Hunter Delta vs Super Seal 26
Regular PBO readers may notice that I’m a fan of Cardigan Bay in general and the ‘cliff perched, toppling town’ of New Quay in particular. It’s not just because of its connection with the great Welsh poet and playwright Dylan Thomas and his masterpiece Under Milk Wood.
It’s also because the New Quay Yacht Club (www.nqyc.club) runs excellent dinghy and cruiser racing for yachts based on its beach moorings and entertains members and visiting sailors alike with great brwdfrydedd (enthusiasm) in its clubhouse. In 2019 NQYC ran many dinghy regattas as well as the Westerly Fulmar twin-keel National Championship and the Welsh Lifting Keel Cruiser Championship.
Anyone wishing to cruise or race from New Quay needs a twin or lifting keel yacht. Back in the 1970s I raced there on a lifting-keel Hunter 701 that I’d originally towed from Essex to NQYC behind my long-suffering Austin Maxi 1750.
As the 1980s arrived, a new generation of larger British-built lifting keel cruisers appeared on the scene. Although these boats were unsuited to regular trailersailing (because of their weight and substantial masts), they were ideal for keeping on mud moorings or protected drying beaches. The Super Seal 26, Parker 27 and Hunter Delta 25 were prime examples.
Hunter Delta 25
The first Hunter Delta 25 in New Quay belonged to Dr Roger Seal. Imagine my delight when I discovered that one of his sons, Chris Seal, is the current Cruiser Captain at the NQYC. Having been brought up sailing a Delta 25, Chris
