With the Ancient Mariners and helpers in attendance, we christened 6 fireflies which have been brought back to life in just over 3 months by a dedicated group of volunteers – it was quite project.
The boats are completely unrecognisable from when they arrived in late November and they now look magnificent as the photos show. The hulls have been repaired and repainted, with new wood fendering, fittings and ropes, new sails and covers and refurbished centreboards, rudder blades and trollies.
Many Club members volunteered their help and put in considerable time and effort which has enabled us to complete the project so quickly but of course without Mike Hartley’s considerable boat building skills the project would never have got off the ground. Huge thanks to everyone who has helped.
Last but by no means least the project would have remained a twinkle in our eye if it was not for the amazing generosity of the Ancient Mariners. This elite group of Club members (of a certain age) continue to support West Kirby Sailing Club and Team Racing in particular. The group was originally started in the 1990s and this is the 3rd flight of Fireflies that they have helped to fund along with 4 of our friends from New York Yacht Club who provided the final top up necessary to finance the project. Our thanks to everyone who has supported the project and given so generously.
We expect the boats will have a long and productive life at WKSC. Their first outing will be this weekend at The Lash, the team racing event run by Manchester and Liverpool Unis.