Valdai
Valdai was designed to the Second International Rating Rule by Alfred Mylne in 1930 and built in the UK by the Bute Slip Dock Co. at Port Bannatyne on the Clyde for Robert Clark. He only kept her briefly before selling her on to Dr Robert Carslaw of Glasgow, who converted her into a cruiser and renamed her Rowan III.
After the War she was sold to John Cameron of Strathblane, Glasgow, who renamed her Mameno and continued to keep her at Greenock. In the 1950s she was renamed once again as Valdai and owned by George Andrews, who took her to Blyth on the N.E. Coast and raced in handicap racing at the Royal Northumberland YC. John, the son of George Andrews and his friend Edward Cartner, cruised her extensively as teenagers, after which she was sold to Sunderland.
In 1995 she was spotted by Tim Street lying on her side on the saltings in the River Deben, just above Pin Mill in Essex. She was subsequently sold on eBay to Peter Wilson of the Aldeburgh Boatyard, who recovered her to his yard. Wilson did preliminary work on her and then sold her to Sir Robert Owen who, together with James Fairrie, arranged for her beautiful restoration by Tom Owen at his yard in Fowey, where she was returned to full racing trim for the first time since 1932.
In March 2012 she was re-launched to attend the European Championships at Nynashamn, Sweden. She then competed at the 2013 World Championships in Flensburg, Germany.
More recently, Valdai (GBR40) competed at the 2023 World Championships in Cowes, UK.
Thank you to Fiona Brown and Tim Street for information contributing to this profile.
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