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Old 09-07-2008, 10:12 PM   #1
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Norman Fletcher

Many of you will be very sad to know that Norman Fletcher passed away last Friday.

Norman founded the Fletcher brand of sports boats in the early 1960's when from his model shop in Walsall he began selling outboard engines. Realising that the new Glass Fibre moulded technology had a significant future he combined the GRP process with a deep V hull design that lead to one of the first designs for mass produced performance sports boats in the UK. Through the 1960's Norman grew his business, manufacturing in Aldridge and eventually in the early 1970's taking new premises in Burntwood in Staffordshire where the Fletcher Arrow became the UK's largest selling branded range of sports boats.

Norman competed as a driver with significant skill in both offshore and inshore events with considerable success in the production classes that his Fletcher Arrow boats were eligible, especially in water ski racing.

In the 1980's Norman sold his business' and he was able to retire to Poole in Dorset.

My interest in classic boats was founded by Norman when, as a boy in the late 60's, our family joined his family for holidays bridging the Cowes-Torquay races over the August Bank Holiday, also taking "trips" and being pounded around of the IOW in a number of Fletcher prototypes.

I am sure you will all join in expressing sympathy to Val his wife as well as his children Karen, Nicky and Paul
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Old 10-07-2008, 10:09 AM   #2
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Sad indeed!

I enjoyed many a happy mile in my Arrowbolt 21 back in the mid 80's.
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Old 10-07-2008, 11:06 PM   #3
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Yeah, Sad news indeed.

Norman helped to bring sportsboating to the mass's with his range of excellent sportsboats.

Thinking of his family at this time.
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Old 11-07-2008, 09:51 AM   #4
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Fletcher 140 with a "alka seltzer" Suzuki 70 my first boat - RIP
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Old 11-07-2008, 09:52 AM   #5
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Very sad to hear, don't think any boater can't say they haven't had hours of fun in a fletcher
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Old 11-07-2008, 10:44 AM   #6
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first boat 155 bravo 85hp johnson had great times in it many thanks.
condolences to the family
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Old 11-07-2008, 10:54 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Stone View Post
Very sad to hear, don't think any boater can't say they haven't had hours of fun in a fletcher
Your not wrong. My dads first fibreglass boat was a Fletcher 129 with a 40hp Perkins, great fun.
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Old 11-07-2008, 11:11 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Stone View Post
Very sad to hear, don't think any boater can't say they haven't had hours of fun in a fletcher
Haven't spent hours in them but in the 80's I chased around looking at Faro's fancied one with a 115 on it, some years later started looking at the Arrowbolt 21, went to check one out at Marshan boats factory/farm and in the end decided my V6 Merc would be more suited to a Marshan so purchased one of them instead after that I fancied the new Arrowbolt 22 and still failed to get my hands on one, and in the early 90's a large American power boat popped up next to my boat with a massive 500hp+tuned V8 the guys down the yard said to me it was Norman Fletcher's who lived in Poole never new if that was true or not but I guess what is true Fletcher's have featured in most boaters lives in some way or another...Condolences to the family


Oh and I nearly forgot the Marshan was hit from behind by a Fletcher in Poole Harbour and holed
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Old 11-07-2008, 02:00 PM   #9
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So many good memories of our 140 arrowflyte.THANKYOU.
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Old 11-07-2008, 02:52 PM   #10
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my first boat was an arrowsprint 129 with 28 yam then 40 mariner then 55 yam, load's of fun maybe more than we have now with bigger faster and more expensive kit..........
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Old 03-09-2008, 02:19 PM   #11
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Always enjoyed racing the fletchers and beating them, in our Phantom 16, now a proud Fletcher owner myself especially as they are made in Wolverhampton my birth place.

Thanks Norman!
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Old 03-09-2008, 04:03 PM   #12
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Never knew much about Norman! god bless mine thou for making affordable boats.
My first I shared with my Bro was a 13ft 70's fletcher called heart attach with a blue band 50 hp powercord merc! and it lived up to its name. We got very close to sinking it on V50 Day. then on to a 199 i found that a close friend was selling.

And now i have my own 199, it is really the 199 i like because of the sleek looks and the way it performs on open water.

I'd even go as far as saying i'd like to get hold of another one redesign the top deck for racing.
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Old 03-09-2008, 07:11 PM   #13
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Sad news.

Had a few little Fletchers back in the late 80s/early 90s:
1970s Fletcher Arrowsprint 129/Soozook 50. Fast boat - spent more time above the water than in it
1982 Fletcher Arrowflyte 140/Soozook 65.
1991 Fletcher Arrowflyte 140/soozook 85. Fast boat, but I preferred the '82 model.
Great fun, all of them.
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Old 03-09-2008, 09:22 PM   #14
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Rip

Rip.
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