Zander

Current boat name

Zander

Boat class

7614

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

4.3 / 14ft 1in

Beam (m / ft)

1.6 / 5ft 3in

Leeward

Centreboard

Masts

1 Wood

Rig type

Gaff Sloop

Propulsion

Sail

Designer

Doyle J ?

Date of build

1947

Place of build

Herne Bay

Present use

Museum/NMMC

This is a Kentish Wag. One of the earliest 'One Design' dinghy classes is the Dublin Bay Water Wag. Designed as a double-ended open boat in the late 1880's, it was superseded by the 14 foot transom design in 1900, which is the boat seen racing today in Dublin Bay. Quite how the original double -ended design found its way to Herne Bay Sailing Club in Kent has yet to be established, but the similarity to open beach- launched boats may have been a deciding factor. During the 1920's and 1930's several boats were built, but not to the strict one-design principal of the original class. Although known locally as Water Wags, photos show that the boats varied in shape and had substantially different rigs from the Irish original. The foredeck and bowsprit are a Kentish addition as is the changed position of the mast and jib. Because the boats were all slightly different, they could not race as a one-design and had to race on handicap, with a time allowance for each boat. This said, there was active racing during the 1930's and 1940's, but by the early 1950's most of the boats had been sold out of the Club and racing ceased. ZANDER was probably one of the last boats built by E and B Gammon at Herne Bay. Febraury 2008