test

Videos

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Videos

(Some videos and browsers do not interact too well. If it doesn't play properly, try downloading the file and playing it from your local machine)

Some tips for shooting videos are here

2005 Rules

Members from another class enjoying some Cherub sailing

Marmite at Thornbury

Atum Bom trying out their new pole cam

Cherub Nationals 2010 Warm Up Day

Subtle Knife Goes Sailing

Stand Footage from the 2007 Dinghy show

Atum Bom Headcam at Weymouth June 2006

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Atum Bom at draycote blast 2007

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Mango Jam Spreadercam at Corus in October 2006 - 10MB

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1997 Rules

Mango Jam Sending it

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Born Slippy on the lake and in the salt

Mango Jam at Plymouth

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Mango Jam at Milford Haven 1

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Mango Jam at Milford Haven 2

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Mango Jam at Milford Haven 3

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Classic Rules

Old Peculiar

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Dr Huffhurr at Plymouth

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Adding Extra Video's

Please note that the html provided by Youtube to embed the video's may cause IE7 to fail to load the page. It needs to be changed to self close the <object> and <embed> tags with />. Please look at how the other video's have been done. If you still have problems then please phil_alderson

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

The light weight, high performance, development class.

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

The light weight, high performance, development class.

The UK Cherub is a two-person 12 foot racing dinghy with asymmetric spinnaker and twin trapezes.

Originally created in New Zealand by John Spencer, Cherubs are mainly sailed in Australia and Great Britain with a growing fleet in France. As well as this, boats can be found as far away as Czechoslovakia, the USA and Portugal.

Cherub rules are simple and allow for maximum flexibility for designers. This means that things tend to be done right rather than to obey some daft rule. This lets you create or modify a boat the way you like it.

Importantly, the Cherub Class is run by members for members. There is no expensive 'marketing machine' ramping up the price of new boats, and there is no monopoly reducing choice for sailors and increasing the price of gear.

Cherub sailing is the real thing: Getting uphill requires the normal twin wire high performance skills but turn the corner and you're in for the ride of your life….

Are you ready to get your heart racing? Read on...

Which boat should I buy?

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:21:54 +0000

Which boat should I buy?

That depends completely on your aims. If you want to win the Nationals this year then you will need a boat built or modified to the latest rule set, with good foils and a sorted rig . Your options for this are

Modify an older boat,
buy an older boat already modified
buy a second hand modern boat
design and build your own,
design one and commission a builder to build all or part of it
buy an 'off the shelf' design from Bloodaxe, Aardvark.

As in any class it usually takes a bit of time to get to the front of the fleet, and in Cherubs there can be the added challenge of modifying a boat to suit you and your sailing style. We really recommend buying second hand for your first Cherub, so you can decide what you really want for the second, Nationals winning one!

Vintage

There is quite a range of older boats out there, many of which turn up on E-bay from time to time, due to the changes in design and rules of the class these are not going to be potential Nationals winners, however can be a very cheap boat, good for teaching the kids to sail and that in some wind can still be a real hoot. Boats with a sail number below about 1900 date back to the first era of Cherub Design. They are significantly better in light airs than the modern cherub hulls, but slower in planing conditions. Be sensitive about extreme conditions, and you have a very enjoyable vintage sailboat that doesn't weigh a ton (a 1968 Cherub is still lighter than an RS200!). Between 1900 and 2600 you have boats from the 1970 design revolution. Huge numbers of Forman 4s. Lots of these were amateur built, and the build quality varies. Only the good ones are likely to have survived. Foam sandwich has been used on and off for Cherubs right back to 1970. Epoxy/foam boats (1980 on) seem to last forever if reasonably looked after. Most of the 1980’s boats were modified to asymmetric and 1990’s sized rigs, taking these boats further to 1997 or 2005 sized rigs is unlikely to work and there are plenty of newer boats that would be better candidates for not much more. There has been a recent resurgence in interest in restoring the older wooden boats back to Symmetric Spinnakers and sailing them as they would have been when new.

Bargain Blasters

Hulls after about 2635 to 2673 fall into the bargain blaster category, giving a lot of fun for your cash, these boats were built in the early 1990’s. Almost all of them were foam sandwich construction typically from glass with Carbon or Kevlar reinforcement. These hulls would have had asymmetric spinnakers when built and had a maximum beam of 5ft and were quite wide in the bow as they had to meet a minimum rise of floor measurement. One of the most popular designs of this era was the Italian_bistro which was fast but forgiving. The rise of floor restriction lead to the development of the double chine designs to get a narrower lower drag waterline and can be seen on later designs such as the Dog or the Pasta Frenzy. Most of these boats were modified to 1997 rules with the addition of a snout and small wings as the max width changed from 5ft to 1.8m. The upgrade to 2005 rules typically involved the addition of kick bars for the helm, a longer spinnaker pole and a longer or extended mast, together with new sails.

In recent years there have been a number of these boats that have had major refits, striped down to the bare essentials and rebuilt stronger and with revised deck layouts to work better as twin wire boats. Although they are a bit off the pace compared to the most modern boats they are more stable and will still offer thrilling performance for very little cash and the potential to embarace some much fancier boats, with some particularly well done conversions finishing in the top five at the nationals in recent years.

Skinny Hulls

1997 saw a major rule change with a reduction in the minimum waterline beam to 900mm and an increase in the min width to 1.8m any boat between 2673 and 2685 was built to this rule set mostly in foam/carbon. The narrower waterline on these boats gives much improved performance in waves compared with the fatter bows of earlier boats, and all the boats were originally built with snouts to hold the larger 12.5 sqm upwind and 15sqm spinnaker area of the 97 rule set. All of these boats have been upgraded to 2005 rules, mostly just needing new sails, a stump or extension to the mast and a longer spinnaker pole. Sailed properly these boats will get you close to the front of the fleet and offer a competitive introduction to the class.

Modern Boats

Any boat from 2686 onwards was built to the current ruleset, these boats were intended for twin wiring and the larger sail area most have T-foil rudders and all have self tacking jibs. Set up properly any of these boats could be in contention for the top spot.

If you have any questions about what sort of boat to get then anyone on the Committee will be familiar with most of the modern boats and a few of the older ones to, and will be happy to talk to you. Many clubs will let you sail an older boat to a more representative handicap based on its age, have a look at the recommended handicaps for older boats and see how the boats have speeded up over the years.

Cherub Committee

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:32:55 +0000

Cherub Committee

Cherub people are always happy to talk on their favourite subject.

They will do what they can can to help you get your heart racing. You are very welcome to come to any Cherub fixtures to check out Cherubbing.

Bring your kit to allow for test sails.

Committee Position	Name	Location	Phone
President	Paul Croote	North Somerset	07802-300816
Secretary	Oliver Morrell	Hampshire	07547-879802
Treasurer	Oliver Morrell	Hampshire	07547-879802
Measurement Officer	Alex Harris	Wirral	07975-853925
Events	Andrew Whapshott	West Sussex	07941-755577

For general enquiries please email us at: ukcherub@gmail.com

Address Book

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 22:25:05 +0000

Address Book

Bearfoot Design - Contact Kate for Covers, Kite Socks, Foil Covers etc. (bearfootdesign@yahoo.co.uk 07928 226933)
Matrix Mouldings - Resin Suplies
Aardvark - for E6 hulls masts and foils
Carbonology - Small quantities of carbon things.
Essex Tubes - Bespoke cardboard tubes for mandrels.
Resin Supplies - Min postage of £7.50 on all orders.

Old/Non Working Links to suppliers

http://www.ecboards.co.uk/content/suppliers.htm - List of suppliers.
http://www.magellan-flags.com - Generous sponsors of the 2007 Scottish National Championships!
Dinghy Store - Chandlery at Datchet which offers a discount for members of the Cherub Association.
Rietschle - Vacuum pumps.
http://www.marineply.com/ Marine Ply

Tip Shop

Tip Shop is the place where Cherub sailors exchange tips on where to get that elusive item. (members only)

Swap Shop

Swap Shop is the place where Cherub sailors swap offcuts and spares with each other. (members only)

Want to advertise in our Address Book?

Please email us at: ukcherub@gmail.com