FAIREY GODFATHER

I am an “in the blood” waterman, having grown up racing Mirror dinghies at National and European level before becoming a professional windsurfer in my 20s and moving to Hawaii where the waves were bigger. These days I am back in the UK sailing a J/122 called Black Dog III. My crew and I are the current RORC IRC National Champions.

None of this would have been possible without a supportive family so it seemed only right that I started looking for a boat that my wife and two grown-up daughters could enjoy as much as I did. We wanted something around 40ft long that could sleep four comfortably and six at a push for our Black Dog “cruises”, which entail a pub or three in Fowey or the Helford.

Off the water, I am CEO of a materials technology company called D3O, which specialises in impact protection, including helmet liners for American Football players and the defence sector, covers for mobile phones and protective clothing for motorcyclists.

I had a budget up to £150,000-£160,00 to spend on a boat and as always I wanted to spend it wisely. I discounted a new boat because of the depreciation and decided I would be happier with an older classic anyway. The row-away factor (when you look back on the boat as you row ashore) was important to me, as was impeccable sea-keeping.

I considered a Dale Nelson 38 – great seakeeping and build quality – but my daughters felt it was ‘too slow and old for me’. They wanted something faster and prettier in which we could make quick passages to the Scillies, France and the Channel Islands.

In July 2019, after the RORC IRC prizegiving,) it seemed almost destined to be.