During the recent NL20 celebrations, East Coast Gaffers presented the Dutch OGA with a half model of ‘Deva’, owned by EC member, the late Jon Wainwright. Many East Coast Gaffers remember Jon Wainwright fondly, he was East Coast OGA Secretary for many years, a fiercely competitive sailor and always great company at the bar. Perhaps his greatest legacy was the help he gave to a small group of Dutch and Belgian Gaffers to establish the Netherlands OGA in 2004. Jon was well known in the Netherlands, regularly crossing the North Sea to race in the Dutch Classics at Hellevoetsluis and cruising extensively in his small gaffer ‘Deva’, a Royal Mersey Rivers class Nobby built in 1914 by Crossfield of Arnside. Racing at the Dutch Classics was always competitive and the rivalry was particularly keen against ‘Anemone’ (The Enemy) owned by Belgian sailor Dirk Peeters, still sailing with the NL OGA in 2024.
Dirk Peeters, Joachim van Houweninge, Molly Vingerhoets, Julia Kieft and Barend Visser were inspired and encouraged by Jon, with help from the UK OGA to establish the NL OGA in 2004. 2024 was the 20th anniversary of the founding of the NL OGA and several UK Gaffers joined their Dutch friends in an anniversary cruise. The East Coast OGA Area Committee thought it would be appropriate to mark this occasion with a presentation from the East Coast to the Dutch, who are of course our closest OGA Area neighbours.
What better way to remember the encouragement and contribution of Jon than a half model of his beloved boat ‘Deva’ that carried him back and forth across the North Sea, having many adventures and forming great friendships. The current owner of ‘Deva’, a shipwright and East Coast Young Gaffer Tom Curtis has taken the lines off ‘Deva’ (currently undergoing a rebuild in his yard at Pin Mill) and crafted this beautiful half model. The presentation was made at Durgedam NL during the Anniversary Cruise, 2024 by East Coast President Paul Masters to four of the NL OGA founders (l-r in photo below): Dirk Peeters, Molly Vingerhoets, Joachim van Houweninge and Julia Kieft. The half model in a presentation box may be used by the NL OGA as a perpetual trophy to be awarded as they see fit. I am sure Jon would have been delighted to see the NL OGA flourishing with now 130 members. One thing is certain, Jon would have absolutely loved the ‘Battle of the IJsselmeer’ and I think he would have been proud of the British Gaffer fleet and their ‘Victory’! The Netherlands OGA are requested to ready their vessels for ‘the Battle of the River Blackwater’ in 2028 at the UK OGA65 celebrations, organised by the East Coast Area.
Report: EC OGA Area President, Paul Masters
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