Chew Valley Lake provides magnificent sailing for International Flying Fifteens. The fetch from the South and South west is long enough to kick up a good chop and on windier days the bow will bury into wave fronts and need techniques used at sea. Choppy water with breaking crests is not uncommon. Few inland lakes provide comparable sailing and no other in the South West. If you have ambitions to compete towards the front of the fleet or wish to sail in superb surroundings then Chew is amongst the best places you could find. The setting is incomparable; totally natural without a pylon in sight. The club has been and is the home of many fine sailors. It hosted the 2000 Inland Championships for the class. The club provided the 2000 Flying Fifteen National Champion and is home to the 2003 Classic World Champion.

The class is well established at Chew has a reputation for friendliness. Its members are enthusiasts of the Falmouth week social scene and its racing programme. At Chew the class has exciting and close tactical racing. Surprisingly fast in light winds and equally so in heavier wind strengths it is always towards the front in any of the clubs special handicap events. Skill is always an important factor but to get the best out of the boat there is plenty of scope for playing around with the tune. It is very tune sensitive and rewarding to sail. Further information about this planing keelboat is accessible in the Flying Fifteen Website at:

http://www.flying15.org/gbr/

The Flying Fifteen has a full and active racing programme throughout the year with the Open Meeting normally programmed for late May or early June. For all racing windward starts are usual ether from a permanent fixed shore start line or more frequently from a committee boat mainly at the southern end of the lake. This end of the lake has ample room for a full Olympic course with 1km long legs or more varied courses around fixed buoys when the windward leg can be almost the length of the lake ,the best part of 2 km. Ether option provides the big courses that the Fifteen needs for maximum enjoyment. As an adopted class the Fifteens have their own start.

The facilities for the Fifteens match the clubhouse and the surroundings.Boat parking is along one edge of a gravelled and tarmaced car park at the edge of the lake with no boat having more than 150 mtrs of level access to the top of the slipway. All boats are dry sailed and a powered winch /bollard assures effortless recovery and launching.

Although the club has a very healthy waiting list exceptionally those who are known to be enthusiasts of the Fifteen can sail at the club as guests of the class pending full membership. The Flying Fifteen Class Captain is Frank Jones and can be contacted at 63 D SHAW HILL, SHAW, WILTSHIRE SN12 8EX or E-Mail frank.jones12@btopenworld.com.

The International Flying Fifteen

The Flying Fifteen was designed by Uffa Fox in 1947. Whilst the design has changed little over the years, there has been considerable development in the rig and in the materials that are used in the boat. It is a twenty foot long two handed keelboat, suited to a wide range of crew weights and can easily be sailed by mixed crews.

The Vital Statistics

From early days the class was sailed around the world. Early fleets were established in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa. These still exist and share the World Championships along with the British Isles. Other fleets appeared in the Middle East, central and north America and parts of mainland Europe.

In 1978 the class was granted international status by the IYRU (now ISaF). Since then there have been regular world championships, starting in Australia in 1979, and with the 11th Worlds Championship being held in Cowes in 1997 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations.

B.I.F.F.A.

Biffa exists to promote the interests of the Flying Fifteen Class in the British Isles, to bring owners into contact with each other, to control and manage Class affairs in accordance with their wishes, to co-ordinate the holding of Championships and other Open events, to be affiliated to and liaise with, ff International on matters relating to the Class Rules or any other matters which concern ff International.

Biffa publishes a year book with details of boats and owners, three magazines a year, and maintains a second hand boat list available free to prospective purchasers. Biffa also has an insurance scheme for class members.

F.F.I.

Flying Fifteen International is responsible for managing the affairs of the Class and for making sure that the one-design characteristic is maintained. To achieve this, it must ensure that National Associations are both consulted about and informed of proposals to make changes to the Rules.

On behalf of the Class, FFI makes recommendations to and agreements with the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) on the control of the Class Rules. It also acts as agent for the ISAF in collecting the International Class fees for all new boats built throughout the world. The latter task, together with the issue of sail numbers to National Associations, is controlled by the Treasurer of FFI.

The International Association is also constructive in promoting the Class worldwide and co-ordinates International competitions.