Gates & Co

This is a fine example of a Burnes-built South Coast One-Design (SCOD), designed by Charles E Nicholson. Built in 1962 at Burnes Shipyard in Bosham, West Sussex, she regularly competed in Solent races during the mid- to late 1960s. Her second owner, David Bowker, who owned Burnes between 1947-1967, was a Silver medallist in the 1956 Olympics, on board the 5.5-Metre Vision, and raced Firecracker at every available opportunity. She was successful, too, and in 1965 won the Hebe Trophy in the Nab Tower Race, beating 15 other SCODs. In 2003 she came to N Gates & Co for a thorough two-year restoration, which included new decks, coachroof, bronze floors and cockpit. Her cabinsides were veneered and topsides resplined. She was relaunched in July 2005 in time for Cowes Week, where she finished 12th overall in ISC Class 9. Since then she has enjoyed a successful racing career at Cowes Week, and has been professionally maintained by N Gates & Co. She has also featured in Classic Boat magazine.
  Firecracker is in a very good condition, and one of the finest of the class.

Firecracker
LOA 25ft 11in (7.9m)
LWL 21ft (6.4m)
Beam 7ft 10in (2.4m)
Draught 5ft 3in (1.6m)
Displacement 4.1 tons
Sail area 288sqft (26.8m2)
Hull planking: Carvel-planked Lagos mahogany, topsides splined
  with Brazilian cedar (2005).
Timbers: rock elm
Floors: nickel aluminium bronze
Decks: 1/2in marine ply, epoxy sheathed.
Coachroof: 2mm T&G cedar, with 6mm marine ply and a glass
  and epoxy sheathing on top.
Cabinsides: mahogany
Cockpit: African mahogany

Contact us for more information, or to arrange a viewing.