Laurent Giles 39 ft Channel Class Cutter 1939 Project - Sold

The Jack Laurent Giles Channel Class had a close relationship with his successful ocean racer MAID OF MALHAM and proved to be a most practical design; equally suitable as a fast cruiser or as a handicap racer.

KAYAK is a project with much work to be done; hence the price. Most of the original teak fabric of the boat remains along with the original spars and an engine. Moreover she sits on her own cradle. This is an exquisite yacht to behold but it was her sailing qualities that really made this design so special and quoting here from the Yachtsman’s Annual Who’s Who of 1938-39: “She was stiff, extremely handy and light on the helm under all conditions, close hauled, reaching and running”

KAYAK is one of four' Channel Class 'ocean racing yachts designed by Jack Laurent Giles around 1937. She was built in 1938 by Moody and Sons of teak on oak and ash for one Thomas Capper who must have been wealthy as this was the highest possible specification for a yacht both in terms of materials and craftsmanship. At that time shipwrights were considered to have attained the highest skills achievable in woodworking and joinery - and this period marked its peak before the introduction of new materials and mechanised systems of building developed during the war.

KAYAK would not have been sailed much during the war years not least because yachts were being requisitioned by the military for use as booms across river mouths or to have their lead ballast keels made into bullets. After the war she appears to have been kept in the Solent area by all of her 8 owners including the current ownership for the last 26 years before removal to his workshop for renovation.

Given changes in the 1950s to the RORC rules this class was not extensively raced because the long overhangs of such pre war designs were penalised. The 38 foot length and the 26 foot waterline combine to give considerable speed and manoeuvrability in a reasonable breeze. The class did however prove to be good cruising boats by virtue of the comfortable and dry sailing characteristics. The forward sheer gives good buoyancy with little spray and the long aft counter rises to a following wave so her current owner for one has never felt vulnerable to being pooped.

The cutter rig enables the large sail area to be dramatically reduced quickly if caught in a blow as it is possible to sail on boomed staysail alone, single handed if necessary as it is also self tacking. At the other end of the spectrum, the 50 ft mast enables a very large spinnaker to be flown giving a truly remarkable speed as the flat profile under the counter almost planes on the surface of the water.

While the class was designed originally to carry a wide range of foresail types, the fitting of a roller reefing genoa – itself very large given the mast height, makes short handed sailing a greater pleasure – even with inexperienced crew.

In order not to compromise sailing speed or rudder efficiency the engine drives an offset prop via a flexible coupling. This means there is an uninterrupted flow round the hull onto the rudder, so the helm, while sailing, is more or less neutral with the sails correctly trimmed. Indeed there is a small bench seat set over the tiller on the aft deck on which the helmsman can sit, feet on the seats either side of the tiller and tack or gybe without turning round or doing more than lifting a leg out of way of the helm, whether going alee or to windward.

Driving the boat under power is interesting. In forward she will start off diagonally to starboard for a few metres, which can be useful to get off pontoons and thereafter she proceeds normally. In reverse there is a tendency to 'follow' the prop which usually means a gentle arc to port. As KAYAK is so pretty she seldom seems to cause offence or trouble by these eccentricities.

- Carvel teak planking fastened with bronze screws and roved copper nails or clenched copper rod
- Sawn and steam bent – mainly ash ribs, with oak frames and timbers
- Oak centreline structure
- Columbian pine and other softwood beam shelf and stringers
- Ferrous metal forged strap and fabricated web floors
- Sheathed swept teak planking over hardwood deck beams and carlins
- Teak superstructure

There is no fitted interior, However all panels, some original, upholstery, toilet, basin etc have been retained for refitting if required.

Cutter rig
- Original mast and boom
- Original staysail boom
- Blocks
- Stainless standing rigging
- Synthetic running rigging
- Genoa
- Staysail
- Storm jib
- Mainsail
- Spinnaker

From aft
- Bronze fairleads each side
- Bronze ensign staff socket
- Teak and bronze cleats each side
- Bronze horse
- Cockpit with high coamings
- 2 x Laurent Giles patent levers; one each side
- Tiller
- Seating over lockers each side
- Engine control
- Main sheet track and block
- Bridge deck
- 2 x Bronze primary winches on pedestals outboard
- Bronze genoa tracks and blocks each side
- Raised trunk cabin with 2 x opening doors to accommodation
- Sliding hatch forward over coach roof and teak handrails each side
- Butterfly hatch over saloon
- Fore hatch
- Windlass
- Pulpit
- Bronze Sampson post cleat
- Fairleads and bow roller

- Lister Petter Alpha 25 HP Diesel engine
- Hurth gearbox
- Polypropylene fuel tank

References
- Original Laurent Giles construction and interior drawings available
- Original sail plan available
- Survey and restoration guidelines by Richard Ayres Sep 2009 available
- The owner is happy to be consulted on any of the repair issues

Introduction
KAYAK was decommissioned from annual use in 2008 principally to repair / replace the ferrous steel strap floors that had been deteriorating steadily over the years particularly where oft immersed in salt water in the mid section of the bilges. Since coming ashore she has been stored on a new Jacobs cradle under cover in the owner’s workshop. Work in accordance with the survey has been carried out up to the point where she needed to be lifted to detach the lead ballast keel. The scope of work is cross referenced to the Richard Ayres survey and restoration guidelines of September 2009, which can be made available on request.

Survey headings
1.4 / 1.8
- Silicon bronze screw fastenings holding the hood ends and garboard planks removed
- The holes repaired and new one size up fastenings inserted in the manner specified
- Forward hood end screws to be inserted after the throat bolts have been replaced (see 1.12)

1.6 /1.9
- All non repairable structural floors and frames have been removed
- 2 x New plate steel frames have been fabricated ready for installation
- Every alternate repairable floor has been removed sufficient to retain hull shape and integrity
- Damaged sawn timber frames removed and replaced with new grown timber frames as originals
- 7 x Centre floors that could not be saved now removed
- Laminated timber and carbon fibre 'temporary' floors fitted where most needed for hull strength retention prior to keel removal
- The serviceable floors removed now cleaned and coated with epoxy tar ready for replacement after removal and reinstatement of the lead keel
- At this stage the remainder of the reusable steel floors will need to be removed, refurbished and replaced
- Chain plates removed and refurbished with the first batch of floors, these will need refitting

1.10
- Oak centreline structure has shrunk in storage and some cracks have appeared
- Thorough cleaning has not revealed any rot or damage
- Filling would best be done after rehydration after refitting the floors and frames
- The badly split mast step removed and discarded
- New step is ready for cutting to size and fitting after the replacement of the floors
- Aft deadwood appears sound and well located so may not need removal or other attention
- Stern post graving pieces have not been dealt with
- Forward deadwood has been removed and is in reasonable restorable condition

1.12
- Keel bolts have not been removed and were in good condition at the previous survey
- Hull is ready for keel removal by withdrawing the keel bolts and lifting it off the lead keel
- Then the new floors can be bolted through the oak keel with new bronze bolts
- The boat can then lowered back onto the lead keel

2.1
- The small areas of rot under the fibreglass deck have not been dealt with

2.4
- The extra 'unsightly' carlins have not been replaced
- The original Giles designed fittings on the spars have been refurbished for refitting
- The new standing stainless steel rigging is ready to be fitted
- A serviceable Lister Petter with a new fuel tank can be reinstalled
- The interior will need to be rebuilt some existing teak panels and fittings are available
- See Sections above for full list of sails and equipment