I can confidently assume that your Wanderer dinghy, like mine, is associated with happy days of cruising, racing or pottering with family and friends. It’s that sort of boat. It’s always been the same reliable, easily maintained dinghy and whenever you come across another Wanderer sailor your boats are almost identical, no matter how old they are. As the designer’s representative on the Class Committee, (more by default I would add, rather than by any degree of expertise,) I have always taken the view that this was Ian Proctor’s design and so besides a few modifications, mainly for reasons of safety or ease of handling, I have generally promoted the one design principle. The Committee has been largely behind this position.

Things are about to change. Onto the market in January 2006 will come the Wanderer Esprit. To be launched at the London Boat Show this has a new inner moulding with a different configuration of side benches and a self draining cockpit. Why now? Well for many years, Anglo Marine subsidised the building of the Wanderer. Nevill Towler donated his factory space, in order that the Wanderer should be built as the designer intended and sold at a price which sought to be competitive with the newly emerging roto moulded dinghies. The reality of the roto moulded boats is that after the initial tooling investment of around £100,000, they can be turned out at a fraction of the cost of their GRP equivalents. We have seen a dramatic decline in sales of the Wanderer in the last ten years. In 1997, 46 Wanderers were sold. By 1999 it was down to 33 and in recent years 16 was the average, but in the twelve months ending March 2005 the number had reduced still further to just 10. The impact of course is felt across the Class. Not only does our current builder, Porter Bros (Marine & Industrial) Ltd make virtually no profit margin on the Wanderer (and indeed the Gull) which gives them no leeway to invest in marketing, but even at the current retail price, competitor dinghies of the same size are being sold for significantly less.

The Directors of Ian Proctor Designs Ltd and Porter Bros (Marine & Industrial) Ltd resolved in the early Autumn that both companies should make a substantial investment and re-tool the inner mould, creating a sandwich type construction, thereby eliminating a significant amount of labour which was required to build and finish the boat. Keith Proctor and Ian Porter worked on the design together and presented their proposals at the Class Association Committee Meeting on the 17th September 2005. The Committee almost unanimously endorsed the changes and the prototype was built. It is important to stress that the Wanderer Esprit will have an equal performance to all current models. The weight, rig, centerboard, rudder, hull shape and sails all remain unaltered.

Representatives of the Class Association Committee attended the Esprit’s first trial at Cobnor on Saturday 5th November. It was generally given the thumbs up. Capsizing trials proved however that the prototype tends to float rather too high when on her side. To correct this Ian and Keith resolved to re-design the side tanks so that they will flood in the event of a capsize allowing the boat to lie lower in the water, and drain once she is
righted. These developments are ongoing as I write this article.

So to summarise what Ian Proctor Designs and Porter Bros are seeking to address:

• The Wanderer has become a commercially unattractive boat to build
• Sales have diminished year on year with the buying public choosing to purchase cheaper, roto moulded dinghies
• The existing 14ft Wanderer takes a little longer to build than the 16ft Wayfarer
• To position the Wanderer Esprit in the dinghy marketplace as an attractive purchase for a range of buyers such as sailing schools, younger sailors, cruisers and racers, the following optional extras will be available :
1. an asymmetric spinnaker option
2. removable rear locker, which will still be able to accommodate an outboard engine, while still permitting the self-draining of the cockpit.
3. A weighted GRP centreplate will replace the steel centreplate.)

The Class Association will note that:

• The current Wanderer will still be built for those that prefer it.
• Nothing is being done to de-value current owner’s boats
• The GRP centerboard and rudder which will be fitted as standard to the Wanderer Esprit will fit most current Wanderers without alteration
• At the time of writing, I cannot tell you what the cost of the Wanderer Esprit will be, but there will be a significant reduction, and the figure will be known by the date of the AGM.
• The membership of the Wanderer Class is diminishing, and since sales of new boats are declining, membership is not being supported by new entrants to the market. (The builder pays the first year’s subscription for new owners)
• With the self-draining cockpit, there will be no nooks and crannies where water can collect.
• Same weight and handling characteristics in its basic form, so it will be compatible for racing

I do hope that most Wanderer owners will understand why these changes have been necessary. The Class Association will need to discuss if the asymmetric will race alongside the conventional spinnaker. Whilst it is probably inappropriate to present a set of rule changes to the January AGM to cover the Wanderer Esprit’s variations, mostly to the interior, I shall propose that dispensation is given to allow the new version to be raced against existing Wanderers and over the next year, we can evaluate its performance and present a comprehensive report to the AGM in 2007. If you have the chance to visit the Boat Show, which runs from the 6th to 15th January 2006, go to the Porter Brothers stand, No. N 1807 and have a look at the new boat. Ian Porter will be there and will be happy to talk you through the changes. I hope the AGM will agree that in this way, Ian Proctor’s inheritance will be given new life and continue to offer hours of pleasure and relaxation, with a Class Association that has been so fortunate in having a Committee that balances great sport with long lasting friendships and fun both on and off the water.

David Davies - December 2005