Thanks to the www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk we have some record of the championships. The following report appeared in The Daily Mirror Saturday 9th August 1969, page 19 so report text is © Daily Mirror.
TED WILSON, a textile controller from Coventry, won the Mirror Class dinghy national championship at Poole, Dorset, yesterday, in his Mirror Dinghy 17782 Griddlebone. Ted was crewed by his wife Kay, an accountant. Griddlebone is the first boat they'have built and owned. And the championship is the first Mirror event they have won. Runners-up were John and Leslie Taylor, former winners of the championship, in their Mirror 17971 Ace of Diamonds. Third man home was Roy Partridge, of Winchmore Hill, London, in Mirror Dinghy 15000, Iver's Bird. One hundred and fifty people have been taking part in the championships this week.
Thanks to the www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk we have some record of the championships.The build up to the event was reported in the Cornish Guardian, the following report appeared in the Cornish Guardian Thursday 1st February 1968, page 1
The 1968 sailing championships of the Mirror Class which with 11,000 registered boats in this country alone, is probably the largest class of sailing dinghies in the world, are to be held at Newquay in the first week in September. It is expected to attract between 350 and 460 sailing enthusiasts to the town. and a total of 100 red-sailed Mirror Class dinghies in to Newquay Bay.
Thanks to the www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk we have some record of the championships. The following report appeared in The Daily Mirror Tuesday 8th August 1967, page 23 so report text is © Daily Mirror.
TEN-YEAR-OLD Robert Shepherd won't forget the sail he had yesterday while crewing for his Dad in the Optrex Trophy event in Plymouth Sound the practice race for the Daily Mirror dinghy championships. Robert and his Dad Chuck. a steel erector from Hoo (Kent), had established a handsome lead, when they had trouble with the sails. As Robert took the helm he let his Dad deal with the sails, they were capsized by a vicious squall. But they righted the boat and finished seventh. The winners were Ted Wilson and Kay Sparrow, both from Lancaster University. sailing in their first championship. Reigning champions John and Leslie Taylor, the next to finish, were disqualified on a technical point, leaving Tony and Joyce Aires in second place, with Frank Althorp third. Several of the 120 starters retired, and the strengthening wind caused the day's second race to be cancelled.
It's not know which day the British Pathe newsreel was shot, but the Daily Mirror report for Monday's race also mentions rain. Oddly they say Pat Edyean and Veronica Moore of Plymouth in dinghy No 7 were the eventual winners. There is no mention of Pat Edyean and Veronica Moore in any of the Daily Mirror reports (below), so I've no idea what the newsreel reporter thought they had won.
The event was pre-viewed in Who's for a race with the great Mirror armada?
These photos, which appear in the 1960s Mirror Dinghy publicity brochure, are thought to be from the 1963 National Championships held at Royal Corinthian YC Burnham over the week 15th - 20th September 1963.
The story was recorded in the Daily Mirror so report text is © Daily Mirror. Also thanks to the www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk .
