MY husband, Chris Butler, and I, build the Achilles yachts. My husband does a lot of single-handed racing in our Achilles, and last year, one of the Achilles 24, plus our new model, the Achilles 9 Metre which Chris owns the prototype of, completed AZAB 75 which was a single-handed race to the Azores and back. This was by way of a qualifier for this year’s OSTAR ‘76, which is the Observer single-handed transatlantic race, run every four years. In OSTAR ‘76, the same Achilles 24 and our own 9 Metre Achilles helmed by Chris, both entered. The weather conditions were the worst ever known, and out of an entry of 126, more than 50% retired, and there were just over 60 official finishers.
Our 9 Metre Achilles, called Achilles Neuf, was the 46th official finisher, the 13th British finisher, and came very well up on handicap in the smallest class, Jester Class. Our Achilles 24, was actually the smallest finisher and finished in 49 days, with a 50 day time limit. So, where some of the world’s best known names retired with broken boats, etc., both our small yachts, 30 ft. and 23 ft. 9 in. respectively, both successfully completed the race. I went out to Newport, U.S.A. to meet Chris, and we both returned here two weeks ago. Our boat stays out there, with our A.24 for the Annapolis boat show in October, where Chris will fly out for the show, and our helmsman of the Achilles 24 stays in the U.S.A. meanwhile.
However, on Chris’s return here, we finally got around to something we have meant to do for the last three years, and bought a Mirror dinghy for our two sons. Adrian and Simon Butler, aged 14 and 12 years respectively. We collected it from Bell Wood-working last Saturday 6.8.76, and launched it here 9.8.76. Thus, the first boat Chris has sailed since he reached America at the end of OSTAR 76, was Mirror dinghy No. 53626, which our boys have called “Magic Maggot”. The launching was most successful, and Chris wasn’t a bit frightened!!! The boys will now learn to sail and to race their Mirror at the local Clubs, Loughor Boating Club and the Mumbles Yacht Club, at which they are Cadet members. I thought you might like this snippet of amusement for your newsletter, since I do not think it often happens that a transatlantic single-handed racer comes straight into a Mirror dinghy.
Mrs. G. Butler, M53626.
Editors Note: This article is from Reflections No. 26 October 1976, page 2. It has been captured by OCR, so typos & errors are possible.
