British Registered at Brixham – Official Number 182189. Commissioned by Major Potter to beat ‘Myth of Malham’, but after frustration with the ratings he put her up for sale after only 18 months. She was a well known racing yacht in her early days and competed in the Fastnet race. Re-rigged with a shorter aluminium main mast with original but shortened boom. Roller reefing. Cascover sheathed Moodys 1970.
“I bought her through Moodys from Whitbread. There was a storyline set around a Whitbread publican who arranged to sail her in the first Round the World Race 1973, but who dropped out at the last minute. I owned her (1972-76) stripped out her racing setup, refitting her for cruising. For years I extensively sailed Fandango, including right through the eye of a Hurricane”, in 1975 in Brazil. “She’s is unbelievably fast and points a ridiculously high –12.5 degrees as to make race competitors think she has the motor running!”(David Jackson)
“Fandango is a smaller version of Gulvain and is a Class II ocean racer. She is a direct successor to the ‘Myth of Malham’, but has longer ends and also has a full reverse sheer. The longer ends naturally add to her measured length and add to the R.O.R.C. Rating. Furthermore they have the curious effect of converting a scantling bonus into a scanting penalty. Myth and Fandango have identical scantlings but one receives a bonus, the other a penalty. However, although Fandango does not rate so well under R.O.R.C. rules she is the prettiest of the Giles designs of the Myth family.
In Fandango the reverse sloop seems to be at its happiest and the greeny turquoise colour of the hull and dark brown sails seem to suit the boat. (“Myth of Malham’ sank off Ushant in the early 1970’s and ‘Gulvain’ is in America somewhere). Fandango is currently onshore at a yard in Kent undergoing restoration after a lengthy period of neglect (2012).
Fandango has now been taken on as a project by IBTC Portsmouth and moved to Boathouse 4 in the Royal Dockyard in September, 2015. Restoration is expected to take 5 years. (Chris Main)
“Fandango was in Annapolis / Galesville, Maryland, USA in the early 1990’s, she was owned by the late John Stisted. John sailed her from England to South America then headed north to the United States to visit with his brother Charles Stisted in Davidsonville Maryland. John then sailed Fandango back to England where she was sold.” (Mark O’Neil)
“Fandango was purchased in summer 1987 by Michael Pagington and moved from Plymouth, via Torquay, Cowes ( as the Fastnet fleet was coming down the Western Solent) to Brighton. On the section from Cowes to Brighton, just east of the Owers, Fandango rescued 2 elderly fishermen from Littlehampton who’s dory had hit an object and sunk beneath them with just the nose above water. Neither were wearing life jackets. The 2 were taken on board and warmed. Solent Coastguard requested Fandango took the casualties into Littlehampton but her draft was too deep to agree, they were transferred to the Littlehampton inshore lifeboat, which has been called to duty during the annual lifeboat day. Fandango was in Brighton for the great storm of 1987.
Fandango took part in the Brighton to Fecamp ‘Royal Escape’ race but faired badly on the way out due light winds but won the unofficial timed return trip in heavier winds.
After a few years Fandango was sold to a teacher who move her to Cowes to do her up. Fandango was seen ashore in Cowes a couple of years later.
I hope you find this of interest. This is all from memory.” Information courtesy of Mike
