35 ft West Solent One Design W-1 1924/1999

ARROW was among the first of the West Solents to be built at Lymington in 1924, and the last of a lucky group of these ultra elegant and fast 1920s sports boats to be restored by Peter Brookes at Maldon through the 1990s. She has subsequently become arguably the best known of them, campaigned very successfully in two ownerships over 25 years in both Mediterranean and south and southeast of England classic regattas. ARROW is also unarguably the best equipped classic regatta package, optimised to compete under both CIM and IRC rules, and transported (and ‘dry sailed’ indoors) aboard her very own UK and EU-legal 19-tonne truck that is included in the sale. What is there not to like?!

1998-1999
Fully restored to concourse (new) condition by Peter Brookes at Maldon

BERTHON BOAT COMPANY YARD NO. 199
WEST SOLENT CLASS SAIL NO. W-1

In a popular genealogy website, the 1921 UK Census entry for 38-year-old Ida Potter – who would become ARROW's first owner – corrupts her relationship to the 'Head' of the family at 'Blakes', Lymington (her husband Major Cyril Potter) as "Waitress". This in a household that numbered a butler, a cook, and two housemaids. But perhaps appropriate for an obviously independent woman of her time who raced her own boat, and raced against her daughters who also had their own boats.

Royal Yacht Squadron member Major Cyril Potter OBE was a London private banker who in 1923 became a partner in the famous City stockbroking firm L. Messel & Co. alongside other luminaries and establishment figures of the time, including the actor John Gielgud's father, Frank. Cyril had been the inspiration behind the formation of Lymington Sailing Club in 1922 (by 1938, Royal Lymington Yacht Club), and he may have been one of the principal drivers of the West Solent Class.

The Potters opened their coastal home, 'Blakes' (no longer standing; near the present day Isle of Wight ferry terminal), as the first clubhouse, and the family fully embraced the sport (cult?!) of small boat racing. In ARROW's first season with Ida at the helm, Cyril, together with The Hon. Mrs Alice Florence Westenra, owned his own first-batch West Solent Class boat, FENELLA (W-3), and husband and wife competed against each other. Meanwhile their daughters, Bettine and Sheila, co-owned and raced one of the Lymington Seabird Class, with Sheila becoming a co-owner of FENELLA in 1925.

ARROW was overall West Solent Class Champion in her first season. In 1925 ownership was shared by Ida and Commander Reginald S. Goff, R.N. In different ownerships, and under different names, 'W-1' would remain part of the Lymington West Solent fleet until just before the Second World War.

1926
Name changed to DART; owner George Dearie Russell OBE, Guildford.

1929
Name changed to HUAHINE; owner Major Harold W. Hall, MC, London.
Australian-born Royal Yacht Squadron member Hall owned a series of very interesting motor yacht/ tenders over many years:
- VAHINE, Osborne of Littlehampton 45 ft from 1927
- TAMAHINE Laurent Giles/ Vosper 63 ft from 1934
In 1938 Hall became part owner of the Mylne 8-Metre SEVERN II and HUAHINE was sold.
His post-war tenders included the Giles/ Port Hamble high speed 48-footer RAVAHINE, tender to the America's Cup challenger SCEPTRE. Hall was a SCEPTRE syndicate member.

1938
Sold to Dr. Ronald L. Kennedy, New Milton, who fitted a 2 cyl Watermota petrol auxiliary.

1947
By the end of the Second World War she had found her way to England's south east coast and remained HUAHINE for a series of owners, the most famous being Frank Carr, a significant British intelligence officer during the War. He purchased HUAHINE after retiring as Director 1947-1966 of the UK's National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, including involvement in the preservation of CUTTY SARK.

1947 – 1957
John R. Ovington, Sittingbourne, Kent
Moorings at Conyer on the Swale and on the Medway

1957 – 1959
J. Ainsborough Everiss, Petworth, Sussex
Mooring in Chichester Harbour

1959 – 1961
R.J. Porter, Heybridge Basin, Maldon, Essex
Gained an RORC Rating

1961 – 1967
D.C.R. Coleman, Brightlingsea, Essex

1967 – 1976
Frank G.G. Carr, C.B.E., Blackheath, London
Moorings at Brightlingsea and Pin Mill

1976 – c.1978 – still HUAHINE
Mrs. Marjorie Skaife-d'Ingerthhorpe, Oxford
Mooring at Pin Mill

1978 – 1998
Information sought.

1998-1999
Back to ARROW, she was the last West Solent to be fully restored at Maldon by Peter Brookes before he relocated to New Zealand.

During much of the past 25 years ARROW was owned (twice), beautifully maintained, and fiercely campaigned in the Mediterranean and in England by Phil Plumtree. Her present owner has continued in much the same vein and ARROW has become the best known internationally of the beautiful, historic surviving West Solents. At the 2025 Hamble Classics Regatta, ARROW was the Concourse d'Elegance winner.

©2025 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Carvel pine planking on oak frame
- Wood floors (no metal floors)
- Painted, sheathed marine plywood deck
- Varnished teak covering boards, toerails, coamings, and superstructures

GENERAL
- Painted, sheathed marine plywood deck
- Varnished teak covering boards, toerails, coamings, and superstructures

FROM AFT

AFTER DECK
- Mooring fairleads port & starboard at taffrail
- Backstay chainplate
- Bronze and teak mooring cleat at centreline
- Bronze mainsheet horse
- Mainsheet block padeyes
- 5 x Wooden deck blocks for mainsheet
- Running backstay fittings
- Rudderhead
- Wood tiller

COCKPIT
- Low coaming
- Helm's slatted seats
- Raw teak grating sole
- 2 x Lewmar 24, 2-speed winches ST bronze (serviced/new parts 2025)
- 2 x Lewmar 16 runner winches, 2-speed bronze (serviced/new parts 2025)
- 4 x Winch handles

SIDE AND FOREDECKS
- 9 x Spinlock XC clutches (Aug 2025)
- Bronze headsail sheeting tracks
- Many Harken blocks (2025)
- Raised varnished forehatch
- Samson post
- Bronze mooring fairleads port & starboard
- Bronze anchor roller to starboard of stemhead

GROUND TACKLE
- Anchor & warp

- Sliding hatch in coach roof and skylight
- Douglas fir varnished sole boards
- Cabin with white painted deck head and bulkheads
- Contrasting varnished joinery
- Galley to port
- Plastic sink with stowage lockers and shelves outboard and aft
- Shelves under sink
- Chart table to starboard; nav and comms units
- Lifting chart table with stowage below
- Semi-bulkheads port and starboard
- 2 x Settees/ berths with stowage below and lee cloths
- 2 x Berth cushions in blue

RIG
- Spruce single spreader and upper jumpers mast (A. Riva, 2016)
- New S/S Masthead cap (2025) with LED navigation light
- Spruce boom (Collars 2016)
- Stainless steel mast collar tied down to mast foot
- Wood pole for CIM with cover (Collars 2024)
- Carbon pole for IRC with cover

Running Rigging
- Mainsheet; ends spliced together (2025)
- 2 x Spin Sheets; 2 x Jib Sheets (2025)
- Reef lines all 8 mm Dyneema
- Adjustable Backstay
- Traveller system (2025)
Halyards:
- Main halyard: 2:1 (2025)
- 2 x for fractional spinnakers (2025)
- 1 x for Masthead spinnaker (2025)
- 1 x Jib (2025)
Other lines:
- Pole topping lift (2025)
- Pole downhaul
- Tackline (2024, barely used)
- Main boom up/down
- Vang purchase (2025)

SAILS
- Main North (2014 - not used until 2024-2025)
- J1 North (2024 - never used)
- J1 One Sails - Dacron
- J1 One Sails - Mylar
- J3 One Sails - Mylar Blade
- J3 North - Dacron
- J4 North - Dacron
- Storm Jib
- A1.5 North, cross cut for CIM
- A5 North, cross cut for CIM
- S1.5 North, cross cut for CIM
- S2 North, cross cut for CIM
- S2 Radial for IRC
- S5 Radial for IRC
- S2 North 75 sq m
- S2 North 70 sq m

CANVASWORK
- All-over hull & deck cover (Sept 2025)
- Mainsail acrylic cover; beige, 'ARROW W-1' lettering each side
- Acrylic cover over gangway hatch and saloon skylight
- Acrylic cover for forehatch
- Acrylic cover for cockpit
- Under boom deck acrylic cover
- Padded storage bag for washboards (2025)
- Bow padding/ fender for mooring buoy protection
- Full mast cover in orange
- Full boom cover In grey
- Collapsible Dock box in acrylic
- Deck bag for reef lines
- 2 x Cockpit thwart cushions in blue

- 2 x 12 V Sockets
- Built-in socket for battery charger
- Battery charger & shore power lead

NAVIGATION
- Steering compass from original build
- Raymarine Depth & speed instrument (2016)
- Tack Tick 20/20 repeater on mast bracket (2025)
- Tick Tack Race Master on mast bracket
- GPS receiver and electronic compass
- Raymarine chart Plotter (2016)
- Tick Tack wind instruments (2016)
- Masthead LED Navigation Light

COMMUNICATIONS
- ICOM fixed VHF DSC with masthead antenna (2016)
- Fusion stereo & speakers

- Manual bilge pump
- suction selection from cockpit or cabin (new seals 2025)
- Horseshoe Life Ring
- 6 x Customised Spinlock PFD’s (2025)

- DAF 19-Tonne flatbed truck
- Freshly serviced and MOTd
- Custom cradle welded to flatbed
- Smart 2 Tachograph - ie both UK and EU-legal (2025)
- Kenwood stereo (2025)

- 6 x Fenders with socks (2025)
- 4 x Mooring warps
- Wooden Passarelle
- Wood effect Spinlock tiller extension
- Helmsman’s seats (2025)
- Code Flags for dressing overall
- Battle Flag