0:00:02 > 0:00:04The waterways of Britain are a wonderful world of their own.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10From the earliest times, we've sailed, rowed, paddled
0:00:10 > 0:00:12and steamed along them.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Whether travelling, trading, hunting, racing
0:00:17 > 0:00:19or just having a good time,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22we've made a boat that's perfect for the job.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I'm Mary-Ann Ochota.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I like nothing better than getting out on the water.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Boats fascinate me. Their design, their engineering.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35And what they tell us about the people of Britain.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40I'm on the Mersey, famous, of course, for its thriving port
0:00:40 > 0:00:41and its ferry.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44But what's less well-known is its role in the development
0:00:44 > 0:00:47of pleasure sailing.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50These little craft have got thousands of us
0:00:50 > 0:00:52out on the water for fun.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54But they have a much bigger story to tell.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02The history of Britain's boats is our history. This is Britain Afloat.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Liverpool can trace its origins back to the 12th century,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22when it was a small fishing hamlet.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24And the story of sailing for pleasure here
0:01:24 > 0:01:26also starts on a fishing boat.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I'm retracing the journey the fishermen would've taken
0:01:30 > 0:01:34into the Mersey, on a boat which played a key part
0:01:34 > 0:01:38in the working lives of people here right up until the last century.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49It's called the Lancashire Nobby, and Don Griffiths is onboard.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52So, why are these boats called nobbies?
0:01:52 > 0:01:56It's a term they used for rough wood.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And nobbies were built roughly out of oak and pitch pine
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and things like that.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04They were working boats, you know, just ready for the job,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07- rather than...- Yeah. They weren't all chrome and glitter.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09It was built for the job,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11which was fishing, which is a hard industry, as you know.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13And my dad fished out of the Albert Dock.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18From the 1800s, nobbies were used for shrimping in the shallow,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20sandy waters of Liverpool Bay.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23The men would boil the shrimps onboard,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27before they were sold as a delicacy in local seaside resorts.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29So, Don, what is it about the shape
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and design of the nobby that suits them so well for the Mersey?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Well, because they were designed that way.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Nice, rounded stern there, you can see.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So the nets wouldn't snag up when you're pulling them up.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43And, obviously, it lifts... When you're getting waves at the back,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46it lifts a nice, big, broad stern.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49The decks are wide, for pulling the nets in.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53And, basically, they were designed for the job.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56These fishermen learnt to harness the wind for maximum speed.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00And when they weren't working, they'd race each other for fun.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03They'd challenge one another, probably at weekends.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05"My boat's faster than yours", situation.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08And they'd go out, four, five, six of them,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10have a little go at one another.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12And then they'd all end up in the pub.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14That was it. That was a Sunday treat.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19With the introduction of onboard motors in the 1920s,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23nobbies were no longer needed for fishing and went into decline.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26But Don and his friends decided to rescue them.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30We just got together and said, "Can't let these go down.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32"We've got to look after them."
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And all the lads were working all hours,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38evening, weekends, to restore them back to normal.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41When we got the numbers up, "Come on, we'd better go and have a race".
0:03:41 > 0:03:43And we ended up, at one stage,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47I think it was 13 or 14 boats in the race.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49- That's brilliant.- It was fantastic.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- So you brought them back from the brink.- Oh, from the dead, yeah.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Because they were a dying breed. No-one wanted them.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02The Nobby Owners Association now boasts a fleet of 33 craft,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05which are still proudly sailed on the Mersey.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07But a lot of work goes into their upkeep.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Thanks to a dedicated team of specialists,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16the skills required to get these great boats back afloat
0:04:16 > 0:04:19are being passed on to the next generation.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Here at the City of Liverpool College, the Mystery II,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24built in 1911, is being restored.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30One of the largest in the fleet, she fished until the 1960s.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Boat builder Scott Metcalfe is in charge of the renovation.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Where do you begin on a project like this?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41On a wreck like this, am I allowed to call her a wreck?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I think she's quite close to being a wreck, yeah.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Might be a little bit unfair, but, it's quite close to being one.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Because it looks to me absolutely overwhelming.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The first job will be documenting everything.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Then start removing the non-original stuff.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01So the likes of the wheelhouse and the deck structure there.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04That's all been add-ons, really, over the years.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06So it'll be nice to get rid of that.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09And unfortunately, on this boat, the deck's going to have to come off.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I mean, that's a definite. You can just see that by looking at it.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Carpentry student Ellie Grice can't wait to get to work on her.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I think it's unbelievable.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's completely different to what I'm used to.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I'm a third-year joiner now, so I've been doing stuff
0:05:24 > 0:05:30from skirting boards to architraves and door frames and hanging doors.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34And what kind of skills will Ellie and the other students be learning?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37What sort of things will they be doing, hands-on?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Boats are obviously very different to housework
0:05:40 > 0:05:43because there's so many curves involved. Making stuff.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Everything's got to be made.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- So, it's part art, part science and a lot of skill?- Yes. Yeah.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51- Ellie, it's so exciting. - It really is.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53I'm buzzing to be working on this project.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01By 1844, Liverpool had transformed from a small fishing hamlet
0:06:01 > 0:06:03to a wealthy port.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05A gateway to the British Empire.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Merchants got rich trading cotton and slaves,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and they built fine houses like these
0:06:09 > 0:06:12in the city's Abercromby Square.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So, while the fishermen were out racing for fun,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19the wealthy were also enjoying their trips out on the river.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25A lively social scene started to develop around sailing.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27A group of wealthy merchants,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30together with solicitors, architects, an optician,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34and other men who described themselves simply as "gentlemen",
0:06:34 > 0:06:37got together to found the Royal Mersey Yacht Club.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41It's still here today at Rock Ferry, on the Wirral side of the Mersey.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44In a nod to naval traditions,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47the head of the club is still addressed as "Commodore".
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Former Commodore John Smith is a fourth-generation member.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Most of the yacht clubs in those early days,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56soon after they started, became royal yacht clubs
0:06:56 > 0:07:02because the royal family were very interested in yachting.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07And King George V and his father, Edward VII,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09they owned the wonderful Yacht Britannia,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13which actually sailed in the regattas
0:07:13 > 0:07:16run by the Royal Mersey on the river here.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Some of these people were sailing their own boats,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21but other gentlemen would simply have the money
0:07:21 > 0:07:23to have a really beautiful yacht,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25but he wouldn't want to get his hands dirty himself.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30I think, in those days, the yachts were of such a size,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and they hadn't got the winches
0:07:32 > 0:07:35or the modern pulley blocks that you have,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37that the boats were...
0:07:37 > 0:07:41You're talking about boats that were sort of 30, 40, 50 tonnes.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44They were 40, 50, 60, 70, 100ft long.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47And so they needed people to help crew them.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51And because they were made of wood, they needed a lot of upkeep,
0:07:51 > 0:07:57and paid hands were employed by these wealthy merchants
0:07:57 > 0:07:59to look after their boats.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03The archive you've got here at the yacht club is pretty impressive.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07We have here the first minute book of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12When the Albert Dock was opened in 1846,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16we have here the arrangements for the yachts
0:08:16 > 0:08:19of the members of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21how they had to line up in the Albert Dock.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24"Members are to be in full uniform,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27"ie club coat, white waistcoat, and white trousers".
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It's pretty stern stuff, isn't it?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32It was all fairly formal in those days.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36And I love here, you've got a complaints book from 1882
0:08:36 > 0:08:38all the way through to 1986.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42- So, maybe not that many complaints? - No. Well, I think it was...
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Some of them, perhaps, were a little bit silly,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46but there's one wonderful one here
0:08:46 > 0:08:51that was written by a member in 1882.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55And he's written here, "The whisky is wretched.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57"When you bring friends into the club,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- "you expect something better." - SHE LAUGHS
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- Do you have a complaints book now? - No.- No more complaints?
0:09:03 > 0:09:05No more complaints. Everyone's happy.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Whilst women were sometimes allowed to race,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12they were often banned from clubhouses
0:09:12 > 0:09:14well into the 20th century.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18My aunt won a race one day, but because she was a lady,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21she was not allowed into the clubhouse to collect her prize.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24She had to stand out, and her prize was given through the window.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- That's outrageous.- Yeah. - She's won the race
0:09:27 > 0:09:29and she's not allowed in the room to collect her trophy?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Yes, and that was in the 1930s, I think.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35The big yachts were all very well,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39but not very practical if all you wanted was a quick sail.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It wasn't long before the gents started eyeing up those
0:09:42 > 0:09:44belonging to the fishermen, and soon,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46smaller pleasure boats, based on the nobby,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48began to appear on the Mersey.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51As the clubs became more popular,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54simply adapting fishing boats wasn't going to cut it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Keen sailors started to design their own boats -
0:09:57 > 0:09:59boats that were perfect for local conditions.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05It led to a new way of organising racing boats into classes.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07That meant a big change.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09It became a test of skill, not money,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13and the Mersey was at the forefront of the new idea.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15David Henshall is a sailing historian.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18The North West was long overlooked
0:10:18 > 0:10:21as a centre of excellence, you could almost say,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23because there was so much innovation,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27there were a lot of classes springing up along the estuaries,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29as there were all the estuaries around the UK.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But there was a very, very strong demand
0:10:32 > 0:10:35for different boats here on the Mersey.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Tell me a little bit about how the different types of boat
0:10:39 > 0:10:42that you get on the Mersey developed.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44There's two ways of doing it.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49You can either have just everybody designs their own boat,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52but that's actually quite expensive because it's...
0:10:52 > 0:10:54If you're not careful, it becomes cheque-book sailing.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Or everybody sails the same sort of boat,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and then they become what's called a class.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03And all boats are built to that design,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05so then all the boats are the same,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07and then it comes down to the skill of the helmsman
0:11:07 > 0:11:12for who's going to be out there able to win the race,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15rather than how deep his pockets or how big his cheque book is.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19So, this idea, when you hear the One-Design class,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23that simply means that all the boats that are racing together
0:11:23 > 0:11:27are effectively identical, or near identical,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and then it's a level playing field,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31and it's about the skill, not the equipment?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Very much so. The boats are all identical,
0:11:34 > 0:11:39and that really is the best test of sailing skill
0:11:39 > 0:11:41because all the boats are the same.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43You know, you can jump into any boat,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and it'll be the same as the others.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51The oldest One-Design class of boats still racing in this country today
0:11:51 > 0:11:55is the Seabird, and legend has it its design was first sketched out
0:11:55 > 0:11:56on the back of a cigarette packet,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59under a gas street lamp in the 1890s.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Nowadays, the plans are such a closely guarded secret,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06you have to be carefully vetted to even get access to them.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10To see a Seabird, I've come
0:12:10 > 0:12:11to Wallasey sailing club
0:12:11 > 0:12:12on the Wirral Peninsula,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15where the boats are lovingly preserved.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Member Peter Jacobs ropes me in for some varnishing.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23This Seabird is absolutely beautiful.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- She's gorgeous.- Thank you. - What was the origin of these boats?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Effectively, they're a Southport class.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31They were boats that were designed in 1898,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34after a dinner at West Lancashire Yacht Club.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38And what they decided was that they wanted a One-Design class of boat
0:12:38 > 0:12:44that they could race when they couldn't use the great big boats.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46These were exceedingly rich people.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50It had to cost only £35.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54- Well...- £35 was still a fair amount of money.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57£35, in 1898, was an awful lot of money.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It's a year's wage for somebody.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03But I suppose, in the grand scheme of massive sailing yachts,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06this was kind of an affordable number.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08This was somebody's toy.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10When they wanted to sail them was usually
0:13:10 > 0:13:12just after high water or low water,
0:13:12 > 0:13:17and Southport is a very, very flat, slowly shelving beach.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19And what they wanted was something that
0:13:19 > 0:13:22didn't have a huge keel on the bottom.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25You could actually lift the keel up and sail closer in to the beach,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27so that when you actually touched,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29you were only in a couple of feet of water,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31which meant that you could either pick up your mooring
0:13:31 > 0:13:35or drop the anchor, and then just hop over the side and wade ashore.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44To show me how Seabirds handle on the water,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Peter's taking me for a sail.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Hello!
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Nice one. Thank you. Hello.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54- SHE LAUGHS - We're sorted. We're done.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57So, what is it that you like so much about Seabirds, Peter?
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Well, what we have now,
0:13:59 > 0:14:05which is we're making a nice bit of way against a tide,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and all you can hear, apart from me talking,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09is the lapping of the waves.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13And it's so quiet and tranquil.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15It doesn't matter what sort of day you've had at work,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18whether the kids have been screaming or whatever.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21You come out here and you just chill out.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- And isn't it nice?- It's beautiful.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26It's gorgeous. It's kind of...
0:14:26 > 0:14:29It's the picture-perfect, storybook version of sailing -
0:14:29 > 0:14:32a little wooden boat, kind of bright-coloured sails.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36What is it that's so important about the One-Design class?
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Why are the designs for Seabirds such a closely guarded secret?
0:14:40 > 0:14:43If anyone could build them,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46they could make slight alterations here,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50slight alterations there, and you actually lose the One-Design class.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It's fantastic to hear how proud and protective
0:14:53 > 0:14:56the Seabird owners are of their class.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Right, let's put her through her paces,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- see what she can do.- Right, OK.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09This is everything I love about sailing.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12You've got the wind on your face, you've got the sun in your eyes,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14a beautiful little stretch of canvas,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and all you've got is the water rushing under the keel.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- It's absolutely super.- It's ace.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22During the 20th century,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24sailing clubs sprang up across the country.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26As well as their own boats,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30they also had other ways of displaying their identity.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Hidden behind this 21st-century facade
0:15:33 > 0:15:35is a bit of a heritage gem,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38because this is the home to Ensign Flag Company,
0:15:38 > 0:15:43who have been making yacht flags and boat club flags since 1949.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44But as you'll see,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48some of their methods are definitely not 21st-century.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00This is our factory, where it's all made.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Everything's made by hand here. As you can see,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07here's all the sewing machines where all the flags are made.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10They go over to the artist over here, where...
0:16:10 > 0:16:11Those giant brown papers -
0:16:11 > 0:16:15- they're the actual, life-size sort of template?- That's the life-size...
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Yeah, that's the life-size artwork.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- And we have two artists who draw everything by hand.- Wow.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24People send us just simple sketches and they're scaled up,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- and they've all got to be in the correct proportions.- Yeah.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29And they get filed, as you see,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31in all those files in alphabetical order.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- They're all the original artworks? - All the original artworks.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Some of them go back 50, 60 years.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39OK. So, which bit am I capable of having a go on?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Yeah, well, maybe you can have a go at this one.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Albie gets me trimming a small pennant,
0:16:44 > 0:16:45or burgee, as they're known.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48These represent individual sailing organisations.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- Yeah, sit there.- Right.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54This is the Falcon burgee, which is...
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- It's a type of boat - a Falcon.- Right.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And they actually have a falcon on it,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01which is all done by hand.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Oh, wow. So, then, this'll be the bit on the other side?
0:17:03 > 0:17:04That's the reverse side.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- Right.- So, maybe you can try the reverse side.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09It won't be too bad if you get that wrong.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- THEY LAUGH - That's it.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15- Then you trim that away.- Yay! - Yeah!- There you go.- How's that?
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- OK.- Marks out of ten?- Very good.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Give you nine out of ten, now, for that one.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Yeah! I think you're being a bit kind there, Albie.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24Yeah, we're being generous.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26I'm not just doing this for the cameras, though.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I know just the people who are going to love this.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37By the late 1930s, there were about 500 sailing clubs in the UK,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40but World War II changed everything.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43As a busy port, Liverpool took an absolute hammering
0:17:43 > 0:17:45during the Second World War,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and young men who would have been sailing, were sent off
0:17:47 > 0:17:49to the Army or Navy to fight.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52According to the Liverpool Daily Post,
0:17:52 > 0:17:53wartime restrictions meant that
0:17:53 > 0:17:57racing on the Mersey came to an absolute standstill.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01There's a report here from the 11th of April 1945, and it says,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04"Many boats are laid up, especially the larger craft
0:18:04 > 0:18:08"of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, which are laid up in North Wales."
0:18:08 > 0:18:11But post-war was boom time for Liverpool,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15along with the rest of the country, and by the 1950s and '60s,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18people had the time and money for hobbies like sailing.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22The number of clubs trebled,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and a new breed of faster, lighter boats were born.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31And this is a good place to see them.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33West Kirby Sailing Club is the biggest
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and busiest sailing club in Merseyside,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37and they've got access to this marine lake,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39which means that they are the only people
0:18:39 > 0:18:43in this part of the world who can sail unrestricted by the tides,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46365 days of the year.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The boats and the people sailing them
0:18:49 > 0:18:53are very different from those early, stuffy days of yacht clubs.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56John Burthem is the club's commodore.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58We've got medics, a lot of ordinary people -
0:18:58 > 0:19:03plumbers, builders, brickies, joiners, accountants.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05We have everything, across the board.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07We've got openings for people to learn to sail.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10We've got openings for people to crew in existing boats.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12There are people always looking for crews.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14So, you should be able to just come down here,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and if you like sailing, take it from there.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21It's a modern club, but some traditions remain.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23You're the commodore of the sailing club,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27rather than the president or the leader or the chairman.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Is it important that you're a commodore,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31that you're keeping that tradition alive?
0:19:31 > 0:19:34When I walk through the club every day,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36even new members, they all say, "Good evening,"
0:19:36 > 0:19:40or, "Good morning, Commodore," which is rather nice.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42I'm sure I'm more shocked than they are, but...
0:19:48 > 0:19:52West Kirby sailors wanted to have their very own class of boat, too,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and this is it - the Liverpool Bay Falcon,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59designed in the 1950s specifically for these waters.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01She's really a product of post-war Britain -
0:20:01 > 0:20:05cheaper to buy, and built for fun and a faster pace of life.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Kay Eggleton is the Falcon class captain.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It was designed by a West Kirby member, Harry Dennis,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16in the early '50s, and he suddenly realised
0:20:16 > 0:20:19that there was an absolute need for a fast boat -
0:20:19 > 0:20:21one that skilled sailors could sail,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25but wouldn't put off the novices, and one that was...
0:20:25 > 0:20:28It didn't require an acrobatic crew, so it was a good family boat,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and ladies could sail, as well as gentlemen.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33And, of course, it had to be able to lie on the moorings
0:20:33 > 0:20:35on the River Mersey, and on the River Dee,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37so it had to have a lifting centreboard.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41So, it sits very nicely, and it won't blow over or get too damaged.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44And he built this in wood, originally.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45So, it was built in marine ply.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Then, in the '70s, we decided that, for ease of maintenance -
0:20:48 > 0:20:51because what you didn't want to be doing was getting up
0:20:51 > 0:20:53at six in the morning, before you go to work, you know,
0:20:53 > 0:20:54to scrape the boat and things.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56So, you just wanted to have easy maintenance,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and we started building them in GRP.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03- So, GRP is fibreglass? - GRP is fibreglass.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04- Absolutely, yes.- Right.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09- So, if you switch your wooden hull for fibreglass...- Yeah.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- ..suddenly, your maintenance requirements just...?- Disappears.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Well, almost disappears. Not entirely.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17But you could get away with a bottle of Flash
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and a wipe of a cloth every season, if you needed to.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22But it certainly beats having to work on boats
0:21:22 > 0:21:24every weekend during the winter.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- Are you proud to have such a lovely boat...- Oh, I love it.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- ..just for Merseyside?- Yeah. I've sailed a Falcon since the 1960s,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35which is rather a long time, but they're great boats to sail.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38They're comfortable to sail. They're fast. They plane.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40They're exciting and yet they're really versatile,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42cos you can use them for training,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44you can use them for a little cruise out on the estuary,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46if you just fancy a day out.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And, of course, racing, which we all love here.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And it all gets very competitive when the gun goes.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- I can't wait to take one for a spin and see how she goes.- Absolutely.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55You'll be brilliant at it, I'm sure.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58So, going to put the main up.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Kay is one of lots of women who sail here today,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05a far cry from the days when they were banned from the clubhouse.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Karen Cummins is taking me on her Falcon,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10which she's been sailing for the last six years.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Push it, push it, push it through the wind. That's it.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And we're off. OK, now we're sailing.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28How did you first get into sailing?
0:22:28 > 0:22:32I actually didn't get into sailing until I was 42
0:22:32 > 0:22:35because I had this concept that it was all for posh people.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- SHE LAUGHS - And, actually,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39it couldn't be further from the truth.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Sailing is for absolutely everybody,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and we've got a lovely club that's got, you know, young, old...
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Everybody kind of mixes together. It doesn't matter what your job is.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49So, it's absolutely great.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54And the reason that I sort of went down in the first place
0:22:54 > 0:22:58is cos I'd just met somebody who clearly wasn't posh,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01and he said, "Just come down".
0:23:01 > 0:23:05- And so I did, and I've never looked back. I love it.- Amazing.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Everybody races. The kids race...
0:23:08 > 0:23:12You know, there's people in their 70s racing against us.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15It's just a mixture of all people -
0:23:15 > 0:23:18young and old, male, female, whatever your job.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22We all just, like... You know, us three met sailing.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27Ladies, I got you a present, to say thank you for taking me sailing.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29It's a little...
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- ALL:- Oh! - THEY LAUGH
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Oh, that is lovely!- It's a little Falcon burgee.- Oh, look!
0:23:35 > 0:23:41- Thank you. How lovely is that? - Look, will it...?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44- Oh, that's lovely.- Yeah.- Oh, that's really nice.- Fly it with pride.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And when you win, think of me.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Ooh, look at that!
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Today, Liverpool is a major tourist destination,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07with the Mersey at its heart.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Its once-polluted waters are now beautifully clean,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and sailing festivals are a real sign
0:24:13 > 0:24:15of the regeneration of the region.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20We've seen how much fun the sailing clubs have on the Mersey,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22but how competitive are they?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Throughout the year,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26each of the sailing clubs host regattas,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28and today, it's the turn of West Cheshire Sailing Club
0:24:28 > 0:24:32to host their race series, here off the beach in New Brighton,
0:24:32 > 0:24:33on the Wirral Peninsula.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46C23, and then out to Brazil. Then we go round, up towards...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49This is going off towards Hoylake, up the rock channel,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52back up to just C23 this time, rather than C21.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It might be sunny, but there isn't much wind.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59These conditions for Seabirds are absolutely super.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00You've got a nice, flat sea,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04so there's no heavy waves to stop us dead, so it's perfect.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Considering these boats were built, or designed, in 1898,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11and Dodo was built in 1920, yeah, it's a cracking day for it.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25- Are you looking forward to it? - Of course. Cos it's glorious.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I mean, this is what you want in a regatta, is weather like this.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30It's just fabulous.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Kay and Commodore John will be going head-to-head in the Falcon class.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40We love coming to New Brighton cos it's a lovely, sandy beach,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and we all had to tow round.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45As you can see, boats are arriving, and we just have to get
0:25:45 > 0:25:47the mast up and sort it out, and then we go sailing.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48We have a lovely time.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- Are you going to win, Kay? - Doubt it. Doubt it today.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55I'd like to think I could. I mean, I think I could, but I doubt I will.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I think the man standing behind you might win.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00THEY LAUGH
0:26:05 > 0:26:07So, John, how's it going this morning?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Oh, it's going all right.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11We're just putting a few final touches...
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Do you like it when it's conditions like this,
0:26:13 > 0:26:14or do you like it when it's a bit rougher?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Both in equal amounts, to be quite honest.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21I personally do very well in strong winds.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23It's a challenge, light-air sailing. And a skill.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26And some people are terrific in light airs.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Kay, who you were talking to before, is very, very good in light airs,
0:26:30 > 0:26:31and she always does well,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33and doesn't do as well as some in the blow,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35but that's sailing.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39It might be their passion and their hobby,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42but these two take their racing very seriously.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49So, this is the Falcon class.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51They've got to round this buoy
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and then head back towards where the start was, effectively,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56before they carry on with the rest of the course.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Now they're going to go downwind,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01so they're going to hoist their spinnakers and get every inch
0:27:01 > 0:27:03of speed out of those sails.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10There's a lot for the competitors to think about.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12The Mersey's a really busy shipping channel,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16and the little sailboats have to give way to the big old ferries.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Sort of adds an extra frisson to the racing.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25The other challenge for sailing in the Mersey
0:27:25 > 0:27:28is that you're not just dealing with the wind and setting your sails
0:27:28 > 0:27:33to maximise the speed you can. You're also fighting the tide.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35There's a 9m rise and fall here,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37and it can sometimes run at seven knots.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41And these little Seabirds here, who have rounded this mark,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44are now going with the wind, but they're going against the tide.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46It's really challenging sailing.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48But that's part of the fun,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and if anything can cope with these waters,
0:27:50 > 0:27:51it's these little boats.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53It's what they were built for, after all.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02In the battle of the Falcons, it was victory for Commodore John,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04who beat Kay to the finish line.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- Fabulous. Fabulous racing. - Yeah. And the best man won.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- Aw.- Aw! - THEY LAUGH
0:28:10 > 0:28:15APPLAUSE
0:28:15 > 0:28:16From those early fishing boats
0:28:16 > 0:28:19to the light, sleek craft that we have today,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23the sailboat is part of the social fabric of this place.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27I'm really glad that sailing for pleasure is available to everyone.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30It seems so right for the spirit of this place.