Before WW2, dinghy sailing had been expensive. Dinghies were either traditional (like The Aileen Louisa in this issue or Arthur Ransome’s “Swallow”) and fast, planing dinghies of the type pioneered by Uffa Fox were made with specialist ‘hot mould’ equipment to create beautiful and fast hulls. After WW2 the surplus of Marine Ply which had been extensively used by the British war effort in the construction of superfast warplanes, like the Mosquito, and fast patrol boats for the Royal Navy. Jack Holt had already cut his teeth with plans that used this readily available and cost effective wood. His Cadet and his GP14 were two of early designs but they relied on a traditional keel and frame structure around which the planks of ply were fixed. Whilst they could be built at home, they required some woodworking skill as well as specialist tools and a considerable work area to build.
Because the Mirror was of stitch and glue design it used a monocoque principle to give it strength. Buoyancy was built into boxes and these boxes were what gave the boat its strength.
The design, it’s marketing through the Daily Mirror and its support in the media and with TV DIY Guru Barry Bucknall behind it the Mirror became a huge success. It was picked up across the Commonwealth and into the USA.
The social impact it had in the UK, and, to an extent, in other countries was fascinating. It resulted in a huge and unprecedented interest in sailing as a recreation across the UK. New sailing clubs sprang up, often funded by local government as they recognised the demand for leisure activities that kept the workers active and healthy. Our local sailing club was built just after the reservoir it sits on was created, to serve the people of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Country Durham and around. It was the Mirror that caused these clubs to be established and Mirrors are still hugely popular. A similar effect was seen in parts of the USA with the Sunfish and Sailfish designs.But what irony….
The Mirror Dinghy
Back in the early 1960s a small boy complained to his father that he never got the opportunity to sail the family’s dinghy because the others always elbowed him aside. Most dads would have said, “yes son…yes son…” and gone back to their pipe and crossword but this particular dad was British Broadcasting Corporation Television DIY Guru, Barry Bucknell. Barry, put aside the crossword, re lit the pipe and began to design a dinghy so the family would have an additional boat.
Being a DIY specialist Barry always saw his job to identify easier ways of doing things. So he adopted a method of construction that had been previously used to make canoes where you joined two plywood panels using resin and glass fibre. When he had finished the dinghy he was discussing the new dinghy in a pub near Broadcasting House when
their conversation was overheard by some daily Mirror hacks. The Mirror was always looking for publicity and it Paul Boyle, of the Mirror thought that the dinghy could mave huge appeal. However, if the Daily Mirror were going to put their name to it they wanted to make sure it was totally safe, had good performance and would be foolproof. What resulted was one of the most influential collaborations in sailing history.
Jack Holt was brought in to look at the plans. Holt kept the stitch and glue idea and the overall look and lines of the hull but redrew the details and the important bits.
The result was the Mirror Dinghy which, since going on sail in 1962 as a kit has gone on to sell over 70,000 sail numbers.
The Mirror kit is still sold in the UK and can be bought from Trident Boats in the North East of England. The Mirror has gone on to be manufactured in GRP and in plastic and remains an iconic and popular design. Distinctive with it’s red sails and M logo. It remains a highly popular boat for racing and is one of the UK’s ‘Olympic Pathway’ boats. As a not particularly fast boat it is very popular as a single class sailing dinghy and most clubs in the UK, and many abroad still have Mirror fleets.
It’s a testament to the design that it is still a serious contender after 54 years and particularly as the original spec is still sold (albeit with modern dacron sails)
69.