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Recently appeared at South Cerney SC in the Cotswolds Water Park. Appear to be in good condition and racing intermittently in the Handicap fleet.

Thanks for comments Richard. Kathy & John Kelly! So skiing was their real thing? Here is another sailing one taken at Nottingham 12 Open; most likely 1975 or 1976. You, Wendy and (I think) a young Richard Morrell - our boats are tied up in the background.

Two photos of N2515 'Maxwell's Demon' from the Burton SC N12 open meeting in 1975. An island start towards the top end of the lake (so must have been a rare NE breeze) with Richard Watson and Wendy Shreeve gybing on the start line. Close racing with N2606 'Drenched Wench' helmed by me with Dr Martin Butler crewing.

Photo of N2300 'Trufflehunter' alongside N2515 'Maxwell's Demon' on the club lawn at Burton SC in 1975 - N12 open meeting of that year. Trufflehunter had recently been purchased by John Goodman (from Royal Harwich I think) and her hull was painted a sort of duck egg blue colour. John Goodman can actually be seen walking behind the boat towards the changing rooms. Richard Watson and Wendy Shreeve are busy rigging N2515 on the right. All of the structures in this image are long gone!

A couple of photos of N2606 from the 1975 Burton SC N12 open meeting. Rigging up on the lawn with Dr Martin Butler for what looks like heavy weather (I still had that outfit until 2 years ago) and N2606 closely followed by N2515 running down from the No. 8 buoy (N2668 is on the beat to that mark; she is an Up design and I recall her being named 'Windjammer' back then - possibly a Redesmere or Rudyard Lake visitor?).

Another image taken at Branston in the autumn of 1974. Good SW breeze as we round No. 2 buoy and start the beat up towards the No. 4 buoy at the south-western end of the gravel pit.

Photo of N2606 at Burton Week, Plymouth 1975, sailing inside the Sound. Race is the Port of Plymouth Cup, final run down to the lee mark, 14-15th place from memory. Crewed by Dr Martin Butler.

Spumante at Burton SC, summer 1973. Photo taken looking towards No. 8 buoy at the northern (clubhouse) end of the gravel pit. Roger Hopcroft crewing with a younger me at the helm!

Tiffany was another Burton SC boat during the early 1970s. Varnished clinker hull and light blue foredeck from memory. She was owned by Brian Valentine and raced most weekends with considerable success. Brian moved to OKs in 1973 so his crew Roger Hopcroft sailed with me for a while in N2105 Spumante. Fate of Tiffany unknown.

So as I've just repurchased Rumours from an almost certain demise the next challenge is to restore her hull back to the original white colour scheme. Nigel Waller will be giving her a thorough inspection once I can work out the transport logistics from Scotland to Ipswich. Thanks to Ed Willett for his help and enthusiasm thus far. If anybody has a couple of old Suunto compasses for the thwart ends ...?

Rumours pre-start at Friday's race Llandudno August 1978; original white hull scheme with that album name in black vinyl on both quarters!

Another Burton boat sailed during the mid-1970s at Branston gravel pit. Simplicity was varnished throughout and kept in good condition with no apparaent modifications or other refinements. Owner from 1975-76 was John Woolley, crewed alternately by his son or daughter. John graduated to rescue boat duties from 1978 onwards so I don't know what became of Simplicity after the club relocated to Foremark Reservoir in early-1979.

This boat was one of the Burton SC 12s kept in the dinghy park at Branston during the mid-late 1970s. She had a green painted hull with varnished decks/ interior and belonged to Mike Anslow. I crewed for him once sometime during 1975-76 and remember how quickly the boat roll-tacked in close racing. The last season at Branston (1978) was also Mike's last at the club as I haven't seen him or Emma Peel since....

N1596 was owned by Len Thorne at Burton SC during the Branston days. Deep blue hull and varnished decks/ interior. I used to crew for Len during 1972-73 before I purchased my own boat and he introduced me to the finer points of 12 sailing. His son Adrian sailed her occasionally with sister Della (who Len named the boat after) and they were particularly fast in lighter airs despite competing against more modern designs at the time (i.e. 1975-78). The boat didn't move up to Foremark when the club left Branston at the end of 1978 so I don't know where she is now. Sadly Len Thorne passed away about 10 years ago.

Have posted some scanned photos of how Rumours looked in summer 1979 for comparison. They are in my fodler on the coppermine gallery. I don't think that I can add them here because I'm not the current boat owner?