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| Members boats - Tongue Twister |
Tongue Twister Tongue Twister making land fall “Tongue Twister”
Twister 28 class
Length OA 28’3”
Length WL 21’6”
Beam 8’1”
Draft 5’0”
Displacement 4.5 Tons
Ballast 2 tons
Designed as a state of the art racing machine by Kim Holman in 1963, the famous “Twister of Mersea cleaned up both the East Coast and South Coast circuits. **
Nowadays the Twister is known more as a safe, steady cruising boat with a good sea kindly motion, a boat that will look after you in a blow.
Originally all wood and mostly built by Kim Holman’s brother at Uphams yard in Devon, the design progressed to Composite and then the all glass versions moulded by Tyler’s. In later years Tyler’s also sold her as the Tyler 28 and Tufglas 28 before reverting to the original Twister name in 1983. I understand that the moulds are currently in store in a “dilapidated condition” at Tylers former boatyard on the Medway.
The GRP versions are several inches longer with a couple of inches less draft than the wood versions. I believe that a couple of counter sterned versions were built, at least one boat has a stepped coach roof and there is a gaff rigged version currently cruising around the Caribbean
“Tongue Twister” started life as part of a batch of stock mouldings produced by Tyler’s when business was slack in 1983. I was looking for a new boat to build following the sale of my Leisure 20. I had hated the bilge keel performance and wanted to go back to a centre boarder but fell in love with the shape of the Twister mouldings (and the price) and so in June 1983 became the proud owner of two rather floppy un-bonded mouldings for the very reasonable sum of £2000.(plus VAT)
A young family, limited finances and pressure of work meant that she was not launched until August 1987 and then only as a motor boat. The mast was added over the winter and the first sail was during Easter, 1988. Based in Heybridge Basin at that time, my first cruise was back to Tollesbury.
Due to the tight finances and a “bargain”, the mast is about two feet shorter than it should of been, with corresponding losses in sail area. The original second hand sails have gradually been replaced, mainly with ex-stock Westerly Centaur sails. To improve our racing performance a full size mast is currently waiting to be re-rigged and stepped and new sails will hopefully be affordable for next year.
Around 228 Twisters are known to have been built and a large percentage of owners are members of the association which organises winter social events and summer rally’s. The Association’s secretary is John MacMullen and he is happy to talk to anyone interested in the association. He can be contacted on 01962-713847.
The Twister Trophy is our equivalent to a national championship and usually alternates between the South and East coasts. From getting beaten into last place by a crew of 80 year olds on the Medway in 1995 “Tongue Twister’s” racing performance has improved, missing third place by seconds on the Royal yacht squadron line at the Cowes Classic in 1997 and earning a satisfying third place, and a trophy, at last years Weymouth Eclipse regatta. This year it was held on the River Blackwater and was won by John MacMullen and Anne Musgrave sailing “Crionna”.
Cruising has taken us round to the South Coast and across channel to France Belgium and Holland as well as all the East Coast. One fascinating winter was spent in Holland after not getting back from our summer cruise due to the weather. The marina berth for the six winter months cost £60 including electricity. The dream is still to go to the Med and the Baltic.
17 years on “Tongue Twister” is nearly finished, nearly fully equipped and nearly sails the way a Twister should. The love affair with the boat continues and most evenings when I am sitting in the cabin enjoying a glass of wine I look around and think “I did this”
Andy Hobden
“Tongue Twister”
16th May 2000
** “Twister of Mersea” is still alive and kicking and can be seen in Dover marina.
