I became the custodian of Zenith in 2004. She is a Swedish IIIB Sailing Canoe, designed by Sven Thorell. She’s the sistership of Thorell’s Sol, designed in 1913.
I have a number of gaps in Zenith‘s history. We know she was registered with the International Canoe Association in 1935 by her owner H.L. Paxton. Prior to 1935 she has been sailing as a Royal Canoe Club ‘B’ Class Canoe (the Swedish IIIB rule and the RCC B rule are very similar). We have no idea when she was imported to the UK but it has to be between 1913 and 1931 (this when the Swede change their rules and no IIIB’s were built after 1931.
She was owned by Barry Bucknell after WW2, he and her wife sailed her from Cowes to Hayling Island in 1947 and Barry owned Zenith until 1951 when he sold her to Michael French who had her until 1953.
Andrew Eastwood found her in Scotland in the late 1990s and I collected her from Andrew in 2004.
There’s more of Zenith’s history at
- http://www.pegasus18.com/zenith/2020/01/10/some-of-zeniths-background/
- a significant update at http://www.pegasus18.com/zenith/2021/01/10/zeniths-history-now-a-little-clearer-or-less-muddier/
- another update at
http://www.pegasus18.com/zenith/2021/06/11/the-tumlare-connection/
Zenith requires considerable work. Over 90 ribs are broken, there are several holes in the hull requiring planking to be replaced , she needs a new deck, the mast and boom require significant work and new sails will be needed.