|
09-07-2008, 10:12 PM
|
#1
|
Registered User
Country: UK
Location: Stone, Staffordshire
Occupation: Global CR Manager - Next PLC
Interests: Classic Powerboats, Music and Fashion
Boat name: Deja Vu
Boat make: Classic: 1976 Seacraft 23 foot
Engines: Yamaha 240HP
Cruising area: Salcombe & South Hams
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Stone, Staffordshire
Posts: 37
|
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
__________________
|
|
|
10-07-2008, 10:09 AM
|
#2
|
numbskull
Country: United Kingdom
Location: South
Occupation: none
Interests: none
Boat name: Leviathan
Boat make: Phantom 28
Cruising area: South Coast
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: South
Posts: 15,959
|
Sad indeed!
I enjoyed many a happy mile in my Arrowbolt 21 back in the mid 80's.
__________________
__________________
.
"I Agree with everything you say really!" - John Cooke to Jon Fuller - 26-01-2013
|
|
|
10-07-2008, 11:06 PM
|
#3
|
Registered User
Country: UK
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,237
|
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.
|
|
|
11-07-2008, 09:51 AM
|
#4
|
BananaShark Member
Country: UK
Location: Salcombe South Devon
Occupation: Racer and builder
Interests: Winning races
Boat name: BananaShark
Boat make: BananaShark 34' Race
Engines: Twin Yanmar BY 260's
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Salcombe South Devon
Posts: 4,638
|
Fletcher 140 with a "alka seltzer" Suzuki 70 my first boat - RIP
__________________
Cookee
British Champions! RIB Formula 1 2005
National Speed Record Holder at 90.15 (still)
www.bananasharkracing.com
|
|
|
11-07-2008, 09:52 AM
|
#5
|
Registered User
Country: UK
Location: Pevensey Bay
Occupation: Teacher
Interests: photography
Cruising area: Pevensey Bay / Solent
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Pevensey Bay
Posts: 261
|
Very sad to hear, don't think any boater can't say they haven't had hours of fun in a fletcher
|
|
|
11-07-2008, 10:44 AM
|
#6
|
sit down shut up hold on
Country: wales
Occupation: anything
Interests: boats,cars anything with a motor
Boat make: just sold it
Engines: none
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 239
|
first boat 155 bravo 85hp johnson had great times in it many thanks.
condolences to the family
|
|
|
11-07-2008, 10:54 AM
|
#7
|
Registered User
Country: Scotland
Location: Kirkcudbright
Interests: Boats n Lambrettas
Boat make: Boatless
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Kirkcudbright
Posts: 978
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Stone
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.
|
|
|
11-07-2008, 11:11 AM
|
#8
|
Registered User
Country: uk
Location: poole
Occupation: retail
Interests: sport and being lazy
Boat make: ring rib
Engines: merc xr2
Cruising area: bournemouth bay
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: poole
Posts: 1,681
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Stone
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
__________________
i can na give her any more captain
|
|
|
11-07-2008, 02:00 PM
|
#9
|
Captain slow
Country: england
Location: surrey
Boat name: terminal velocity no.120
Boat make: phantom20
Engines: 2.5efi smillin jack
Cruising area: solent
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: surrey
Posts: 478
|
So many good memories of our 140 arrowflyte.THANKYOU.
|
|
|
11-07-2008, 02:52 PM
|
#10
|
Registered User
Country: uk
Location: salcombe
Occupation: semi retired
Interests: racing(middle east class 3 6l)
Boat name: still no worries
Boat make: phantom18
Engines: 2.5 efi
Cruising area: salcombe
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: salcombe
Posts: 499
|
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..........
|
|
|
03-09-2008, 02:19 PM
|
#11
|
Registered User
Country: UK
Location: Thorpe Bay
Occupation: IT Director, www.lighthouseit.co.uk
Interests: Boats, Surfing & Snowboarding
Boat name: Isabella / Cool Runnings II / Bella / Sea Pup / Sea Dog / Speedy II / Bernico F3
Boat make: Colvic 35 Suncruiser / Bernico F3 / Phantom 16 / Zodiac 420 YL / RIB / Apollo 9
Engines: 2 x Perkins Sabre 225ti / Mercury Pro XS /Mercury Pro XS 115/ Tohatsu 2.5 / Mercury 25 / Mercury 50
Cruising area: Thames Estuary / River Crouch / Salcombe
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Thorpe Bay
Posts: 932
|
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!
__________________
Loving the Spitfire with a 25HP Mercury
|
|
|
03-09-2008, 04:03 PM
|
#12
|
Registered User
Country: England
Location: Hampshire
Interests: Lots of things
Cruising area: Basingstoke ring road.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 331
|
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.
|
|
|
03-09-2008, 07:11 PM
|
#13
|
Registered User
Country: Wales
Location: West Wales
Boat make: O****y Vipermax 5.8
Engines: 150 Opti
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: West Wales
Posts: 149
|
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.
|
|
|
03-09-2008, 09:22 PM
|
#14
|
.
Country: U.K.
Engines: V8
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 162
|
Rip
Rip.
__________________
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|