Each summer the boats return to Cornwall to sail on the Fowey, Fal and Helford Rivers, but primarily to attend Fowey Classics – the highlight of the A.O.D.s summer. The small fleet of dinghies invariably attract attention, the sight of varnished dinghies cannot help but draw inquiring and admiring comments.
By coincidence, rather than any specific ruling each of the boats has adopted the same colour scheme - varnished topsides with cream coloured paint below the waterline. This now makes telling them apart somewhat difficult when drawn up on the beach together! Unfortunately, Swallow is the odd one out since it has been impossible to remove all traces of paint from inside her hull, so she is the only A.O.D. with the interior hull painted. The original sails were white, however the class has now adopted cream coloured sails throughout, with the panels cut in half width, reflecting the narrower panels of the old cotton sails.
It is quite remarkable that a class of dinghy which had all but disappeared should re-emerge. Even more so that after a thirty five year gap a new Axe One Design was built almost exactly 50 years on from its original inception. Now that two more of the original boats have emerged, leads to the question – are there any more surviving out there?
Since 2005 the A.Y.C. has organised a separate class series for the A.O.D.s within the summer River Races. Appropriately the Axe Ones now race for the ‘Jack Drew Cup’ donated by Jack in 1960. We are indebted to him for his enthusiasm and attention to detail in designing and establishing such an incredibly pretty and pleasurable classic dinghy to sail.
The class continues to expand, No.23 completed build in July 2009 and subsequent to fitting out was launched on a very chilly 2nd January 2010. Her first sail on the Axe followed in August 2010, with all seven AODs afloat.
Axe One Design Class Association.
