In 1968, Up River Yacht Club member Bernard Wormald asked me to design a new Merlin for his son Chris - my first professional commission!
Bernard built the boat himself, and it was launched in late summer 1968.

In early 1969, another club mate, Tony Ceretti, asked if I would build him a Merlin to the Hotspur design. It was a bit cramped in the integral garage of my semi at Woodham Ferrers, but somehow 'Hydra' emerged in the spring of 1969. I made a pretty good job of her, too. She was later sold to Ian Perkin (seen sailing her below, at the Up River yacht Club, Hullbridge, Essex), then she passed to Tony Donaldson, who sailed her for many years on the Merlin circuit. In 2005 I heard from Hydra's then owner, Alan Dovey. See photos of the boat in 1969 and 2005.

Hydra looked good and sailed extremely well. She started winning club events, and another club member, Peter Wilde, asked if I could get a Hotspur professionally built. I approached Anderson, Rigden & Perkins at Whitstable, who agreed to build the design. I had arrived as a Merlin Rocket designer.
"Hugger-Mugger" MR 2342, was launched in 1970, and after a string of high placings in open meetings, came fourth in the Silver Tiller series that year.

This brought my name to the attention of some of the top helmsmen, and in early 1971, Richard Davies of Whitstable YC had ordered a boat from Anderson Rigden & Perkins, and Patrick Blake had a boat built by Bob Hoare at Christchurch. Others were built by the Aln Boatyard in Northumberland.
Patrick's boat ('Mythbegotten' MR2446) won the Silver Tiller series in 1971, but by the end of that season my next design was already established as a winner - Hornblower.

A total of 33 Hotspurs were built.

At the beginning of 1971, only half a dozen Hotspurs were in commission, but the design won seven Silver Tiller events during that season.