Opera Class

[James Curry]

Hate this saying but back in the 80's up until the late 00's I used to do a bit of sailing.
Just found this old picture of my old clinker built Opera Class 1 design Number 9 was my boat Carmen.
Looking at this photo pretty sure it is not me on the helm. I was never that good to be at the front lol.rare.jpg

Still happy days sailing off the Wirral coast HSC.

I can remember the names of these boats in the photo
9 Carmen, 10 Orchid, 2 Aida, 11 La Boheme, 13 La Tosca, 5 Country Girl.

The fleet numbered 17 boats in all

1: Fidelio

2: Aida

3:Merry Widow.
She was lost during a storm in the mid 80's wrecked when her moorings failed and she broke up against the sea wall.
I believe in all the 121 years these boats have been sailing Merry Widow was also involved in an accident were there was loss of life when she capsized and two crew drowned.

4: Valkyrie

5: Country Girl

6: La Poupee. Is on permanent exhibition at Liverpool Maritime museum

7: Princess Ida

8: Geisha

9: Carmen

10: Orchid

11: La Boheme

12: Betty

13: La Tosca

14: Silvana

16: Iolanthe

17: La Gioconda

t was in 1899 that the decision was first made to adopt a new class of boat for Hoylake Sailing Club. The gaff rigged, 16 foot clinker boats were developed from a design by Captain Winchester, a club member, and built by Alex Latta, also a club member and owner of a busy boat building yard. ‘Opera’ class racing commenced at Hoylake in June 1902. The fleet grew quickly to 17 and has raced regularly since then. In 1909 ‘Orchid’ sailed from Hoylake to Ardrossan and on to Ballycastle in Northern Ireland. 14 boats of the ‘Opera’ class remain today in Hoylake with another ‘La Poupee’ on display in the Merseyside Maritime Museum. The class has therefore stood the test of time.