The life of N3162 Bicycle Clips. Design: Baggy Trousers, designed by: Robert Peebles in 1980
Previous boat names: Bicycle Clips, Wicked, prior to reverting to Bicycle Clips.
Having been fully "pimped" by the previous owner Bicycle Clips is is currently testing out the skill of her new helm at Leigh and Lowton SC, I think we're starting to understand each other now! I'm loving being back in a 12 after crewing one as a kid, and it's putting the same stupid grin on my face.
Hope to bring her down to Northampton for the event in November and possible Ripon and Yeadon if I can persuade someone to sit in the front end of her.
Cheers
Gareth
N3162 Bicycle Clips
Eventually managed to get a photo of Bicycle Clips on the water. Pre start roll tack at the New Year's Day pursuit race at Leigh and Lowton. Good day's racing finshing 10th out of 67. the perfect hangove cure!
Gareth
(http://lh3.ggpht.com/_5VFJk4L0xww/SskDiwmCKGI/AAAAAAAAANA/k9tMhVJT3DE/s400/S5000470.JPG) (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hA4XWC040pwEYEVhV8W4qw?feat=embedwebsite)
A Christmas present for Bicycle Clips
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_5VFJk4L0xww/SskCzJk2neI/AAAAAAAAAM4/5GlKWarTkcA/s800/S5000130.JPG) (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yprZrbWdWw0AeR5WuMi6ag?feat=embedwebsite)
Ready to sail....
We have bought Bicycle clips and she is now sailing on the Medway in Kent.
So far its been eventful, but fun.
Ian and Hannah
We are thoroughly enjoying our time sailing Clips... and everyone we meet tells us how good a boat she has always been so i wondered if some of you that know the boat can fill in some of her history for us.
Regards
Ian and Hannah
Copy of a reply from Andy Mck in the main discussion board
John Sears first had her on the river in Nottingham both at NSC and Trent Valley. He sailed her there with his then wife sarah for quite a few years. They were the boat to beet in a breeze, having many very close battles with Tony Edwards sailing Gillespie which we used to watch with fascination as kids. I had the chance to crew for John a few times during this time. the boat was sold to another member who never had the same success when John bought Simply Red. It then disappeared for a while, to reappear with Steve Norbury a bit later. Steve was just about the quickest boat at the Llandudno Nats, which is where the iconic picture of bicycle clips was taken. He had similar issues about keeping her upright at that time. He then had her faired an repainted to take a mould off her, from which the Ridge baggys were built. He then went onto win the nats in one of these. I bought clips off him when at uni and sailed her for a couple of years until the money ran out, making a huge jump in performance, but never quite being consistent enough due to lack of time and too many pies. I sold her in about '94 to Chris Barnes, who is the brother of "basher" barnes of L5000, and now B14 fame. I lost track of her after that and have only just come back to 12's myself. Glad to see her going so well still. She is still my fave 12.
I think there have been a few mods over the years, the centreboard case was always a bit weak to bashes with feet etc, have did have the floor sheathed. I think the part rear tank went at some point.
Andy
This weekend... the old girl is still going strong
Clips doing what she does best... putting a smile on our face!
Ian and Hannah
Just bought this lovely boat from Gareth Caldwell, and will join the growing fleet at midland sailing club!
Matt Smith
Just found a few pictures of Clips that were taken a few weeks after I bought her and thought I should post them on here, all are me, but with my dad helming in a lot of wind...
and another...
and the last one...
Bicycle Clips For Sale. Price reduced for quick sale as the indoor storage space is needed ASAP for a 420.
Bicycle Clips changed owner again last week and is currently at Nottingham Sailing Club.
Good to see the pictures of Bicycle Clips in such good condition. Certainly the best 12 I ever owned. I regretted parting with her soon after selling her.
Originally I ordered a boat to my own design from Nigel Waller. Fortunately he talked me out of proceeding with it and I was able to have one of the first batch of Baggy's he built in 1981. I had to wait until the middle of the summer. It was getting uncomfortably close to Norfolk & Burton week and I kept chasing him. Nigel lived just round the corner from me so eventually he suggested we meet up on the Friday evening before driving over to the works in Shardlow to collect the boat. I should have spotted the stalling tactics as he kept giving me glasses of wine, postponing our departure. We got there about 10 at night. To my dismay I found that the epoxy was still tacky! We had to carry the boat out on fingertips! Fortunately the weather was hot so the epoxy and paint went off very fast. By rubbing down & painting before and after a day's work, Sarah & I managed to have her ready to sail by the next weekend. We were missing the all important pivoting daggerboard case and foils. When I rang Nigel to enquire where they were there was a distinct cough. However they did appear that evening, carried by Mad Derek sitting in the back of the A35 and glistening with fresh wet epoxy!
That first sail at Trent Valley was a revelation. The first time we got on a reach the boat just planed away from the others and I knew we had a special boat.
The following week we went to Norfolk week and managed to win some of the sea races, despite being largely untuned. Sailing down waves with the daggerboard was a superb feeling. The boat was so responsive and easy to drive.
We had our best Burton week that year, having an epic Burton cup race with Phil Morrison and finishing 2nd. Graham Bailey was just that bit quicker and Punkarella was a well sorted boat by then. Our rig sagged badly to windward but downwind we just flew. In the following years we improved her performance despite having to remove the daggerboard. However we had much more competition as more Baggy's appeared in the fleet. We still finished 3rd in our last Burton week with her in 1986.
I still have her original pivoting daggerboard case somewhere in the attic. Gerard Waller did artwork for the original name on each side. She originally had a shallow stern tank as well as buoyancy bags. Steve Norbury undertook a radical weight reduction program on her and I was quite envious of the success he had. However I was older and heavier by then so I am sure I would have been unable to match his performance. I have enjoyed seeing her from time to time and hearing about her new owners. She must be close to the record for having the most owners in her life.
I owned Bicycle Clip from 1995-2002. I loved that boat. I rebuilt the centreboard case and plained of keels off in Nigels Waller's boatshed and got a fantastic Waller centreboard and it went like a rocket. Second overall at Waldringfield Cartoon 1997 (should have won!) and two race wins at Aldeburgh 1999 against all the top guys where my best results.
The carbon rig looks awesome, I would have liked to use that. Vanish job looks great in pics. It was two pac vanish when I had it by the way but you would have to check with the other owners.
Happy sailing
Tom Alexander