In 1961, there was a lot of upheaval at Chumley & Hawke. For reasons I didn’t know at the time I was in correspondence with Jamie Campbell and learning when ‘Clipper VI’ was sold off.
However I know now – and will write about in the future. I’m trying to explain my ownership, and how I learnt what I did.
C&H – Horning 
Wenonah & possibly Viking
Chumley and Hawke were selling off their hire fleet of yachts. Rangers, Clippers, Privateer, Wenonah I & II, The Elfs, and Viking all up for grabs. To be fair, by the 1960’s the fleet would have been predominantly pre-war. The only yacht built post-war was ‘Corsair’, although she was built as ‘Clipper VI’;
Several local boatyards moved decisively – Martham Boats snatched up the Rangers, the Clippers and the Wenonahs. Tim Whelpton (her builder) bought the Elfs and the Imps from Chumley & Hawke, to start his own hire fleet at Upton.
The clippers certainly had enjoyed a fine history of being an exhilarating yacht to hire – featuring as the ‘cover’ boat in the yachts section of Blakes catalogues for several years. Although to be fair – all of Chumley & Hawkes fleet had been described as boats where ‘good sailing was the principle concern’. Even in 1960, Clippers were described as;
“a distinguished class of craft giving first class performance with a high degree of comfort”
‘Corsair’ is actually built slightly differently to her sisters, with an extra plank in the hull. Certainly when she was in hire, this would have given her a ‘dumpy’ appearance when compared to her sister ships.
Anyway. Yes, in 1961 both ‘Clipper VI’ and ‘Privateer were sold privately. I can write about ‘Privateer’ another time, and will do I promise!
The Campbell family purchased ‘Clipper VI’, as they were warned off ‘Privateer’, which I understand was something they regretted, in terms of size. Meanwhile, ‘Corsair’ was whisked to Wroxham, where Leslie Landamore and Raymond Jeckells were tasked with making her ‘suitable for racing in private ownership’.
The budget was £500, which I understand those two nearly doubled! But, here she is, newly ‘yachted’ at Landamore’s shed in Wroxham;
At that time, her condition was mixed. Her original planking is Sapele, a poor substitute for Mahogany, and apparently even in the 1960’s there were problems with rot. Broken timbers also featured. Being in hire clearly came with lots of bumps and bashes! Chumley and Hawke had actually fitted some galvanised steel frames as sisters… (!) These hung around until 2018, where they were cut out by my irate boatbuilder – during the rebuild. (I’ll write about that later).
Her original round cabin ports had been cut and changed to ovals with hopper windows. This echos the arrangement on ‘Evening Flight’, a much larger river cruiser – which incidentally is now owned by Jamie Campbell.
The porthole surrounds were fabricated and chromed courtesy of a local Rolls Royce dealership!
67 years on, all the chrome still looks fantastic.
The conversion was obviously looked on favourably, as the Campbells were asked if she was glassfibre as they took her downriver for the first time. I have some photographs of their first sail, and some others.
First sail ‘a yacht’ 
Black Horse Broad 
BH broad II 
The Campbell family 
‘Corsair’ & ‘Rogue’ – Wroxham Broad 1960’s 
Tea with RCC ‘Bryony’ & ‘Goldfish’
‘Corsair’ then moved to the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club – where she lived for some years during the 1960’s. It’s clear that during this time, she was a family boat. Just look at her condition from the photo with the riverside picnic!
Although, I have heard a rumour that the bodywork apprentices at Mann Egerton (a large coachbuilders) where often tasked with the painting and varnishing of ‘Corsair’, so no surprises that she looked gleaming.
Jamie Campbell actually won the first cruiser race he ever sailed in ‘Corsair’ in 1962. Although he does claim that as a 12 year old he had ‘no clue what I was doing’ – and was instructed to steer a straight course!!
You’ll also see a nice Lapstrake dinghy astern of ‘Corsair’ in the family portrait, this is still Jamie’s today.
Her racing career with the Campbells was… chequered! In 1964, at Oulton week regatta they over-cooked it slightly, as Jamie recounted; “We moored at Leo Robinson’s yard for Oulton weeks, and I can remember seeing the mast ‘snowdropping’ – it was inevitable it was going to break for at least 100yards. Lowering the stump wasn’t easy against the lead counterweight!!”
In the end, the stump was cut short, and ‘Corsair’ was motored back to Wroxham with a venerable Seagull outboard. She got a new mast and a set of runners.
The Campbell family kept her for a comparatively short duration, compared to later owners. They swapped ‘Corsair’ for a nearly new ‘White Boat’ (Yare & Bure One Design) halfdecker with Peter Olorenshaw. Peter and his brother John were directors of the Norwich Motor Company, based on Prince of Wales road, so doubtless competitors of Mr Campbell at Mann Egerton (albeit friendly).
Sadly – Peter Olorenshaw died in 1990, and a conversation with his widow Elizabeth just elicited the information that they didn’t own the boat for very long at all. ‘Corsair’ was ignominiously placed on the bank at Brundall – in a boat auction.
So still a yacht – but as yet her future was uncertain.
I’ve written quite alot, so I’ll leave the stem repair for next time, when I’m able to introduce her next owner.
A Broadsman 