A Guide to Cherub Designs

This is a list of U.K. Cherub designs compiled by various people over the years. It is believed to comprise all designs built in any numbers, and the vast majority of one-offs.

Note - the links to individual designs in this document load a page of graphics showing those designs. These should be helpful in gaining a feel for the shapes of the designs involved, but are definitely not warranted accurate.

The Early 70's

Forman4
First deep vee design in UK. Designed for easy construction. Identified by wide side tanks with straight carlins and overlapping panels fwd. e.g. 1702, 1704.

Forman4b
Identical to Mk 4, but with narrower curved decks. Very numerous design in UK. e.g. 1699,1708,2120,2124.

Gregory 7 (Easy Rider)
Very beamy with pronounced rocker and a local dip in the chine at mid-length. Short hinged board. e.g. 1710, 1711.

Bethwaite (Aus)
Australian Design, very slab sided looking for the time. Flatter sections aft, moderate rocker. Derived from Mark Bethwaite's NS14, which was the direct ancestor of the Tasar. e.g. 1900 Slithy Tove

Farr mk2 (NZ)
Moderate NZ design. Considerable panel curvature. Flatter sections aft, appreciable rocker, mainly forward. e.g. 1982, Queenie SJB (3rd in the 1974 worlds.)

Caisley/Steel 2
Development of C/S 1, about 6' beam with max. chine depth well aft and wide tanks sloping inboard. e.g. 2102.

Forman 4c(g)
GRP version of Mk 4b, with slightly slimmer hull, no overlapping chine and max. chine beam further forward. Various decking and internal layouts exist. e.g. 2315, 2114, 2113, 2312, 2403, 2502.

Caisley/Steel 3
Slightly smoother development of C/S 2, narrower decks, less buoyancy. Noticeably more Veed at the transom than at mid length. e.g. 2150 Kipper.

Forman Mk4c(w)
All wood version with various layouts built to same hull lines as GRP shell. e.g. 2109.

Forman 5
Development of Mk 4, low rocker, wide transom chines, full bow. e.g. 2137.

Forman 4c(gt)
As Forman 4, but shells joined by glass tape. e.g. 2402.

Forman 4d(gt)
Development of Mk 4c with additional curvature in aft bottom panels. Glass taped. e.g. 2350, 2344.

After the First Worlds in the U.K., 1974

Webb
Cold moulded hull with low rocker. e.g. 2333, 2349.

Babcock 1 (DBS)
NZ influenced design, low rocker, very slim.

Forman 6
Further development of Mk 4 & 5. Wider chines at transom than Mk 4, with panel curvature as Mk 4d. Slightly finer bow, increased freeboard. e.g. 2345 Tachyon

Robinson 1
Forman 4 development. Low rocker, deeper V with more panel curvature. Rig well forward. Stern tank and - as built - an internal rudder, which went through the stern tank. The boat went very well in light winds, but was a handful in a blow.

Tyrer
Designed for heavier helmsman. Rig well forward. Wider chines at mid-length. Very high floor rise at transom with considerable curvature. Low rocker. e.g. 2334.

Selby 2
Wide transom chines to give parallel planing surface. Mast well aft. e.g. 2340.

Hill 1
Very unusual design with huge open cockpit (later modified to Australian-type layout). No side tanks, buoyancy in bow and stern tanks. Cold moulded hull, stepped chine fwd. 2407.

Ellway 1
High chine rise forward with distinctive spray chine. Deep veed aft with wide chines at transom, low rocker.

Botting 1
High chine rise forward, fine veed entry. Flat sections aft, low rocker, deep stem. Influenced by Farr designs 2425.

Deeley 1
Radical design. Extremely fine veed forward sections, considerable panel curvature and wide chines aft. Low rocker, high freeboard. Semi self-draining. 2434.

Paterson 1
Wide Veed aft sections, low rocker, very long straight entry, mast stepped well aft, wide beam. 2437 Haemogoblin

Parker
Very flat transom, low rocker, full bow with very exaggerated flare above waterline.

Robinson 2
Australian influenced design. Wide flat sections aft, very low rocker. Semi self-draining cockpit (first Cherub with "crew deck". The original had a mast made of 2 Needlespar ultra light (4"*1 7/8" oval) booms joined together, overrotating etc. It was also the first boat to really use less than maximum rise of floor at mid length. This wasn't really totally sucessful with the then rules, as the boat suffered in lighter airs, (but was very quick in F4) but the idea came back some twelve years later with the Italian Bistro, and was hugely successful with the narrower waterline beam permitted by the 1984 rules. e.g. R&P

Hill 2
Australian influenced design. Moderate rocker, considerable panel curvature, low bow tank, 2 aft tanks. Probably the first U.K. built Cherub to use carbon fibre for local reinforcement (on a wood boat!). 2503 Cachaca

Spithead Special (Duke/Robinson/Hows)
Radical design. Scow-like forward sections with chines sloping down to base of stem. Moderate rocker, concentrated forward. Later versions (Easter Beagle) have higher freeboard. e.g. 2540.

Hot Dog (Duke 2)
Moderate Spithead Special development. Moderate rocker concentrated well forward. Low chine rise, much panel curvature. e.g., 2530

Ellway 2
Design for heavy helmsman. Rocker aft, high chine rise forward, wide chines at transom, much panel curvature. Flat decks. 2512

Deeley 2
Mk 1 development. more moderate veed bow, wider flatter transom, less rocker aft, crew deck. e.g. 2534, 2603

Forman 8
Moderate development of Mk 6. More panel curvature, fuller bow. Moderate rocker. Very numerous design. e.g. 2549, 2548, 2511.

Botting 2
Development of mk 1. Fine veed forward sections, low rocker. 2546

Robinson 3
Moderate design. Fine bows and high chine rise forward, moderate rocker, concentrated forward. e.g. 2542

Babcock 2
Similar bow to Easter Beagle and Hot Dog. low rocker, wide deep veed aft sections. 2550

Paterson 2.
Wide, moderately flat transom, low rocker, moderate chine rise forward, e.g. 2601

Deeley 3
Aft sections similar to mk 1. more moderately veed and less fine bow sections. More even and increased rocker. Some have crew deck. e.g. 2604

Murray (Aus)
Australian design, fine bow with high chine rise, fairly narrow chines at transom, very low rocker. Iain Murray, who I believe was about 16 when he produced the design, later became well known both for Worlds winning 18 footers and from his involvement in the America's Cup. E.g. 2606.

Forman 8s
Foam sandwich mk 8 by Omega boats. Slightly wider at transom and finer entry. Curved topsides e.g. 2608

Ellway 3
Development of Mk 2 for normal crew weight distribution. more even rocker, more chine rise, very parallel chines, finer bows. e.g. 2612 Old Peculier.

One shouldn't leave discussion of the 60s and 70s without acknowledging the debt theU.K. Class owed to the late Freddy Babcock through that era. His company, Watling Joinery, donated many prizes, and he devoted an enormous amount of time and effort to the class, serving it in many ways, notably as Class Association President.