In 1998, a Firefly, 18' Jollyboat and Merlin owner decided he had had enough of racing against modern plastic fantastics, and that he would rather spend his time in the company of other old wooden boats and thier owners. However, he wasn't much into the idea of vintage perfection, with varnish you can shave in and an absence of sailing, so he formed the CVRDA. His name was Ed Bremner, and the rest is rapidly becoming history!

The ethos of the CVRDA is simple. The class must have been designed before 1965, and the boat must be more than 25 years old to qualify. GRP is as welcome as wood (when not racing Saskia, I sail an old orange plastic Minisail) and most of the boats have the sort of finish associated with boats which get used regularly, rather than dusted once a month. As 1965 is a key date for the association, it was decided to use Yardsticks from then, with the Firefly sailing off 100. Allowance is then made for state of tune (a Freddie with Steel plate, Ratsey sails and Reynolds mast would probebly end up sailing off 103 or 105) by 2 or 3 of us wandering round the boat park and deciding what looks fast and what looks slow. Seems to work pretty well!

As well as some fairly low key racing (apart from a few of us, of course, who are incapable of keeping racing low key) at bigger events, such as Roadford lake in Devon, there are treasure hunts, cruising and a vote to decide which is the favourite boat. My Minisail never seems to get very far in this! Incidentally, David Evans, the helm of F339 at Restronguet for many years, was the man who built Roadford Dam. Talented lot, Firefly sailors!

The results of the races tend towards being an Uffa Fox benefit, with Pegasus, Firefly and Jollyboat all doing well. Saskia has won a few events, but often has trouble on open water against a bright yellow Peggie complete with giant spinniker and trapeze. Could be the helm who has trouble, not the boat, mind!

So, why am I writing about all this, I hear you ask? Partly, of course, it is to persuade some of you to come and join us as a change from the norm, but mainly it is because I was giving CVRDA posters out at the Dinghy Show, and Richard Thompson told me to, and I always do what our leader says!