70 years young

As well as our newish big carbon and kevlar and exotic bits sailboat Cracker, we also have this lovely old Bightlingsea One Design - one of a fiercely competitive local class of 18' open racing dayboats with cast iron (=heavy) centreboards; currently the BOD fleet is enjoying something of a boom.

Ours, Aina, was built in 1939 and promptly garaged for the duration of the war and she is thus 70 years old this year - cue party later this summer. As you see, she is in pretty fine condition although when we bought her she'd been in a greenhouse for seven years and had her decks chain-sawed off...

She's a bit late being launched this year, but then she is most years (!). I think at that age you are allowed to be out and about a little later than most. She's pretty quick though, and wins things from time to time. Hope I do too at 70!